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Marks quits Southern Star

Hugh Marks is stepping down from his role as CEO of Australian production and distribution group Southern Star after seven years, to be replaced internally.

Rory Callaghan has been named as his successor, effective immediately, having joined the firm in January 2006 as director of programmes and taking up the role of MD of Endemol Southern Star and Southern Star Entertainment in 2008.

Though maintaining an advisory relationship with Southern Star, Marks (left) is launching a new business, Media Venture Partners, that will provide advisory services to producers and distributors.

His exit comes just six months after Southern Star was acquired by Big Brother production giant Endemol, with which it already had a joint-venture relationship. The takeover saw Southern Star’s distribution arm merged into that of Endemol and Marks reporting to Ynon Kreiz, chairman and CEO of Endemol Group.

“Southern Star is having one of the best years in the history of the company with 12 drama and children’s series currently in production.” Marks said. “I look forward to applying what I have learnt over my last 15 years at Nine and Southern Star in a wider context as the content world continues to change and evolve.”

In January this year the Dutch production giant acquired 100% of Southern Star from Australia’s Fairfax Media, for what is believed to be close to A$75m (US$50m). Under the deal, UK-based Southern Star Factual and the Aussie firm’s 75% stake in UK children’s producer Darrall Macqueen were retained by Fairfax.

The exit follows that of Endemol’s exec director of scripted programming Caroline Torrance. In June, Endemol upped Southern Star CEO Cathy Payne to run its combined Endemol/Southern Star distribution business, while Torrance stepped down. Today, C21 reported that Torrance has re-emerged at BBC Worldwide.

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