Paul Franklin Joins Shine America as EVP, Programming

Shine USA continues to bolster its creative ranks with the hire of Paul Franklin to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Programming, Shine USA.

Franklin, who is considered one of the most successful producers of unscripted programming in Australia, will relocate later this year from Shine Australia to Shine USA’s headquarters in Los Angeles, CA, to assume responsibility for the creative vision of Shine USA’s unscripted slate of series that include The Biggest Loser, MasterChef and Tabatha Takes Over. Franklin will report to Company President Eden Gaha. Franklin began his television career in the UK producing shows for all British networks before relocating to Sydney to oversee the first Australian season of The Biggest Loser and Jamie’s Kitchen Australia.

Upon joining FremantleMedia Australia as Head of Factual Entertainment, Franklin was the production partner and the creative architect behind transforming Shine’s UK based series MasterChef to a successful international format with MasterChef Australia, which became Australia’s highest-rated television series. After departing FremantleMedia Australia, Franklin consulted with Shine Group and travelled as an ambassador for MasterChef to establish the show in the United States with Gordon Ramsay and to manage additional launches of the format in France and India. Franklin is credited for the global success of Shine Group’s MasterChef format, which currently airs in 30 countries.

Franklin most recently oversaw unscripted series for Shine Australia including The Biggest Loser, Junior MasterChef, The Renovators, In Their Footsteps and the much-anticipated fourth season of MasterChef Australia. Shine USA CEO Carl Fennessy, who previously worked with Franklin at Shine Australia, said, "Paul is simply one of the finest program makers in the world and we're thrilled to welcome him to Shine USA. He has an extraordinary creative vision and a track record of producing exceptional television and delivering super hits. As we continue to build out Shine USA as the destination of choice for creative program making talent, Paul will add a whole new dimension to our team".  Gaha added, “I’m ecstatic to add Paul to our team. His established knowledge of our existing slate of unscripted programs will be invaluable as we focus on the continued growth of those shows and the development of new projects.”

Shine USA is part of the Shine Group, one of the world's foremost multinational entertainment and drama companies. Focused on exploiting worldwide intellectual property rights in scripted and unscripted television and digital entertainment, the Company is also a world leader in creating integrated marketing opportunities for advertisers and known for popular and award-winning hit series including “MasterChef,” “The Biggest Loser,” “The Office,” “Tabatha Takes Over,” “Shear Genius” and “One Born Every Minute.” Additionally, the Company has partnerships with Break Media, Microsoft and Yahoo! to develop original online series for brands. Through its distribution arm, Shine International, the Company distributes its extensive library of programming to more than 150 countries.

Nick Love to Join Shine 360º Australia as MD

Shine Australia today announced the appointment of Nick Love to the role of Managing Director, Shine 360°Australia.

The appointment comes after Shine Group recently announced that Ben Liebmann - who has held the role for the last eleven months – will re-locate to London with a new, extended global brief, as CEO, Shine 360°, a new group-wide division responsible for the management and commercialisation of non-broadcast rights for Shine Group properties on an international basis.

Nick will be responsible for Shine Australia's non-broadcast business including brand partnerships, sponsorship, retail, consumer products, digital, live events and home entertainment. He will also work closely with Shine Australia to develop brand funded content.

Reporting to Mark and Carl Fennessy, Nick will oversee the Shine 360° Australia team of Lisa Coren (Director of Brand Partnerships) and Petrina Frost (Director of Consumer and Retail Strategy), and will work closely with the Shine 360° Group division in further developing global franchises including MasterChef and The Biggest Loser.

Mark Fennessy said: "I am thrilled to welcome Nick into the Shine family.  His expertise across business development, multiplatform and brands will be a great asset and his leadership will be invaluable in what is a key part of the Shine Australia business."

Nick Love said:  "I am delighted to be joining Shine Australia at such an exciting time. Combining such a talented team with Shine’s brands and content the potential for the Shine 360° business is enormous."

Prior to joining Shine 360° Nick was Managing Director at Fox Interactive Media where he drove significant organisational change, repositioned Myspace’s offering to advertisers and consumers and drove the local elements of a global rebrand and product relaunch ahead of News Corporation’s sale of the business.  As one of Fox Interactive Media’s first employees he was responsible for online and mobile business development and commercial strategy across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia for the Myspace, IGN and AskMen properties.

He has also held a range of commercial roles at Soundbuzz, ARIA, ICE Interactive and Electronic Arts after beginning his career in the legal profession. Nick holds a Bachelor of Laws, MBA and Master of International Management from Bond University, and has been admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Further information:

Shine Australia

Charlotte McLauchlan / Bronwen Hodgson

Sally Burleigh Public Relations

charlotte@sbpr.com.au

02 9555 2285 / 0414 621 658

Shine to Establish Shine 360º, A Group-wide Global Brand & Commercial Rights Division

Shine Australia's Ben Liebmann To Head Shine 360° Globally. Shine Group today announced the establishment of Shine 360°, a new group-wide division responsible for the management and commercialisation of non-broadcast rights for Shine Group properties on a global basis.

Based on the business unit originally created and successfully operated by group company Shine Australia for the last nine months; Ben Liebmann, currently Managing Director, Shine 360°, Australia will relocate to London with a new extended cross-group global brief, as CEO, Shine 360°, Shine Group from 5th January 2012. Reporting to Shine Group President Alex Mahon, Liebmann will be joined by additional team members who are currently being recruited.

Designed to complement existing commercial and licensing specialists within the international network of group companies; under Liebmann the new group-wide, Shine 360° will focus on the development and commercialisation of Shine Group properties across existing areas of sponsorship, brand partnerships, consumer products, interactive and digital brand extensions, live events and brand-funded entertainment, with particular emphasis on furthering retail and direct to consumer propositions.

