Pulse Films Bolsters Unscripted Television Division

LONDON: Pulse Films has grown its unscripted television division with the promotion of Emma Cooper in the U.K. and the appointments of Fred Grinstein in the U.S., and Jacques Peretti as a reporter and presenter.

Cooper was elevated to the post of managing director of unscripted television in the U.K. She joined the company in 2015 and has overseen the development and production of shows for major U.K. broadcasters, including the BBC, Channel 5 and Channel 4.

Grinstein joins Pulse Films as head of unscripted TV in the U.S. He will be based in the company’s Los Angeles office. He previously worked at VICELAND. Grinstein will report to President Patrick Vien, who commented, “Fred is an exceptional talent with a strong track [record] in broadcasting, making him a fantastic, and welcome, addition to Pulse’s growing unscripted TV team.”

Pulse Films has also added Jacques Peretti to the U.K. unscripted TV team as a reporter and presenter. Peretti will be responsible for developing ideas, presenting and producing formats.

After 15 months as the managing director of unscripted television, Roy Ackerman is leaving Pulse Films. Ackerman introduced Cooper and Peretti to the division and led the growth of Pulse TV.

Thomas Benski, CEO and co-founder of Pulse Films, said, “We are thrilled to be welcoming Jacques and Fred into the Pulse family; they share our commitment to creating compelling, distinctive, next-generation content. With their talents, and with Emma at the helm in the U.K. and Fred in the U.S., we are poised to take our unscripted division to a new level. With a number of groundbreaking, original and challenging series already in the pipeline for U.K. and U.S. broadcasters and following our deal with VICE, we couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come. We’d also like to thank Roy for his endeavors in putting Pulse TV on the map. He joined with a specific remit to expand the footprint of the division and he has put together a standout slate and a solid, talented team—strong foundations for our continued growth. We wish him the very best with what will undoubtedly be interesting new ventures.”

Cooper added: “Thanks to Roy’s hard work, it is a hugely exciting time for Pulse and a fantastic time to be in unscripted television. With the addition of Jacques and Fred to the team—two exceptional talents that both understand the business and share the Pulse ethos—we, with our colleagues at East Entertainment, are in great shape to expand and take advantage of the growing global opportunities and appetite for original, thought-provoking, non-scripted content. We are in production on six new shows that we’ll be announcing shortly, which will showcase our vision and the strength of our offering in the space.”