LEONINE Studios Appoints for Nonfiction

Jochen Koestler has been appointed executive VP of nonfiction at LEONINE Studios, taking up the post on January 1, 2024.

Koestler will head the group’s entire nonfiction production division, which currently includes the production banners gebrueder beetz Filmproduktion, hyperbole Medien, i&u TV, Madame Zheng Production and SEO Entertainment. Initially working alongside CEO Fred Kogel, Koestler will assume sole overall responsibility for LEONINE Studios’ nonfiction production business, effective January 2025.

Additionally, Koestler will join the management board of Cologne-based i&u TV on January 1, 2024. He will be responsible for the entire entertainment division, including the genres show and comedy.

Andreas Zaik, managing director of i&u TV, will remain responsible for the information productions comprising the weekly news magazine STERN TV as well as documentaries and will continue to act as chairman of the management board.

Christian Meinberger, chief digital officer of LEONINE Studios and managing director of i&u TV and hyperbole Medien, will maintain responsibility for the digital units producing branded entertainment and YouTube formats, among others.

Koestler joins LEONINE Studios and i&u TV from Constantin Entertainment, where he has been managing director since 2017 and already worked as a producer for more than ten years.

Kogel commented: “It is a great pleasure to welcome Jochen Koestler, one of Germany’s most accomplished and successful nonfiction producers, to our team. He is one of the few who combines impressive expertise in both entertainment and documentary production. I am convinced that Jochen, who brings a wealth of experience, will successfully keep the i&u TV entertainment production business on our growth path and also position it for further expansion in the future with genres such as reality. He will also support me in a significant capacity in the management of the entire LEONINE nonfiction division in the coming year and will be solely responsible for this division from 2025 onwards.”

Zaik said: “I&u stands for outstanding information and entertainment programs. We’ve achieved strong growth during the past few years. In the process, the importance of the entertainment sector within our production business has increased above average. Jochen Koestler’s appointment to the management team of i&u TV reflects this development. I’m delighted to have such an experienced and successful producer at my side as a colleague and sparring partner.”

Koestler added: “It’s a great privilege to take on these new tasks and goals, and I’m going to embrace this responsibility with great pleasure and passion. I’m very much looking forward to working with my new colleagues and especially with the great team at i&u TV in Cologne. Together, we want to build on great successes with our high-rated shows, like Small vs Tall and They Don’t Know What Will Happen, while creating sustainable structures for a scalable entertainment business.”