TBI Weekly: TV pays respect to top execs

Two prominent execs sadly passed away this month, with many in the industry paying respects for their former colleagues.

Over the weekend it emerged that well-liked and well-respected executive David Lyle (pictured) had passed away after a long fight with cancer.

Lyle was a prominent figure in the TV business and has worked across FremantleMedia North America, Fox and more recently as CEO for National Geographic. He was well known as a champion of the indie production space, and led the merger of US unscripted bodies NPA and PactUS earlier this year.

That was then following by the passing of former SVT programming chief Annie Wegelius, who succumbed to breast cancer.

Wegelius had a long career spanning four decades in both Swedish and international television, and was programme director at SVT between 2007 and 2013, where she is credited with modernising the operation.

Wegelius’ SVT colleagues said: “SVT is in mourning today. Annie Wegelius brought colour, power and warmth to everyone she met.”

Both deserve huge recognition for their impact on the international TV business, and they will be missed.

Also in the news…

Keshet International pre-sold its new true crime documentary Jo Frost on Killer Kids from Woodcut Media, which fronted by renowned parenting expert Jo Frost (Supernanny), to Foxtel in Australia.

Gaumont optioned Stephen King’s novella N., originally published in the 2008 collection Just After Sunset, and is adapting it as a one-hour TV scripted drama series, 8.

US-based Propagate Content has created a global production pact with Nash Entertainment.

Children’s distributor APC Kids sold the first season of Kid-E-Cats to Viacom, where it will be shown on Nick Jr.

CBS Reality announced the premiere of Voice of a Serial Killer, a new and exclusive original series debuting on November 1.

Endemol Shine Group has signed a multi-territory deal with Viacom International Media Networks for evergreen format Fear Factor.

Viasat World has gone into partnership with Woodcut Media and TCB Media Rights to coproduce a new factual entertainment pop-science series, How Hacks Work.

Jam Media secured major terrestrial deals with France Télévisions and CBC in Canada for its preschool series Becca’s Bunch.

Tele München Group (TMG) acquired a stake in Load Studios GmbH, marking another step in diversifying TMG’s core business into the digital segment of the media industry.

Eccho Rights will bring Cennet, Sürec Film’s newest Turkish drama series, to Mipcom this October.

Beauty World Search has appointed four new TV sales agents, completing a global independent distribution network for the finished series and format.

All3Media International secured global representation of third party format The Curling Quiz, a new prime-time studio-based entertainment show commissioned in the Netherlands. The show is set to be pitched at the ATF Leaders’ Summit in November. 

The week’s most-read TBI stories:

• David Lyle passed away aged 67
• Disney got a new EMEA chief
• In-demand chart: Kids TV Europe (September 11-17, 2017)
• eOne poached a top BBC Worldwide exec for sales
• SVT pioneer Annie Wegelius died aged 58