Shine USA taps Oz for programme role

Shine USA has tapped its Australian cousin to appoint its first executive VP of programming as it seeks to boost its unscripted formats slate.

Paul Franklin

Paul Franklin is relocating from Shine Australia’s Sydney base to join Shine’s team in Los Angeles. He is charged with creative oversight for the prodco’s unscripted slate, which includes The Biggest Loser and cookery competition format MasterChef.

UK-born Franklin will report to Reveille president Eden Gaha. The appointment strengthens the Australian link at Shine’s LA unit, as both Shine USA CEO Carl Fennessy and Gaha hail from the country.

Franklin began his career in the UK before relocating to Sydney to join FremantleMedia Australia, the former producer of Network Ten’s MasterChef Australia.

He is credited with transforming the show into one of the most watched programmes in the country in recent years. Shine took over production last year.

After leaving Fremantle, Franklin became a consultant at Shine and helped establish the Gordon Ramsay-fronted US version of MasterChef, as well as well as the French and Indian ones.

Recently, he oversaw Shine Australia’s unscripted programmes including MasterChef, The Biggest Loser, The Renovators and In Their Footsteps.

“Paul is simply one of the finest programme makers in the world and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Shine USA. He has an extraordinary creative vision and a track record of producing exceptional television and delivering super hits,” said Shine Fennessy, who joined from Shine Australia last year.

The appointment comes hot on the heels of Paula Warwick’s promotion to head of international production of Shine formats division Shine Network. Warwick is another exec credited with building MasterChef into a key global format.

Fennessy’s brother Mark is CEO of Shine Network. The pair was Shine Australia’s co-CEO before their current roles.