News 2006

RDF, a leading UK independent television production and distribution company, is pleased to announce it has hired Nigel Pickard, currently ITV Director of Programmes, to join the company as Director of Family & Children’s Programming within RDF Television. It is expected he will start in early March.

In his new role Pickard will be responsible for expanding RDF’s output across the range of family entertainment (building on the company’s success with such shows as Scrapheap Challenge). In addition Pickard will become Managing Director of a new RDF subsidiary dedicated to the development and production of programming for children, a genre in which Pickard has considerable experience as both a producer and a commissioner. This entity will be launched in the Spring following Pickard’s arrival at RDF.

Pickard has been Director of Programmes at the ITV Network Centre since February 2003, responsible for commissioning all programmes on the UK’s largest commercial network. Prior to this he was at the BBC for 3 years as controller of Children’s TV overseeing the launch of CBBC and CBeebies, and prior to this was ITV’s controller of children’s and youth programmes. He has worked in television production and commissioning since 1972.

David Frank, Chief Executive of RDF, said: “I’m delighted that we have managed to attract someone of Nigel’s experience and quality to join RDF at such an important time in the company’s history. Nigel has worked across all the major genres – factual, drama and entertainment - and in particular has a deep understanding of the children’s market where he is undoubtedly one of the country’s leading talents.

I’m confident that Nigel can help RDF become a leading supplier of family entertainment and establish us as a significant force in children’s programming. His arrival marks a continuation of our strategy to broaden the range of programmes we make and the broadcasters to whom we sell. In addition, a move into children’s programming underpins the company’s clear objective to concentrate our resources on creating valuable intellectual property for exploitation in secondary television and consumer products’ markets. We will continue to look to strengthen and diversify our programming output through organic growth and acquisition as we said at the time of our float in May. Since the float we have acquired Touchpaper Television (a drama company), IWC Media (the largest independent producer in Scotland), Radar TV (an entertainment company) and have hired two of the UK’s most senior and strongest creative talents: Stuart Murphy (former controller BBC3) last month and now Nigel Pickard, Director of Television at the ITV Network Centre. We all look forward to welcoming Nigel to RDF.”

Nigel Pickard said: “I’m hugely excited to be joining the team at RDF and very much looking forward to a return to production and building the family and children’s portfolio for one of the most dynamic and successful independent production companies in the UK.”