Post CA Media buy, Endemol India gets TV and fiction head

Mumbai: A month after Peter Chernin?s company acquired 49 per cent stake, Endemol India has restructured its operations to keep in line with its growth strategy that will be built on four verticals - Television, Regional, Fims and Digital.

For the television vertical, the company has appointed Abhishek Rege, a senior executive at Viacom18 Media overlooking their business operations for the US, as chief operating officer. Doris Dey has moved from Balaji Telefilms to join as fiction head. She was creative director and also wrote scripts of shows like ?Bade Ache Lagte Hai?, ?Kya Hua Tera Waada?, ?Parichay? and ?Pavitra Rishta?.

"The last one year has been very exciting for Endemol India, with the new concepts being accepted wholeheartedly and the existing formats progressing to their much awaited seasons. As we move into our next phase of growth, it?s critical to have a structure that supports our ambitions and fuels expansion. Going ahead, our core focus will be on the four verticals," says Endemol India CEO Deepak Dhar.

The Endemol operational structure will have teams that will look after regional and films separately. The teams are in place and the company will announce their heads soon.

In the regional segment, Endemol will focus on developing content for regional TV channels.

The company will have both Hindi as well as regional films with Dhar directly overseeing the operations.

"We will soon launch and announce initiatives in the digital and film space," Dhar says.

On the television front, Rege will overlook strategic operations specific to the production of new shows while Dey will be responsible for driving the fiction properties and concepts that will engage and entertain the viewers.

"Abhishek and Doris come with a vast experience and I am convinced that both the professionals will drive our most ambitious phase," avers Dhar.

Endemol, the biggest non-fiction content producer in India, has big plans for fiction as well. "We are looking at producing Indian fiction content for international markets also. Its time for looking at fiction more seriously and we may look at retaining the IP," Dhar tells Indiantelevision.

On the non-fiction front, Endemol India will continue with its current structure. It does not have a head for non-fiction. Instead, the company has group heads for different formats like song & dance, reality and game shows.

The Chernin Group (TCG)?s Asian media investment arm CA Media had picked up 49 per cent stake in Endemol India last month. Incidentally, CA Media?s India head Rajesh Kamat earlier worked as chief executive officer of Endemol India.

Post stake sale, Endemol India?s plan is to grow as a leading producer of television, film and digital content.

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Peter Chernin?s firm starts India innings with 49% stake in Endemol India