Rare rebrands, merges divisions

Christian Broadhurst (left) and Rory Wheeler

UK indie Rare Television Group (RTG) has rebranded as Rare TV and merged its ScreenChannel and 360 Production businesses, with the latter’s creative director leaving the company.

The newly named factual prodco, overseen by CEO Antony Fraser, will combine 360 Production titles like Contagion! and Digging for Britain with ScreenChannel’s Fake Britain and The Sheriffs Are Coming, all series for the BBC.

RTG launched five years ago, with the acquisition of 360 Production, going on to purchase ScreenChannel the following year. The latter rebranded as ScreenCut last year.

Now RTG is bringing these businesses together under the new Rare TV brand while 360 creative director Belinda Cherrington, who spearheaded the expansion of the factual indie, is departing to move to the US.

“It’s been a difficult decision to leave the company at such an exciting time but the merger is a good opportunity for me to finally make a long planned move to the US where my family is now based,” she said.

Rory Wheeler, who joined as 360 director of UK content last autumn, having previously been MD of Channel 4 Indie Growth Fund-backed Popkorn, steps up to UK creative director of the new indie.

ScreenCut co-founder Emma Barker will become director of content while Christian Broadhurst is moving from his previous role as development executive at 360 to the newly created position of Rare TV’s VP of US development.

Rare TV boss Fraser said: “We are sad to be saying goodbye to Belinda, but we believe that bringing all of our creative expertise under one roof will allow our best ideas to continue to flourish.

“We have a very healthy network in the UK, Ireland, Northern Ireland and the US and, with 80 hours at various stages of production and delivery, moving into 2019 we are well positioned to take a prominent place on the international unscripted stage.”

Rare’s other combined credits include Crimecall for Ireland’s RTÉ, Lockerbie: The Unheard Voices for the UK’s Channel 5, The Dog Detectives for Discovery’s Quest Red and Egypt’s Unexplained Files for Discovery Science and TCB Media Rights.