Italian channels veteran joins formats prodco Stand By Me

Ex-La7 and Fox Networks Group (FNG) Italy chief Fabrizio Salini has joined the expanding Italian production group Stand By Me.

He will become COO at the Rome-based company, which has produced more than 30 original formats to establish itself as a top Italian indie since launching in 2010.

Salini was head of Italian free-to-air net La7 until June last year, having previously been managing director of FNG Italy between 2014 and 2016.

He was also VP of entertainment channels at Fox Italy between 2003 and 2011, and as head of entertainment and cinema channels at Sky Italia after that.

Salini also worked at another Italian channels group, Switchover Media, in 2012 and Discovery Networks Italy as VP of content a year after that.

He also worked at Fox Kids Italy, Multithematiques Italia and Telemontecarlo.

Notably, Switchover is the channels business Stand By Me co-owner Nespega co-founded.

Stand By Me CEO and founder Simona Ercolani said Salini’s “talent, experience and knowledge of the international media market is of great value” and added he would “bring a tremendous contribution to the growth” of the business.

Stand By Me produced more than 200 hours of programming across scripted and unscripted in 2017.