Bellamy, Silberwasser leave DNI

Discovery Networks International (DNI) has lost its two most senior creative execs on the same day, with MD Julian Bellamy joining ITV Studios and chief content officer Luis Silberwasser also announcing his departure.

Julian Bellamy

Bellamy will take up the position of MD of ITV Studios (ITVS) later this year, replacing Denise O’Donoghue, who announced her intention to step down from the role this month. She will continue to sit on the ITVS board.

Bellamy is currently creative director and head of commissioning at DNI, where he has been for the past three years. During that time he has run production and development across 200 countries and overseen commissioning teams in DNI’s five main international bases.

Silberwasser is a 16-year Discovery veteran, having joined in 1998. He was previously senior VP of the content group for Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic, managing programming for the region’s 15 channels, and will now return to Miami to take up an as-yet undisclosed new position with a different company.

Luis Silberwasser

During the past three years the pair have overseen the acquisition of UK indies Raw TV and Betty and commissions including Bear Grylls: Escape from Hell.

DNI’s incoming president, JB Perrette, told staff in an internal memo today that Bellamy and Silberwasser’s roles would be combined in a new chief creative officer post, with the search for potential candidates beginning immediately.

Perrette described the role as “one of the biggest creative jobs in international television” and said: “This person will lead DNI’s factual and lifestyle production with the goals of increasing Discovery’s profile, delivering shows that are locally relevant and globally successful, and forging stronger relationships with the top production companies in the world.”

Until that appointment is made, VP of programming and content operations Rosemary Newell will be interim head of the DNI content group, working with Silberwasser and Bellamy before their departures in partnership with VP of international production management Alyson Jackson.

Before DNI, Bellamy was head of Channel 4 in the UK, where he managed over 2000 hours of original programming a year, including Undercover Boss, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and One Born Every Minute.

ITVS MD Kevin Lygo said Bellamy’s “exceptional talent combines outstanding creativity with excellent strategic leadership. He brings with him a wealth of experience and a fantastic track record of success in programming, production and business management.”

Bellamy said: “I have had a brilliant time at Discovery, but to run one of the UK’s most successful production operations is too rare an opportunity to pass up.”

O’Donoghue had been in the role for more than four years but chose to leave ITV after deciding to “scale back” her working commitments. The firm increased revenues by 12% in the UK last year, with recent commissions including Lucan and The Widower, period dramas Vera and Mr Selfridge and entertainment show Big Star’s Little Star.