1 December 2014
UKTV has appointed Adam Collings as Head of Programming for its pay entertainment channel Watch, home to Guillermo del Toro's The Strain and hit supernatural drama Grimm.
Collings joins UKTV from NBCUniversal where he was Director of Channels, responsible for Syfy and Movies 24. He counts hit shows such as The Originals, Continuum and Defiance as key UK acquisitions, alongside cult hit Sharknado.
Reporting to Watch General Manager, Steve North, Collings will be responsible for driving viewing share by refining the scheduling and programming strategy. He will also lead forward planning and editorial discussions relating to the channel's schedule and programme supply from acquisitions and commissions.
North said,
Adam comes equipped with fantastic experience from both a terrestrial and multi-channel background. Having, in recent years, been at both NBCUniversal and ITV he has developed a complete knowledge of the acquisitions market and the dynamics of the digital environment from a scheduling and programming perspective. I'm confident he's going to be a huge asset for Watch and UKTV.
Collings, who takes up his post in the new year, added,
I have been fortunate enough to work for some of the biggest broadcasters in the UK and, having truly enjoyed my time at NBCUniversal, I am now thrilled to be joining UKTV, and specifically Watch, at an incredibly exciting period in its development. With its enviable content mix and sizeable viewer base, Watch has the ability to cement itself as a vital channel to UK audiences. I'm relishing the prospect of that task.
Collings comes to UKTV with a wealth of experience in the media industry. Prior to NBCUniversal he spent seven years at ITV working across its digital portfolio and helped make ITV3 the number one digital channel during his tenure. He ended his time at the broadcaster as ITV Channels Executive working across ITV1 and the network. Prior to this he held posts at both the BBC and Paramount Comedy.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Kerry Parker, Head of Network Communications
Lara Feinstein, Corporate Communications Coordinator
About UKTV
UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches over 42 million viewers every month.
UKTV's eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, Watch, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food - include the most popular non-PSB channel in the UK and account for 9% of the British commercial TV market. The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £278m, and EBITDA of £67.4m. It invested a record £125m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.
Now celebrating its 21st year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.