Ex-Shine TV chief Tanya Shaw resurfaces to head Zinc Television

Former Shine TV chief Tanya Shaw has replaced Greg Sanderson as MD of Zinc Media Group’s UK factual powerhouse Zinc Television.

Tanya Shaw

Shaw, who stepped down as MD from Banijay-owned Shine TV in March, will be responsible for Zinc’s TV labels in London and Manchester and for accelerating output of premium unscripted content across the group, both domestically and globally.

She will head Zinc prodcos including history specialist Blakeway, current affairs shop Brook Lapping, documentary maker Films of Record, London prodco Red Sauce and genre blender Supercollider. She will also head newly acquired labels as Zinc looks to expand further in factual.

Shaw was MD of Shine TV for six years, overseeing a variety of factual series, including global hit MasterChef, MasterChef: The Professionals and Celebrity MasterChef.

Before Shine TV, she was commissioning editor of features and formats at the BBC, where her key commissions included The Great Interior Design Challenge, Mary Berry Cooks and Rick Stein’s India.

Prior to that she was commissioning editor of specialist factual at the UK’s Channel 4, with credits including Alone in the Wild, Tsunami: Caught on Camera, Elephant: Life After Death, Four Rooms, The Food Hospital and Hippo: Wild Feast Live.

Earlier in her career she was creative director of London prodco Silver River and won multiple commissions including Bringing Up Baby and The Diets That Time Forgot. Her production credits include season one of The Apprentice, for which she won a Bafta.

Shaw will report to Zinc Media Group CEO Mark Browning. She replaces Greg Sanderson, who left earlier this month to focus on programmes as an executive producer.

“Tanya is one of the most outstanding creative and commercial heads in the UK, widely recognised as an inspirational and engaging leader,” said Browning.

“She has built an outstanding network of contacts, both domestically and internationally, and has a rich track record of programme making. Her passion for creating impactful, innovative content, makes her the ideal person to lead our creative teams.”

Shaw added: “Zinc’s creative richness and premium quality is renowned worldwide. I’m looking forward to helping drive their growth plans, diversifying their customer base, and strengthening their already-world-class creative team.”