Drama veteran joins Atrium TV

Drama financing veteran Nick Witkowski has joined scripted ‘commissioning club’ Atrium TV.

Witkowski has been named director of global content sales at the operation, which former CBS and Sony chief Howard Stringer and CEO of distributor Jeremy Fox launched at MIPTV.

Execs hired since then include LA-based creative chief Quinn Taylor and UK-based development executive Dave Clarke, who along with Witkowski, has worked in drama for Cineflix Media.

Atrium aims to get high-end dramas into production by developing a slate of programmes that its members commit to taking for their territories. Different tiered memberships give the party different rights.

Witkowski has been worked in television for more than 30 years, and specialises in international financing and distribution of high-end drama.

He has held senior roles at 20^th Century production powerhouses Central Television, TVS and Chrysalis Television; and co-founded Alchemy, which created more than US$250 million worth of production.

More recently, he has helped fund more than US$100 million in production for prodcos such as Lookout Point, BBC Worldwide, Red Planet Productions and Cineflix Studios.

His credits include financing BBC America’s Copper, Channel 4 and A&E copro Shackleton, CBC and Canal+’s Diamonds, CBS and CTV’s Flashpoint and ITV and Netflix series Marcella.

“Nick joins Atrium TV at a really exciting time: we will shortly be announcing the first round of members to join founding member Viaplay and we will also be launching a new programme slate at MIPCOM,” said Fox.

“Nick brings with him huge amounts of valuable experience from the international drama world and a genuine passion for the end product. He is also incredibly well liked in the industry and has a track record for getting results so we are delighted that he chosen to spend the next part of his exciting career with Atrium.”