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Antenna Group appoints Smith MD

Former NBCUniversal International president and Cineflix Studios MD Pete Smith has resurfaced as MD of European broadcaster Antenna Group.

Pete Smith

Smith joins the Greek-based Kyriakou family-owned business two months after his role at Canadian/UK firm Cineflix Media became redundant when it decided to close down its scripted arm.

He joins Antenna with the company in expansive mode, having last month acquired a string of Romanian TV and radio stations from Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1 and pledging to add more.

“Pete Smith is joining Antenna as we embark on the next ambitious stage of our growth strategy,” said Theodore Kyriakou, Antenna CEO. “His 25-year track record in film and television will be invaluable as we consider steps to extend our international media operations. Pete will manage our expansion and help us in creating or buying new and exciting digital assets.”

The appointment coincides with Antenna’s continued investment in south-east Europe. The group’s recent expansion includes deals involving PRVA Televizija in Serbia, PRVA Montenegro and Planet TV in Slovenia. It picked up Kiss TV, Kiss FM, Magic FM, One FM and Rock FM from ProSieben last month, marketing its first move into Romania.

“I am looking forward to working with Theo and the team and developing Antenna’s strong presence in television channels, production and digital entertainment,” said Smith.

“The group has exciting plans for the future, building on the strategic platform established in recent years. I will particularly focus on looking for alliances and opportunities in channels, rights and digital assets across Europe.”

Prior to joining Cineflix in 2012, Smith spent more than two decades at NBCU, latterly running the company’s international arm taking the business into the production business with the acquisition of Downton Abbey maker Carnival Films. He left in the wake of Comcast’s merger with the Peacock.

Antenna’s operations span Europe, North America and Australia, with offices in Amsterdam, London, Athens and New York, and the company distributes content in over 20 countries. It’s privately owned by the Kyriakou family.

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