BBC Studios To Receive Inaugural Mipcom Studio Of Distinction Award; ‘Searching For Sugar Man’ Producer Passion Adds Head Of Development – Global Briefs

deadline.com:

BBC Studios To Receive Inaugural Mipcom Studio Of Distinction AwardBBC Studios is to be recognized with Mipcom’s first ever Studio of Distinction award at this year’s October market and CEO Tom Fussell will be joined by BBC DG Tim Davie for a speech on the first day.

The award has been forged to mark a landmark achievement by a global studio and is being given as the BBC turns 100, and its international broadcasting operation becomes 90.

Davie, who was BBC Studios CEO before being replaced by Fussell last year, will talk about the “enduring importance of the BBC at home and around the world,” while Fussell will discuss the “rapid pace of change” at the studio behind the likes of Frozen Planet II, Good Omens and Top Gear.

BBC Studios is coming off the back of a record year that saw profits soar by more than 50% and turnover increase by 30%. The commercial arm is becoming ever more important to the BBC as it grapples with hundreds of millions of pounds of savings per year and faces challenges to its funding model. “Our first recipients could not be more timely or relevant given the extraordinary international impact and ongoing influence of this unique producer, broadcaster and distributor,” said Lucy Smith, Director of Mipcom and Mip Junior, the latter of which will see an address from BBC Studios MD, Kids & Family, Cecilia Persson.‘Searching For Sugar Man’ Producer Passion Adds Head Of DevelopmentSearching for Sugar Man producer Passion has added a Head of Development to its Docs team.