CANNES: It?s known for its Big Brother franchise, which has been produced in several companies worldwide, placing it among the top global TV producers and format licensor. And Endemol president Tim Hincks announced today at MipTV what lengths it will go to retain its leadership position.

Speaking to a packed Grand Auditorium in the Palais des Festivals he said: ?We are back in the mergers and acquisition game. We have the free cash to do some takeovers. We will be announcing some of them soon.?

?The traditional broadcasting-producer model is doing very well thank you for all of us; it is very resilient. We have to change the way we think in our minds going forward in digital. It?s time to change the risk model,? he revealed.

In India, Endemol has roped in CA Media as a joint venture partner, but Hincks said that?s not something that could become a model for Endemol for other l markets. He said: "The fundamental principle for us is that we are global company but we operate incredibly locally. In India?s case, the joint venture was the right way to go. It?s not necessarily the way we?ll go as a rule."

He disclosed that Endemol had tied up with the Rolling Stones to launch a Digital App. ?I met up with Mick Jagger and he and his band mates asked us to help them to market themselves digitally and we have done just that,? he revealed. ?There?s a business opportunity here as they have loyal fans out there to whom we can directly market and also offer them a digital experience?
He also announced the launch of a Fear Factor YouTube channel in the US to be followed by launches elsewhere. ?It will be hosted by the Fear Factor hosts and will have a lot of archival material. We will also allow users to upload their Fear Factor videos and also interact with each other and create some commercial opportunities. We have to back the content we create online and offline with some clever marketing. Fuse these two together and you have winners.?

What about its core business of content creation for linear channels? What keeps Endemol going. ?It?s all about the creative process,? pointed out Hincks. ?Creatives like to have a notion of ownership and Endemol provides them that environment to fulfill their creative dreams.?

On that front, he is quite gung-ho about two new shows which are emerging from Endemol. One is a scripted entertainment show Low Winter Sun which is being produced for AMC. And the other is ?I know that face,? a format which was created in same and has become all the rage globally and which is expected to roll out shortly in the US and UK.

?The fact is that we launched 175 formats in 2012 in various countries right from Italy to German to US to Holland to Spain. We managed to do so because we are a creative engine,? he concluded.

MUMBAI: Television format creator and distributor Endemol has announced that the management board, comprising CEO Just Spee and President Tim Hincks, has appointed a new Management Committee to focus on overseeing and supporting the business on a day-to-day basis.

Martha Brass, formerly MD of international operations, joins the Management Committee as the Group?s COO. Brass will continue to oversee emerging markets whilst taking operational responsibility for additional territories including Scandinavia and Central and Eastern Europe.

Edwin van Es, formerly Group finance director, joins the management committee as CFO, overseeing all the Group?s finance activities including controlling, accounting, tax and treasury.

Global Head of Legal and Corporate Secretary Boudewijn Beusmans will also join the new committee.

Beusmans, Brass and van Es will all continue to report to Just Spee.

Spee said, "The new management committee brings together a team of people who are highly experienced and extremely effective in their respective fields. This new structure will help us to focus on the key strategic drivers of the business as we look to continue the growth and diversification Endemol achieved throughout 2012."

Endemol created and launched over 50 new formats for broadcasters around the world last year, whilst also growing its distribution catalogue to 29,000 hours of content spanning all genres. In addition the company?s growing drama and comedy slate now includes US and UK productions such as ?Ripper Street? (BBC One), ?Hell On Wheels? (AMC), ?Benidorm? (ITV1), ?Black Mirror? (Channel 4); forthcoming series such as ?Red Widow? (ABC), ?Low Winter Sun? (AMC) and ?Peaky Blinders? (BBC Two); and a range of scripted output in territories including India, Australia, Russia, Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Spain and Argentina.

MUMBAI: Nicolas Coppermann has been appointed as Endemol France managing director.

Copperman will report directly to Virginie Calmels, who was recently promoted to Endemol Group COO and continues to oversee Endemol France as its chairman. Calmels will now share her time between her responsibilities at Endemol France and the position she has taken up internationally at Group level.

In his new role, Coppermann will support Calmels, taking responsibility for the day to day operational management of Endemol France, which has recent credits including hit series for TF1 such as Secret Story, The Money Drop and les 12 Coups de Midi, and Undercover Boss for M6.

Coppermann will also help to drive forward Endemol France?s ongoing diversification strategy, which has seen the company successfully expand into areas such as scripted programming whilst boosting creative output with new formats such as multiplatform game show The Code, which launched at Mip TV in April.

Coppermann has over 18 years experience in the French TV sector and has held numerous senior positions including Secretary General of Programs and Scripted Programs at leading broadcaster M6 and CEO of Zodiak Media?s Paris based subsidiary Tele Images Productions. Most recently he was General Manager and partner at TV, film and distribution company Robin & Co. in Paris.

Calmels said, "Nicolas?s operational expertise and experience will be a great asset to Endemol France as we continue our successful period of growth and diversification. I?m delighted to have someone of his calibre joining the team and I very much look forward to working with him."

Endemol recently announced a new Management Board with Just Spee appointed as CEO, Tim Hincks becoming President and Virginie Calmels taking the role of COO.

MUMBAI: Television format creator and distributor Endemol has announced new appointments to the management board.

Endemol UK CEO Tim Hincks has been appointed Endemol Group president. Endemol France chairman, CEO Virginie Calmels has become COO at Endemol Group. Virginie Calmels was appointed as Endemol France chairman, CEO in 2007,

as well as becoming a member of Endemol?s International Board. Under Virginie?s leadership, Endemol France has established itself as the country?s leading entertainment production company, annually producing over 850 hours of content.

Endemol France?s recent credits include hit series for TF1 such as Secret Story, The Money Drop and les 12 Coups de Midi, and Undercover Boss for M6. Calmels also successfully diversified Endemol France by taking it into scripted programming as well as boosting creative output with new formats such as multiplatform game show The Code, which launched at Mip TV in April.

As Endemol Group COO Calmels will be responsible for overseeing Endemol?s operations in the European markets (12 territories, including France) as well as further enhancing the Group?s efficiency. Calmels will have continued responsibility for Endemol France?s business as its chairman.

Endemol adds that it is performing strongly in terms of growth, profitability and creativity with a business spanning formats, scripted programming, distribution, digital media and brands.

In spite of the challenging marketplace, the company achieved year on year revenue growth in 2011 of 10 per cent to nearly 1.4 billion Euros. This has been driven by a number of factors including expansion in scripted programming, where year on year growth was 34 per cent.

Last year, Endemol produced 189 formats in all entertainment genres, 56 of which were new shows produced for the first time, whilst its global distribution operation added 1,000 hours of new programming to its catalogue, bringing the total to 24,000 hours. Other factors included growth in emerging markets, and continued success for established formats such as ?The Money Drop? and ?Big Brother?, which aired in 87 countries in 2011.

The first quarter of 2012 has shown continued, significant growth in terms of revenues and profits.