The company also announced that Fiona Wassenberg joins as Head of BBC Studios Benelux Productions
Today at Mipcom 2022, BBC Studios announced the appointments of Fiona Wassenberg as Head of BBC Studios Benelux Production and Isabel Durán as Format Sales Director for Iberia and Latin America. The appointments are made as BBC Studios continues to grow its business in these markets, and seeks opportunities to develop new IP for international audiences.
As Format Sales Director for Iberia and Latin America, Isabel Durán is responsible for securing both unscripted and scripted format sales across Spain, Portugal and Spanishspeaking Latin America. The role builds on recent commissions of The 1% Club with Atresmedia in Spain, The Great Bake Off in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay, Dancing with the Stars in Costa Rica, and scripted comedy Uncle across the US Hispanic market and Latin America.
Isabel has more than 20 years of experience in development, production and as director of content. As executive producer she has worked on series such as Married at First Sight for Antena 3 and El líder de la Manada with César Millán for Cuatro. As director of content for Eyeworks (now Warner), she was responsible for two of the most successful primetime TV shows for La Sexta and Cuatro networks, Mujeres Ricas and Perdidos en la tribu. As director of development for Atresmedia Studios and Buendia Estudios, she developed game show format, Before you hit the Floor, which was the 2020 MIP Formats International Pitch Winner.
Isabel Durán said: “I am pleased to join BBC Studios and use my knowledge and experience to bring fantastic new stories and entertainment to audiences across Iberia and Latin America. I am looking forward to building new partnerships and meeting customers during Mipcom.
Based in Amsterdam, Fiona Wassenberg is responsible for BBC Studios’ formats and production business across Benelux. Fiona will work closely with BBC Studios’ unscripted format partners in the market, Fremantle, as well as commissioners and producers in the region to unlock future commercial and creative growth.
Prior to joining BBC Studios Fiona spent nearly 16 years at the Dutch public broadcaster, Omroep MAX most recently as commissioning editor and content acquisitions, with editorial responsibility for Omroep MAX’s content across NPO1, NPO2 and ZAPP including local versions of Four In a Bed, Four Rooms, and The Great Bake Off known locally as Heel Holland Bakt, which is now in its tenth season.
Fiona Wassenberg said: “For the past ten years I have had the opportunity to work closely with BBC Studios and their partner Fremantle on the local version of The Great Bake Off, Junior Bake Off and Extra Slice. I’m thrilled to be joining BBC Studios, working on these and many other of the strong formats and brands from their catalogue. I am proud to use the knowledge I’ve gained, while working with numerous amazing production companies and public broadcaster colleagues, in my new position.”
Since 2018, the production partnership between BBC Studios and Fremantle has brought local versions of hit formats such as The Great Bake Off, Weakest Link, The 1% Club, and This is MY House to the Netherlands, and Dancing with the Stars to Belgium. Local versions of Maestro, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, and World’s Most Dangerous Roads, also air in the Netherlands.
Commenting on the new appointments, André Renaud, SVP Global Format Sales said: “I’m delighted to have both Fiona and Isabel joining BBC Studios as we continue to grow our expertise in key markets around the world. Both Fiona and Isabel bring a wealth of experience in their regions, and I am confident that this will build to strong partnerships across Europe and Latin America in the months to come. These appointments represent our commitment and ambition to work closely to find stories and shows that can be adapted worldwide, building on BBC Studios’ 100 years of expertise that we continue to support and share around the world.”
New formats being presented to buyers at Mipcom 2022 include: Hungry for It (8 x 60’); Dating with my Mates (10 x 60’); Art on the Brain (6 x 60’); Denmark Saves The Planet (50′); Hire Me (30′); Ragdoll (6 x 45′); Life After Life (4 x 60′); Cheaters (18 x 10′ or 6 x 30′); Life and Death in the Warehouse (1 x 60′ over one series); The Witchfinder (6 x 30′); Chivalry (6 x 30′); Here We Go (6 x 30′).
