Turner taps Nick UK for Asia Pac exec

Turner International has added to its Asia Pacific programming team with the hire of a former Nickelodeon UK executive.

Edward Barnieh has joined as programming and acquisitions manager, Asia Pacific, where he will be responsible for the acquisitions strategies for children’s channels including Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, POGO, Toonami and Boomerang.

In particular, Barnieh will seek to secure “funny and clever animation from international studios and distributors”, according to Turner. He will be based out of Turner’s Hong Kong office.

Barnieh previously spent nine years at Nickelodeon in the UK, where he was involved in content acquisition and the roll out of VOD and mobile services.

“Edward joins us from an acquisitions background that spans TV, online, mobile and content licensing, which we expect will help secure our leading position in the kids genre in Asia Pacific,” said Mark Eyers, Turner International’s regional chief content officer.

Meanwhile, Turner International, the global arm of Turner Broadcasting System now headed up by Gerhard Zeiler, is still undergoing a review of its EMEA business. Former Disney exec Giorgio Stock has been drafted in as president of TBS EMEA, while the region’s chief content officer Michael Carrington has left to join Hit Entertainment. Staff headcount is still understood to be under review.