WB Australia hires Shine producer

Warner Bros International Television Production (WBITVP) in Australia has appointed a Shine Australia exec to the newly created role of head of entertainment.

Emmy-nominated producer Shaun Murphy brings 20 years of industry experience to Warner Bros. His credits include three seasons of The Bachelor Australia, Australia’s Next Top Model for Foxtel and Crips & Bloods: Made in America for PBS.

Murphy’s arrival follows that of Geraldine Orrock, a former executive producer of The Voice Australia and My Kitchen Rules, as head of development last September.

Andrew Zein, senior VP of creative, format development and sales at WBITVP, said: “Shaun joining underlines our commitment and ambition for growing our Australian production business.”

Murphy’s Shine Australia departure comes after the firm’s CEOs Mark and Carl Fennessy decided to take the helm of the Endemol Shine Group in Australia in May, after initially turning down the offer. The moves followed the mega-merger of Shine, Endemol and Core Media, which was signed off at the turn of the year.

WBITVP is currently producing The Bachelor Australia, which premiered on Wednesday night last week on Network Ten, and a seventh season of Who Do You Think You Are? for SBS.

It’s also in the final stages of production on a 10-part reality series for Seven called What Really Happens in Thailand – a coproduction with McAvoy Media.