BBC Studios Appoints Martyn Freeman as New Chief Operating Officer

The Ultimate Surfer producer Pilgrim Media Group has promoted a trio of execs in its development division.

Jennifer Yuma editorThe Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has promoted Jennifer Davidson to Chief Communications Officer. She will be reporting to Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.In her new role, Davidson will continue to oversee publicity and corporate communications campaigns, including the Oscars and internal membership communications.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has promoted Jennifer Davidson to be its new chief communications officer. The news was announced Thursday by Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.

Demonstrating faith in the successful publicity strategies engineered since she joined AMPAS in 2020 just as the pandemic lockdown took hold, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has promoted Jennifer Davidson to Chief Communications Officer.  Academy CEO Dawn Hudson, to whom she will continue to report, made the announcement today.

BBC Studios Partners With Mercury On Music Formats

BBC Studios has taken full control of Tessa Ross and Juliette Howell’s prolific Sherwood and Brexit: The Uncivil War producer House Productions.

Manori Ravindran International EditorBBC Studios has upped its 25% stake in “Brexit: The Uncivil War” producer House Productions to take full ownership of the London-based production company.Launched in 2016 by the former head of Film 4 Tessa Ross (pictured, right) and Working Title TV boss Juliette Howell (left), the company specializes in both film and TV with forthcoming credits including BBC One thriller “Sherwood”; an adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s bestselling novel “Life After Life”;

EXCLUSIVE: Headspace, a global leader in mindfulness and meditation, announced today the promotion of Morgan Selzer to Chief Content and Studios Officer.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorAMC Networks hopes to mark a new beginning in the coming year as it prepares for some very big goodbyes.AMC is preparing to leverage the marketing platform provided by three buzzy series finales — AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and “Better Call Saul” and BBC America’s “Killing Eve” — to drive awareness and subscribers to its growing suite of streaming services, from drama-centric AMC Plus and SundanceNow to the niche-targeted Acorn TV, ALLBLK and Shudder.The company

Naman Ramachandran Sky Studios has promoted “Gomorrah” and “The New Pope” producer Nils Hartmann to the newly created position of senior VP Sky Studios Deutschland and Italia, reporting into Jane Millichip, chief content officer for Europe.

BBC Studios’ new CEO Tom Fussell has promoted the producer/distributor’s General Counsel Martyn Freeman to Chief Operating Officer.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRepublic Records has named Dave Rocco to the newly created role of chief creative officer, label founders Monte Lipman and Avery Lipman announced on Wedesday. According to the announcement, Rocco “will bring his creative vision, innovative thinking and strategic expertise to Republic and its world-class roster of artists.”“In many ways, Dave is an artist trapped in an executive’s body,” said Monte Lipman.

Newen Studios has upped Romain Bessi – the man credited with “piloting its international expansion” – from MD to CEO.

BBC Studios has appointed former WarnerMedia exec Cecilia Persson to head up its children’s division, which is shifting from being an in-house BBC team to operating under the commercial outfit.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterAlamo Drafthouse, the quirky Texas-based movie theater chain, has appointed Michael Kustermann as chief experience officer.In his new role, Kustermann will lead Alamo Drafthouse’s experience team, which includes marketing, digital and guest experience.“We’re so excited to bring Michael on board to our growing team,” said Alamo Drafthouse CEO Shelli Taylor.

“Honestly, when I look across our country and see what diversity, equity and inclusion is demanding of organizations across the country, there’s so much of how the HFPA has been approaching this that I think is really wonderful,” new Hollywood Foreign Press Association chief diversity officer Neil Phillips says of the much tainted Golden Globes-presenting group. “I mean this is an organization that got called out because of missteps, transgression, and deservedly so.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeAfter spending much of this year promising and then implementing various reforms, the first test of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s evolution may come on Dec. 13.