Sally Miles Creates New Venture

LONDON, June 5: Sally
Miles, the founder and former chief of iD Distribution—today part of the
Digital Rights Group—has set up a new venture, Passion Distribution.

Miles launched iD in 2004
with venture capital backers Ingenious, who chose to consolidate the
distribution outfit under the Digital Rights Group (DRG) last year. “For me, a
consolidated group, with a goal to become the biggest independent distributor
and therefore a pretty corporate model, took the passion out of the business,”
Miles said of her decision to leave iD. “My core strategy has always been to
work very closely with broadcasters and producers bringing the international
business and the potential and opportunities it presents into their companies
at a very early stage, thus maximizing the difference it can make.”

Miles aims to implement
that same strategy at Passion Distribution, representing formats and completed
programs in the areas of reality, factual entertainment, lifestyle, documentary
and game shows. “We seek production funding through original commissions,
co-production and presales and we also have a pot of money to invest ourselves
in development and deficit funding certain projects to get them into
production. Passion is also working with advertisers and will act as a gateway
to advertiser funding of content—a model we expect to see huge growth in,
in the near future both for television and new media productions.”

Miles is a majority owner
of Passion Distribution, which she is investing in herself, alongside a private
investor. The company is working on deals for World of Wonder’s Tori &
Dean and David Ogilvy: The
First Mad Man.

—By Mansha Daswani