True North


True North founders step down, COO takes reins in leadership rejig

Jess Fowle and Andrew Sheldon, the founders of Sky Studios-owned UK indie True North, are stepping down after two decades at the helm, with existing COO Norma Wisnevitz promoted to chief exec to lead the firm. Wisnevitz has been appointed as CEO with immediate effect, having joined True North three years ago from Channel 4’s […]

True North appoints Norma Wisnevitz as COO

UK producer True North has appointed former Channel 4 Growth Fund executive Norma Wisnevitz as its new COO. Wisnevitz, who was most recently senior portfolio manager at Channel 4’s Indie Growth Fund, will take up her new role this month. She will work with the prodco’s creative directors to steer strategy and oversee plans to […]

MTV UK greenlights Teen Mom spin-off

MTV UK is to adapt Teen Mom spin-off Young & Pregnant. Produced by True North, which adapted Teen Mom for the UK, the series is to take an earlier glimpse at parenthood, examining the complexities of a teen pregnancy. Teen Mom: Young & Pregnant will follow four young women from across the UK as they approach […]

True North delivers Million Dollar Baby for MTV Int’l

MTV International has commissioned a new observational reality format, Million Dollar Baby, from True North, makers of Teen Mom UK. The show will follow reality TV star Lateysha Grace as she sets out to earn her daughter Wynter £1 million. Born into a low-income, single-parent household, Grace made her name on reality shows The Valleys […]

Sky invests $2m in Circle Media Labs

Sky has invested US$2 million in Circle Media Labs, a tech company specialising in connected devices. Sky described Circle Media Labs as an “early-stage technology company” and said in a brief statement that the investment would provide it with “additional insight into developments within the field”. It is unclear what devices Circle Media Labs is […]

Sky taking True North shows to MIPTV

Sky Vision will be taking shows from True North to market at MIPTV, having bought a majority stake in the UK indie earlier this year. Sky took control of Leeds-based True North, which is behind programmes including MTV’s Teen Mom UK, CBBC’s Junior Vets and Channel 4’s A New Life in the Sun, in January. True North founders Jess Fowle […]

Sky buys stakes in UK indies

Sky has acquired a majority stake in a northern England-based prodco, marking the latest round of investment in the UK production sector for the European pay TV operator. Sky has also taken an undisclosed stake in Chrysalis Vision, the drama production vehicle Chris Wright and Mick Pilsworth set up two years ago. The True North […]

Channel 4 buys into sports indie

UK broadcaster Channel 4 has bought a stake in sports programming-focused indie Whisper Films. Former Formula One driver David Coulthard, sports presenter Jake Humphrey and BBC Sports producer Sunil Patel (pictured) set up Whisper in 2010, and have since produce shows for the BBC and ITV and international documentaries that have aired on NBC in […]

Channel 4 buys into another UK indie

UK broadcaster Channel 4 has bought into another emerging indie producer as part of its £20 million (US$30 million) Growth Fund investment strategy. Renowned Films is a three-year-old prodco that former BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Duane Jones co-founded with then-students Max Welch and Tim Withers (all three pictured left). The company is known for securing […]