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BBC Studios Productions factual chief Tom McDonald has finalised his leadership team

BBC Studios Productions factual chief Tom McDonald has finalised his leadership team by appointing a director of production and a director of commercial and business development.

Nicola Pinn

Nicola Pinn, previously head of production at BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, has been promoted to director of production.

Pinn will be responsible for production management as well as being a key strategic voice across the three factual production units – the Natural History Unit, the Science Unit and the Documentary Unit. She has worked in senior factual programming at the BBC for the past 15 years.

Ian Moffitt, meanwhile, has been named director of commercial and business development, joining from the London arm of LA-based talent agency ICM Partners. Moffitt has been an agent representing UK and European production companies and documentary directors at ICM for the past four years.

He will be charged with ensuring the BBC Studios factual business continues to grow both in the UK and globally, with a particular emphasis on working closely with McDonald and his creative heads to grow IP and forge new relationships with US buyers.

Ian Moffitt

Moffitt previously worked for BBC Worldwide (the former name of BBC Studios) Productions LA and has also had stints at Machinima and Yahoo in commissioning and programming roles.

McDonald, who moved from commissioning at the UK pubcaster to MD of factual at its commercial and production arm last year, said: “Nicola and Ian’s appointments complete the new leadership team and bolster Factual Productions for future growth. Their experience speaks for itself and they are game changers in production and commercial.”

Pinn takes up her new role immediately, while Moffitt will join BBC Studios Productions on May 4.

In related news, Brazilian broadcaster Globo and Norwegian public broadcaster NRK have picked up dating formats from BBC Studios.

Four-part series First Love, originally produced by Motive Television, has been licensed to Globo. The format tells the stories of people who are curious to find out how life panned out for their first great love.

NRK will make a local version of Phone Dater, which sees people on a blind date swap their phones to see what they can discover about the other person. Originally from Kalel Productions, the 20-part series will be adapted in Norway by Banijay.

Phone Dater was recently adapted in Japan, where it began airing on pubcaster NHK last month.

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