All3Media backs UK factual indie Caravan
 

All3Media is backing London-based factual indie producer Caravan.

Founded last year by Dinah Lord and Juliet Singer, the company’s recent credits include Panorama - Britain’s Mental Health Crisis and A Royal Wedding: Indian Style. Caravan.

The terms of the deal between Caravan and the Discovery Communications- and Liberty Global-owned producer and distributor were not disclosed.

Read more: http://realscreen.com/2016/05/24/all...#ixzz4AMoj7hgR

Re: All3Media backs UK factual indie Caravan
 

.... all well and good, but if I were John Malone I would be handing the dosh to producers like Carlton Cuse (producer of Lost/BatesMotel/Colony) or JJ Abrams (Lost/Fringe/Star Trek/Star Wars), or Greg Berlanti (Everwood/The Flash/Arrow/Legends of Tomorrow) to try and find the next bid drama hit not fiddle with minor factual producers such as these or reality rubbish with Gordon Ramsay.

Re: All3Media backs UK factual indie Caravan
 

That's why he's a billionaire and doesn't have time to post on these forums whilst we're not and do. :)
But on a more serious note, you need a production company and infrastructure in place before you start hiring these bigshots which LGI does not really have. It does have a rather unusual collection of content investments including the All3Media 50% stake, 10% ITV and 100% of the FTA TV3 channel in Ireland.

Re: All3Media backs UK factual indie Caravan
 

.... All3Media is the UK's largest "independent" production company, Discovery is a massive production outfit. He has infrastructure. lots of it.

On a sidenote, lots of Discovery news today which most of which I can't access.

They're doing deals with the Olympics rights, that they now have. Wimbledon is mentioned. A grab for ITV or CH4 is also mentioned (all of this in Broadcast mag) and deals to buy stakes in companies from Latin America to Asia. So Discovery and its master John Malone are having a busy old time.

Re: All3Media backs UK factual indie Caravan
 

Discovery operates independently of LGI though. Ditto All3Media. The only wholly-owned TV production is the Irish station TV3. LGI can't use Discovery in the way that Sky can use its wholly-owned channels.

The Wimbledon deal is detailed here: http://www.theguardian.com/media/201...live-bbc-ofcom

Re: All3Media backs UK factual indie Caravan
 

Yes, of course Discovery operates independently of Liberty, but they're still controlled by the same person, John Malone.

At the moment, there are many different companies, different brands, but ultimately all controlled by Malone. Perhaps he may start to knit them together or keep them separate, but regardless, the orders come come from the same person.

On of the reasons that Malone is interested in buying Channel 4 is that Discovery and Ch4 have a long standing relationship. CH4's factual and lifestyle shows have ended up on Discovery's channels. So Malone is looking at strengthening this relationship by merging the two together, perhaps CH4 becoming a subsidiary of Discovery or one of the Liberty companies or a combination of those options. And on the other hand, he owns 10% of ITV, so may try a bid for them instead or perhaps, when/if regulations allow, merge ITV and CH4 together.

Re: All3Media backs UK factual indie Caravan
 

They pretty much all operate independently, Malone does not come up with orders for them all eg QVC has more channels on Sky than on VM and Eurosport today announced that it was aiming for 1m direct subscribers bypassing intermediaries like LGI. They operate independently and seek to maximise their own profits. Where there is a cross-over like All3Media they will collaborate but they operate in the interests of their own sets of shareholders.

Re: All3Media backs UK factual indie Caravan
 

They are independent companies in the sense that they are separate companies, with separate boards and differences in shareholders. Where I disagree with you and others whom I've has similar conversations with, is in the control that Malone wields. These are his companies, he controls them, he sets their strategies. We're just going to have to agree to disagree on this.