Talpa merges sales, digital

John de Mol’s Talpa Media is merging its international sales and digital arms to create a new division, re-hiring an industry veteran from FremantleMedia in the process.

Talpa International and Talpa Connect will join to become Talpa Global, which will distribute all the Dutch company’s formats, such as The Voice and Utopia, along with their respective digital extensions.

The restructure is a reaction to the ‘convergence’ of television, interactivity and other digital applications, Talpa said.

Diana Buddingh will rejoin Talpa from FremantleMedia, having left the firm to join the Got Talent producer as director of global entertainment production less than a year ago.

Buddingh will serve as director of global productions at Talpa Global, working under its MD, Maarten Meijs, to supervise the roll-out of Talpa formats.

In a career spanning 28 years, Buddingh has worked on the development and distribution of formats including Big Brother and Deal or No Deal for Endemol International.

She started in TV as a producer for John de Mol, developing and producing entertainment shows including Booby Trap, Love Letters and Blind Date for the Dutch and German markets.

FremantleMedia has promoted London-based exec producer Chris O’Dell to take over the vacancy left as a result of Buddingh’s move back to the Netherlands.

O’Dell, who was been with FremantleMedia for the past seven years, will now oversee the international versions of formats such as X Factor, Got Talent, Idols and Farmer Wants a Wife.

“Within Talpa’s new global division, the digital branch is responsible for all extensions, stand-alone digital formats and ancillary activities, including gaming and online video. In addition, it’ll work closely with the international sales operation already firmly in place,” said Meijs.

In related news, Talpa has appointed veteran unscripted producer Jay Bienstock as the new CEO of Talpa Media USA, following the departure of Simon Jones last year. Bienstock joins from US production outfit A Smith & Co, where he served as MD.

Bienstock started his career as a producer on VH1’s Behind the Music and later worked with reality producer Mark Burnett. He was also a showrunner on the launch season of CBS’s Survivor.