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STV APPOINTS AWARD-WINNING CREATIVE LEADER

DAVID MORTIMER AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF STV PRODUCTIONS

7th September 2018

STV has appointed the highly-respected creative business leader David Mortimer as Managing Director of STV Productions, to support its ambitious plans to build a world-class production company.

Mortimer is responsible for major hit shows including Dragons' Den (BBC), Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends (BBC), and 71 Degrees North (ITV). He joins STV from Tinopolis - the UK's largest independent production group - where he was Director of Content, heading up the group's overall scripted and unscripted strategy across production companies in the UK and US, delivering a turnover of over £200m. There Mortimer successfully oversaw the creative renewal of Firecracker Films and Mentorn - both of which have substantial bases in Scotland. In the US he helped secure significant new commissions including Nailed It from Magical Elves for Netflix and The Titan Games from A. Smith & Co. for NBC.

Prior to that, Mortimer was Senior Vice President, Factual & Entertainment at NBC Universal, where he quadrupled revenues growing unscripted output from just 12 hours in 2011 to more than 150 hours in 2016 by winning commissions from key territories including the UK, US, Australia, Canada, France and Germany. Programmes included Made In Chelsea (Channel 4), The Real Housewives franchise (Bravo) and Driving School Of Mum & Dad (Sky 1).

For seven years Mortimer ran his own successful independent production company, Fever Media, focusing on entertainment and factual formats and winning commissions and format sales in the UK and a number of international territories with credits including The People's Quiz (BBC One), No Place Like Home (ITV), Move Like Michael Jackson (BBC Three), 71 Degrees North (ITV) and America's Next Top Pop Group (MTV).

He also held a range of high-profile roles in a 15-year career at the BBC in both production and commissioning. As Editorial Executive at BBC Two, he helped the renewal of the channel with commissions including I Love The '70s, The Weakest Link and Great Britons. He took charge of a creative and business review of BBC Films and championed extra investment into BBC Two's drama budget.

In his career as a producer, Mortimer's shows have won a range of awards including an Emmy for Michael Moore's TV Nation, two BAFTAs for the When Louis Met… series, a BANFF Rockie for Dragons' Den and an RTS for Remembrance Week.

In his new role Mortimer will take charge of STV's production teams in Glasgow and London with a brief to turn STV into one of the UK's leading production companies, repositioning the brand to focus on developing returning series for terrestrial and SVOD players across both scripted and unscripted programming, and taking full advantage of the growing demand for quality programming from the nations and regions. He will also establish new creative production partnerships and work with the team to pilot a range of new programme formats on STV, capitalising on STV's unique status as a producer-broadcaster.

This key appointment is part of STV's comprehensive three-year strategy for creative and digital growth which will see the business invest £15m in new original content and digital to position STV as a major creative force in Scotland and beyond.

David Mortimer said: "I'm really excited to be joining Simon and the team at STV. I think there's huge untapped potential at STV Productions, so I can't wait to get going and help our team develop and sell shows in the UK and internationally. The opportunity to launch our own formats on STV is particularly exciting and potentially gives us an amazing competitive advantage."

Simon Pitts, CEO of STV, said: "David's track record as a creative leader is second to none. He has developed, produced and run some of the biggest shows on television, both in the UK and the US, and his vast experience will help us establish STV Productions as a major industry player over the next few years. I'm delighted he's joining our talented team."

ENDS

For further information, please contact the STV press office:-

Katie Martin

0141 300 3109

anna.hendry@stv.tv

Ellen Drummond

0141 300 3341

ellen.drummond@stv.tv 

Notes to Editors

STV Productions is one of the UK's leading content businesses with ambitious plans for domestic and international growth.

The company has a record of success across a range of genres, including drama, entertainment and factual, for a wide range of broadcasters. Ratings winner Antiques Road Trip has run for sixteen series on the BBC, along with seven series of sister programme Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. A further two series of Antiques Road Trip and an eighth series of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip are now in production.

In entertainment, the company has produced six series of Catchphrase for ITV, game shows And They're Off...for Sport Relief for BBC One and Babushka for ITV Daytime, as well as The Dressing Room for UKTV's entertainment channel W.

STV Productions has a track record of producing quality drama, with four part thriller The Victim currently in production for BBC One. The company recently announced a second BBC commission - 90 minute drama Elizabeth is Missing, adapted from Emma Healey's novel. Previous drama productions include Taggart and Rebus for ITV.

Highlights among Factual series and specials include Britain's Polar Bear Cub for Channel 4, two series of Prison: First & Last 24 Hours for Sky1, Ross Kemp Behind Bars - Inside Barlinnie for ITV, Scotland and the Battle for Britain presented by Andrew Marr for BBC Two, Fire in the Night, an award-winning feature documentary to mark the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster and Tutankhamun: The Truth Uncovered for BBC1, Smithsonian Channel and Discovery Canada.

STV Productions works with a number of leading international sales agents that distribute its completed programmes and formats outside the UK. The company recently announced a partnership with Sky Vision, covering international distribution rights to STV Productions' unscripted catalogue as well as a global distribution deal for forthcoming BBC drama, The Victim.

STV Productions has a strategic development partnership with Motion Content Group to create new entertainment, factual and drama projects for the UK and international markets.