OUT of the six winners in a competition celebrating regionally-produced factual TV programming, three are Scots.
The competition, run by Channel 4 and part of an initiative called Creative Cities, has chosen Glasgow-based IWC Media and Edinburgh-based Nobles Gate and Teebster among the half-dozen victors, the others being from Belfast, Bristol and Brighton.
On Monday, at a private dinner in London, IWC Media and Nobles Gate will pick up ‘Creative Factual Show’ awards, while new production company, Teebster, will be handed a ‘Creative Company’ award, for its work for the Channel during its first year of business.
The awards will be presented Philip Graf, deputy chair of broadcasting regulators, Ofcom. Senior members of Channel 4’s commissioning team will also be present.
IWC Media is being recognised for its documentary, Root Of All Evil, presented by the renowned evolutionary biologist, Professor Richard Dawkins. The show recently also picked up the title of Best Documentary at the BAFTA Scotland awards.
Nobles Gate was commended by the judges for its documentary, The Ripper Hoaxer: Wearside Jack, which tells the story of a hoax which delayed the capture of the Yorkshire Ripper, with exclusive access to the hoax letters and recordings.
Teebster has been identified as one of the shining stars in Channel 4’s new talent strand, 3 Minute Wonders, shown after the Channel 4 News. Its founder, Jason Hall, has produced two series of four short films in the company’s first year of operation and has just been commissioned to produce a documentary.
Creative Cities is described by Channel 4 as “an ambitious programme of activities throughout the regional cities of the UK, including film and television production, off-screen innovations and industry partnerships”.
It’s been going for three years.
Says Channel 4’s director of Nations and Regions, Stuart Cosgrove: “Britain’s most creative regional cities are thriving and generating work of real excellence and innovation. This year, the quality and range of work in the genre of factual programming has been outstanding. These awards give us an opportunity to shine a light on such impressive talent based outside London and this year it is Scotland that has excelled in its creativity in this genre.”
