LONDON (Brand Republic) - Elizabeth Murdoch, former marketing and programming director of BSkyB, today revealed the details of a new film and TV production company she has developed in partnership with Lord Waheed Alli.
Shine Entertainment aims to provide TV programming, feature films and venture programming -- making TV programmes in association with other companies in order to promote their brands.
Murdoch will own 80% of the company while former managing director of Carlton Productions Lord Alli will take a 15% stake. BSkyB will hold a 5% interest.
Shine has already signed a deal with the News Corporation-owned UK digital satellite broadcaster to supply it with an agreed amount of programming a year, including two feature films in a budget range of between $5m (£3.5m) and $15m (£10.5m). Shine will retain the rights to all programming created for Sky.
One of its first assignments for Sky is to create a reality-type TV series called Single Girls. The show will follow the dating exploits of four unlucky-in-love women in the same way as Sex and the City, but with real people.
Another of its first clients is UK consumer publisher IPC Media. Shine has signed an agreement to develop a daytime-format TV show that will build on the spirit of some its consumer magazine brands.
Murdoch left the UK satellite TV provider owned by her father’s News Corp empire last summer to have a baby and to set up her own TV production company.
Lord Alli left Carlton at the end of last November to spend more time with his own production company, Castaway Productions. Before working at Carlton, Lord Alli was head of Planet 24 Productions, creator of the Big Breakfast which was bought by Carlton for £15m in 1999.