Banijay pushes into finished with Namiech

The ex-managing director of Target Entertainment, Emmanuelle Namiech, is to work with Banijay International to push it further in finished programming.

Banijay, which is best known as a formats distributor, plans to build into the finished programming English-language programming business and has recently secured several new series such as ABC Australia’s workplace reality show The Flying Miners and LifeStyle’s Village Vets and Water Patrol and Pound Pups to Dog Stars, which are scheduled for New Zealand’s TV One.

Former Target, FremantleMedia and ITV Studios acquisitions specialist Namiech will aid the move by working closely with Banijay’s acquisition execs Fanny Baudry in LA and Jimmy Humphrey in London to devise and implement strategies.

She will be a “long-term consultant”, according to a Banijay spokeswoman this morning.

Namiech has been off the radar since Target into adminstration in February 2012 under the strain of reduced buying appetite and a squeezed global economy. She had been brought on as MD after company founder Alison Rayson exited to grow the business with parent Metrodome.

Prior to Target, Namiech was senior VP, content and IP at FremantleMedia and director of acquisitions at ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

“Increasing our finished tape business is the natural next step for us after building our format business for four years and Emmanuelle’s experience and extensive contacts will be invaluable as we stride into the next stage of our development,” said Banijay International’s managing director Karoline Spodsberg.

“Banijay International is an extraordinarily dynamic company and I’m delighted to work with the team at this exciting time of expansion,” added Namiech.

“The size and breadth of the Banijay Group means that, as well as being able to offer the necessary funding support and market experience it also benefits from an extensive number of valued relationships with broadcasters around the world.”

Banijay International is the global sales wing of Stephane Courbit’s Banijay Group.