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‘Commissioning club’ Atrium TV launched
IPTV saw the launch of Atrium
TV, a new business specifically
established to create premium,
high profile drama content for delivery by
regional OTT players and telcos.
Positioning itself as a ‘commissioning club’,
Atrium TV is the brainchild of Sir Howard
Stringer, former chairman of Sony and
former president of CBS; Jeremy Fox, CEO of
British distributor DRG and Jakob Mejlhede,
EVP and head of programming and content
development at MTG.
“The demand for high-quality drama is
increasing throughout the world as new
platforms come on line and as new audiences
consume their programing in an alternative
way to linear TV,” noted Stringer. “Atrium
helps these new platforms compete with
broadcasters and global SVoD players by
offering a creative solution for them to offer
big budget drama to their subscribers.”
The Atrium team, based in London and Los
Angeles, finds and develops suitable projects
and shares them with Club members, who
then decide if they wish to invest. If they
buy into a project, Club members will be
able to licence the series for their territory
and will have the right to exploit it in their
local market. Sales in the rest of the world
will be handled exclusively by London-based
DRG, part of leading international digital
entertainment group MTG.
Exclusivity is the key as there will only be
one Club member per territory. Numerous
companies have expressed interest in joining
Atrium TV, following the lead of Viaplay as
the first official Club member, representing
the Nordics.
“We are delighted to be founding members
of Atrium TV, an exciting new venture that
combines the talents of the world’s very best
storytellers,” declared Mejlhede. “Audiences
today have so much choice, and drama has
the power to engage them like no other
format. We are therefore thrilled to work
together with Club members to create unique
experiences for viewers around the world.”
Atrium TV will order a number of high-
end drama series over the next five years,
working with the very best producers around
the world. There are a number of projects in
development, with the three most advanced
being announced concurrently with the launch.
• The Eagle Has Landed, an original
concept, will air in 2019, which is the 50th
anniversary of man’s landing on the moon.
Stephen Kronish (24, The Kennedys) is
attached to write the script and is currently
hard at work on the research.
• Fandorin, based on the novels by Boris
Akunin, is being developed by BBC Studios,
with a script written by Simon Ashford (The
Musketeers, Robin Hood). Fandorin is a
fictional, late 19 th -century detective often
described as the Russian Sherlock
Holmes. The books have sold 25 million
copies.
• Saigon, based on the novel by Anthony
Grey, tells a story spanning 50 years of
Vietnam’s history from the French colonial
days of 1925 to the last helicopter from the
roof of the American embassy in 1975.
“We may think of ourselves as a club – but
we are keeping the rules to a minimum,” said
Fox. We are all about finding great stories
with universal themes and concepts that
work specifically in the OTT space. We are
encouraging approaches from producers and
are especially keen to hear new ideas based on
historical novels or major world events.”
Atrium TV also revealed that Quinn Taylor,
based in Los Angeles, had joined the venture
as creative consultant. Taylor has 25 years’
experience in international drama, including
senior roles at both ABC and NBC.
C4’s Abraham to step down
David Abraham (right), CEO of Executive of recruitment several successive years of
UK public service broadcaster Channel 4 over process over positive momentum and with
Channel 4 intends to step the last seven the next revenues now of circa £1
down from his role by the end years. Under months to billion (€1.16bn), investment
of 2017 in order to launch his leadership ensure that in content of £700 million
a media enterprise in 2018. the Channel Channel 4 and sustained creative
Abraham will remain in role has delivered continues performance, I have decided
until a new chief executive has record to have that 2017 is the right year
been appointed and is in post. revenues, outstanding for me to hand over this
record leadership into important public job to my
strong opponent of the programme the future.” successor.
Conservative administration’s investment, mooted privatisation of the award-winning broadcaster, declaring that creative renewal and industry- “I had three priorities when that offers viewers and
Channel 4’s funding model leading digital innovation. I joined Channel 4 in 2010: producers the opportunity
was sustainable and that it He leaves the organisation to build an independently for so much richness, delight
could actually make Channel in excellent creative and sustainable business while and value, across so many
4’s remit less sustainable and financial health and with a still delivering strongly to our genres – and long may that
would have a negative impact strong and highly experienced public remit; to assemble a continue. Channel 4 matters
on the UK economy and UK team in place. We wish team capable of delivering and I am confident that
viewers. him well in his future new creative renewal post Big our stakeholders recognise
enterprise. My colleagues Brother; and to become the unique and significant
chair said: “David Abraham on the Board and I will be world leaders in digital contribution it will make to
has been an outstanding Chief undertaking a comprehensive and data innovation. After the future of UK broadcasting.
Abraham has been a
Charles Gurassa, Channel 4
10 EUROMEDIA
David
Abraham said:
“We run a world-class
public service broadcaster