Ex-Relativity exec joins Endemol Shine USA

Former Relativity Television exec Jesse Kerns has joined Endemol Shine USA to work under newly-promoted executive VP, unscripted production Rob Day.

Kerns (pictured left) has been named senior VP, unscripted production, and is drafted in as Day (below right) is upped from as SVP post and executive director of production Kirk Anderson become VP, production at Endemol Shine USA.

Both Kerns and Anderson report to Day, who in turn reports to Endemol Shine USA president of unscripted television Eden Gaha.

Day has been with Endemol Shine since December 2006, during which time he has overseen production on shows such as MasterChef USA, The Biggest Loser, Steve Harvey and Hunted.

Kerns joins from Relativity TV, which has rebranded as Critical Content after being spun out of the troubled LA studio Relativity Media (which is now emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after American judges approved a recapitalisation plan).

AT Relativity TV, Kerns had been SVP, production. Before that, he spent ten years line-producing and managing production on shows such as Wipeout, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader and Deal or No Deal.

Anderson, meanwhile, has worked at Endemol Shine USA, which is part of the Endemol Shine North America arm, since 2012.

Gaha, who was named at the top of Endemol Shine’s North American unscripted efforts in March last year, said of the changes: “Rob is the consummate professional and has a tremendous amount of experience in both coordinating and producing many of the biggest unscripted hits of the last decade.

“And with our continued growth in the unscripted space, Rob has assembled a best in class team, led by both Jesse and Kirk, to oversee all of our additional development and series.”