Chris Grant


Pollak promoted at Electus

John Pollak has been promoted to the role of president of worldwide television and international at Electus. In his new role, Pollak will report to CEO Chris Grant, having served as president of Electus International since 2012. He will now oversee the global rollout of Electus’ scripted and unscripted content, including development, production and current […]

Electus ups stake in Prinicipato-Young

Entertainment studio Electus had expanded its partnership with Principato-Young Entertainment (PYE), a management and production company. The move will see Peter Principato (pictured) become president and CEO of PYE, and work more closely with Electus’ CEO Chris Grant and COO Drew Buckley. As part of the deal, PYE co-founder Paul Young has agreed to sell […]

Raft of promotions at Electus

A raft of execs have been upped at Electus, including three of the international sales team. Within the distribution division, Brad Jorgensen (left) is promoted from vice president to senior VP, worldwide operations. Cyrus Farrokh, meanwhile, adds responsibility for sales to Northern Europe to his role and becomes vice president, Northern Europe and Asia Pacific. […]

Andreae out at Fox, Electus’ Henson in

Simon Andreae’s spell at the top of US broadcast network Fox’s reality arm is over, with Electus executive Corie Henson tapped to replace him. Andreae (pictured) had been in the role of executive VP, alternative programming for a year. Henson (below, right) has been with Ben Silverman’s Electus for a similar period of time after […]

Reality round the clock

NBC’s large scale live event gameshow Million Second Quiz has ended after nearly 12 days of continuous competition and handing out the biggest prize in network history. But what does the show say about the future of the future of primetime reality shows? Jesse Whittock reports. Stephen Lambert’s London-based development team first conceived NBC’s Million […]

Power Play: why celebs are becoming execs

As the global media superpowers march into ever more sectors, A-list actors, musicians, fashion gurus and novelists are taking control of television projects. Jesse Whittock reports on the rise of the celebrity superproducer. In the past, the glamorous worlds of film, sport, pop music and fashion looked down their noses at TV from behind the […]

Electus poaches Henson for unscripted role

Ben Silverman’s multimedia studio Electus has hired ABC Entertainment alternative entertainment exec Corie Henson to become executive VP, unscripted television. Henson previously oversaw production of ABC unscripted series such as Dancing With the Stars, Shark Tank and Extreme Makeover, but has now taken the new role with US-based Electus. Beginning this month, she will oversee Electus’s unscripted […]

Electus invests in former SPT exec’s prodco

US-based Electus has made a strategic investment into Hud:sun Media, a production and entertainment company fronted by former Sony Pictures Television producer Michael Rourke. The deal gives sees Electus makes unspecified investment in Hud:sun, which MDC Partners co-founded with Rourke (left) in 2010. Financial terms were not disclosed. Following the investment, Ben Silverman’s Electus will […]