NRK’s Head of Drama Joins Rubicon

Banijay Nordic’s Norwegian scripted label Rubicon has appointed Ivar Køhn to the role of CEO, joining from public broadcaster NRK.

Køhn has been head of drama at NRK since 2013. Prior to this, Køhn spent six years leading the development and production department at the Norwegian Film Institute and previously held posts at the Norwegian Film Fund and Maipo Film and has written and created his own scripted series.

At Rubicon, Køhn will work with the company’s creative leaders, Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin, to further build its pipeline of original programs for the local and international market. He will take up the role on May 1 and will report to Banijay Nordic’s CEO, Jacob Houlind, and the region’s head of scripted, Johannes Jensen.

Køhn commented: “I’ve had a great eight years with a skilled and committed gang in NRK’s drama department, building a brilliant portfolio of hits. I feel very lucky to have been part of a very strong period of growth at a broadcaster with a conscious and innovative relationship to both drama and publishing. The time now feels right for a change of editor, both for NRK, the industry and myself. There are great opportunities ahead for Norwegian drama, and to be involved in developing this through Rubicon TV will be challenging and super fun. The company is behind high-profile series such as Lilyhammer, Beforeigners and Countrymen and is part of the worldwide community of producers in Banijay. I’m going to do something I’ve not done before, based on something I’ve been doing for quite some time.”

Bjørnstad and Skodvin said: “Ivar has been one of the key figures in the successful development of Norwegian TV drama in recent years. He is globally recognized for his exceptional instinct in backing original ideas which become international hits. This, coupled with his industry know-how, vision and business sense, puts Rubicon in a fantastic position to further innovate and succeed both at home and abroad. We look forward to creating new, exciting stories together with Ivar.”

Houlind added: “Ivar Køhn has a stellar reputation across the scripted industry globally, and especially here in the Nordics. His knowledge of drama in Norway is second to none, and having already worked with Rubicon on several shows, he is the perfect match to lead the team. I’m looking forward to discovering the future stories and projects the new Rubicon team will create for the local and international market.”