Blue Ant Media Makes Key Global Promotions & Hires

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Blue Ant Media has bolstered its global content business with a slew of key promotions and hires, including upping Carlyn Staudt.

Staudt, general manager of Love Nature, will now also serve as head of commissioning for global media. She will continue her working heading up the wildlife and nature brand’s operations globally while also overseeing all commissioning for Blue Ant’s free streaming and linear channels in the U.S., Canada and internationally.

Staudy will continue to work from Blue Ant’s Washington, D.C. office and will report to Jamie Schouela, president of global channels and media.

Blue Ant has also promoted Julie Chang, who will now serve as executive VP of business strategy and co-productions for global media. She will oversee commercial deal negotiation and strategic co-production opportunities for the global original content slate and oversee all business-related operations such as production management that supports the editorial commissioning process.

Sam Linton has been promoted to VP of production and development for global media. She will serve as the main point of contact for production companies as they develop and produce content for Blue Ant’s Canadian Networks and growing global streaming brands. She will also provide creative leadership and be responsible for the editorial execution from development through production for the global slate of original programming.

Alison Barrat will continue in her role as senior VP of production and development for Love Nature. Barrat, Chang and Linton all report to Staudt.

James Manfull has been upped to commissioning editor of Love Nature. His experience as an executive producer and expertise in finding natural history stories and returnable hits will be central to his responsibilities in growing the brand’s pipeline of original stories and documentaries. He continues to report to Barrat.

Katie Bauer Murdock has joined the wildlife and nature brand as executive producer, reporting to Barrat. Prior to joining the company, she held production roles at National Geographic, where her films were broadcast on the National Geographic Channel and streamed on Disney+.

“As we grow Blue Ant Media’s channel footprint around the world, scaling our original content lineup is critical to ensure we’re delivering brands that are that are both unique and internationally relevant,” Schouela said. “Our expanded global commissioning team will focus on creating original series and docs across our key content categories while working with co-production partners to meet their needs.”