Banijay poaches Endemol exec for digital

Banijay-backed US prodco Bunim/Murray has poached John P. Roberts from Endemol for a new digital role.

At Bunim/Murray, Roberts will be chief digital officer, running the BMP Digital division.

The producer has also upped Kesila Childers from director to vice president, reporting to Roberts.

Roberts joined Endemol in June 2012 and was senior VP digital media and commercial ventures. Before that he was senior VP of digital content and cross-platform entertainment at kids cable net The Hub, and was also on the launch team of Fox cable network FX while at News Corp.

At BMP he is tasked with increasing the prodco’s digital production output and looking at investment opportunities in the digital sector.

“[Roberts’] extensive experience in digital and multi-platform production will help us continue to grow our digital initiatives and overall media footprint and extend our brands across multiple platforms,” said Gil Goldschein, president of Bunim/Murray Productions.

Bunim/Murray is best known as one of the early pioneers of reality television, creating Big Brother precursor The Real World for MTV in 1992. Banijay bought the company in 2010.