In addition to guiding Group strategy and the brokering of global partnerships, the division will work closely with the current local commercial teams who remain operating within, and responsible for, off-air projects within their respective group companies.

Shine 360° will aim to build further on the successful extensions of Shine Group properties such as MasterChef and The Biggest Loser. Internationally, MasterChef has generated over $100m worldwide in global retail sales, with extensions across books and magazine publishing, cookware, sponsorship, mobile and tablet applications, and live events. 2.2 million MasterChef related books and magazines have been sold internationally, and nearly a quarter of a million people have attended MasterChef Live in the UK and Australia. The Biggest Loser has seen over 15m products sold, and $400m in global revenue raised through initiatives including million selling workout DVDs, global publishing, online weight-loss management services, fitness console gaming, and numerous heath-based food, drink and supplement ranges.

Shine 360°'s brief will be to further extend these Shine Group ancillary successes; establishing global best practice and off-air strategies for Group rights and intellectual property, identifying new opportunities and innovative, ambitious partnerships in all areas of non-broadcast activity.

Shine Group President Alex Mahon said: "Millions have been inspired by Shine's programmes throughout the world, not only through their broadcast but through scores of creative, innovative, off-air extensions be they brand partnerships, books, apps or ground-breaking live events; a good many of which have been originated and driven by Ben and his team. On a global basis Shine 360° will build on this work, ensuring a collective consistent focus that continues to encourage commercial excellence locally and provides further opportunities globally."

Ben Liebmann, CEO, Shine 360° said: "Shine 360° will be a creative and commercial rights management business, offering global leverage and perspectives to support our teams and build on their achievements. Great brands transcend demographics, geographies and platforms, and by adopting an approach that lays out a global strategy alongside local autonomy we are best placed to realise the full potential of our amazing brand and programming portfolio. In this new and exciting role, I am really looking forward to working more closely with my colleagues across the entire Shine Group. I'd also like to thank Carl and Mark Fennessy for first bringing me to Shine and for their continued support and friendship."

Prior to joining Shine Australia, Liebmann worked at companies including FremantleMedia, Warner Music Group and Vodafone across markets including Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Since its establishment in Australia in October 2010, Shine 360° has managed properties including MasterChef Australia, Junior MasterChef, The Biggest Loser, The Renovators, In Their Footsteps and The Voice. A successor to Liebmann as Managing Director, Shine 360° will be announced shortly, with the existing team of four all continuing in their present roles.

Shine Group Announces Extended Group Roles for Shine Australia Joint CEOs

Shine Group Announces Extended Group Roles For Shine Australia Joint CEOs: Carl Fennessy to additionally become CEO Shine USA / Mark Fennessy to adopt role of President, Shine Network

Shine Group today announced that Shine Australia and New Zealand joint CEOs Carl and Mark Fennessy are to assume additional group responsibilities as CEO Shine USA and President, Shine Network respectively.

The new roles, complementary and in addition to their current Shine Australia positions, will see the pair continuing to drive the business in Australia, where they will be supported by an enhanced senior management team. Additional management appointments for Shine Australia are currently being considered and will be announced shortly.

Carl Fennessy will adopt the role of CEO Shine USA, responsible for driving the ongoing commercial strategy of the company and reporting to CEO Shine Group Americas Emiliano Calemzuk. Based in Shine Group America’s HQ in Los Angeles, he will relocate later in 2011 keeping a regular presence in Sydney.

Mark Fennessy undertakes the newly created role of President, Shine Network, working with the London based internal unit responsible for the development, acceleration and editorial stewardship of key Shine Group formats such as MasterChef, The Biggest Loser and One Born Every Minute. Continuing to operate from Sydney, he will focus in particular on forging new co-production relationships in countries where there is currently no Shine Group presence.   

Elisabeth Murdoch, Shine Group Chairman and CEO said: “Mark and Carl have taken Shine Australia from a standing start to the market leader in barely over a year. An extraordinary achievement that is down to their respective and complementary creative and commercial skills, and the energy and drive they share. Their new, extended roles come in recognition of this and will respectively allow the Group to further benefit from these skills.” 

Carl Fennessy said: "I'm delighted to take up this highly challenging position at Shine USA and acknowledge the faith and support which Liz and Shine Group have afforded me. I look forward to working closely with Emiliano, Eden and the U.S. team to create exceptional content across all media platforms and to continue to build on our success to date at Shine Australia".

Mark Fennessy said: “I’ve worked extensively with the Shine Network team on many of Shine Australia’s successful shows and look forward to doing so even more in this new role.”

Emiliano Calemzuk said: “We are thrilled to welcome Carl to the US team, he is a creative and commercial leader as the rapid success of Shine Australia is testament to. His talents will be very suited to our market and our companies here, and I hugely look forward to bringing him together with the team we are building here.”

Established in January 2010, Shine Australia produces both scripted and non-scripted programming for the Australian and New Zealand markets. These include Junior MasterChef, The Biggest Loser, Australia’s Next Top Model, Dating in the Dark and soon to be launched new series The Renovators (Network Ten), The Voice (Nine Network) Wife Swap (Lifestyle) and The Family (SBS).  Before Shine Australia, Mark and Carl Fennessy were CEO and Chief Operating Officer at FremantleMedia Australia, prior to which they successfully launched and managed independent production company Crackerjack. 

Further information

Shine Group Patrick Keegan patrick.keegan@shinegroup.tv +44 207 985 7021 07990 555305

Shine Australia

Bronwen Hodgson Sally Burleigh Public Relations bronwen@sbpr.com.au 02 9555 2285 / 0407 553 370