Keshet, Dick Clark form unscripted venture

Keshet International managing director Alon Shtruzman

Israel’s Keshet International and Dick Clark Productions have hooked up to create an unscripted production venture for English and Spanish-speaking US markets.

Keshet, the global arm of Keshet Media Group, and DC Media, the parent company of DCP, have come together to create Keshet DCP.

The venture will be “dedicated to developing, financing and delivering high quality unscripted programs to English and Spanish speaking US audiences and beyond”.

They plan to use Keshet’s experience in the international unscripted production market and DC Media’s US infrastructure to target commissions. Keshet has joint ventures with the likes of David Haslingden’s Racat Group in Australia, while DCP, founded in 1957, produces the Golden Globe Awards, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest and the American Music Awards.

Keshet DCP will have US rights to Keshet International’s catalogue of more than 20 unscripted titles such as Sure or Insure and Master Class and future titles. It will first push new format Rising Star, which scored massive ratings on Israel’s Channel 2 this week.

The JV will also “also serve as a platform for the companies to jointly develop, produce and finance new unscripted formats for the international marketplace”.

“Keshet is a global leader in television programming with consummate leadership under Avi Nir, making them an ideal partner as we continue strategic growth in the US and internationally,” said Allen Shapiro, CEO, DCP. “By combining our powerful resources, we hope to create a vast slate of the most compelling unscripted programming possible.”

“DCP has delivered unparalleled unscripted programming to audiences for decades, and their expertise, proven track record and strong brand present the perfect partners for KI as we look to advance our content in the US,” said Avi Nir, CEO, Keshet Media Group.