RDF Television’s Managing Director Steps Down

Jim Allen, the managing director of RDF Television, has decided to step down from the business after 12 years.

Allen joined RDF in 2009 from ITV Productions, where he served as director of ITV Studios, Factual & Entertainment. In 2015, he oversaw the launch of the entertainment label Fizz.

During his time at RDF, Allen has launched such hit shows as The Secret Life of 4-, 5- and 6-Year-Olds (Channel 4), Tipping Point (ITV), Eat Well for Less? (BBC One), Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents (BBC Three), 12 Puppies and Us (BBC Two), The Crystal Maze (Channel 4), How to Spend It Well (ITV), Dickinson’s Real Deal (ITV) and, most recently, Lightning (BBC Two) and Craig and Bruno’s Great British Road Trips (ITV).

Allen said, “I have loved my 12-year assignment at RDF, and I’m really proud of what the team has achieved and built. But I’d now like a working life slightly freer from the vice-like grip of those seemingly innocent-sounding acronyms EBITDA and BARB.

“I’m looking forward to mixing TV work and outside interests in what I’m reliably informed is a portfolio career. I’d like to thank fulsomely all of my colleagues and friends for their skill, support, forbearance and undying commitment to the cause. It’s been a pleasure and privilege to combine forces.”

Marco Bassetti, Banijay’s CEO, added, “For over a decade, Jim has been a central part of the Banijay business. Alongside bringing many a laugh to a boardroom and being renowned globally for his ‘that’s not a format’ remarks, he was the brains behind a number of our breakout hits and traveling titles, which remain firmly in our catalog today. A true entertainer, an industry icon and a smart developer and producer, he will be missed by us all. We wish him all the best in his EBITDA-free adventures ahead.”