Media release: STV appoints award-winning creative leader, David Mortimer, as MD of STV Productions

STV has appointed the highly-respected creative business leader, David Mortimer, as managing director of STV Productions, to support its ambitious plans to build a world-class production company.

Mortimer is responsible for major hit shows including Dragons’ Den (BBC), Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends (BBC), and 71 Degrees North (ITV).

He joins STV from Tinopolis – the UK’s largest independent production group – where he was director of Content, heading up the group’s overall scripted and unscripted strategy across production companies in the UK and US, delivering a turnover of over £200m.

There, Mortimer successfully oversaw the creative renewal of Firecracker Films and Mentorn – both of which have substantial bases in Scotland. In the US, he helped secure significant new commissions including Nailed It from Magical Elves for Netflix and The Titan Games from A. Smith & Co. for NBC.

Prior to that, Mortimer was senior vice-president, Factual & Entertainment at NBC Universal, where he quadrupled revenues growing unscripted output from just 12 hours in 2011 to more than 150 hours in 2016 by winning commissions from key territories including the UK, US, Australia, Canada, France and Germany.

Programmes included Made In Chelsea (Channel 4), The Real Housewives franchise (Bravo) and Driving School of Mum & Dad (Sky 1).

For seven years, Mortimer ran his own successful independent production company, Fever Media, focusing on entertainment and factual formats and winning commissions and format sales in the UK and a number of international territories, with credits including The People’s Quiz (BBC One), No Place Like Home (ITV), Move Like Michael Jackson (BBC Three), 71 Degrees North (ITV) and America’s Next Top Pop Group (MTV).

He also held a range of high-profile roles in a 15-year career at the BBC in both production and commissioning.

As editorial executive at BBC Two, he helped the renewal of the channel with commissions including I Love The ‘70s, The Weakest Link and Great Britons. He took charge of a creative and business review of BBC Films and championed extra investment into BBC Two’s drama budget.

In his career as a producer, Mortimer’s shows have won a range of awards including an Emmy for Michael Moore’s TV Nation, two BAFTAs for the When Louis Met… series, a BANFF Rockie for Dragons’ Den and an RTS for Remembrance Week.

In his new role, Mortimer will take charge of STV’s production teams in Glasgow and London with a brief to turn STV into one of the UK’s leading production companies, repositioning the brand to focus on developing returning series for terrestrial and SVOD players across both scripted and unscripted programming, and taking full advantage of the growing demand for quality programming from the nations and regions.

He will also establish new creative production partnerships and work with the team to pilot a range of new programme formats on STV, capitalising on STV’s unique status as a producer-broadcaster.

This key appointment is part of STV’s comprehensive three-year strategy for creative and digital growth which will see the business invest £15m in new original content and digital to position STV as a major creative force in Scotland and beyond.

David Mortimer said: “I’m really excited to be joining Simon and the team at STV. I think there’s huge untapped potential at STV Productions, so I can’t wait to get going and help our team develop and sell shows in the UK and internationally. The opportunity to launch our own formats on STV is particularly exciting and potentially gives us an amazing competitive advantage.”

Simon Pitts, CEO of STV, said: “David’s track record as a creative leader is second to none. He has developed, produced and run some of the biggest shows on television, both in the UK and the US, and his vast experience will help us establish STV Productions as a major industry player over the next few years. I’m delighted he’s joining our talented team.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact the STV press office:

Ellen Drummond

0141 300 3341 / 07803 970143

ellen.drummond@stv.tv

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Contact: Ellen Drummond

Email: Ellen.Drummond@stv.tv