Zodiak Launches New Content Development Initiative

CANNES, April 18: The
Zodiak Television Group has launched The Zodiak Distillery, a new group
development initiative for the creation and exchange of programming ideas and
expertise.

The Zodiak Distillery
creates a forum to cultivate commercial formats with international appeal. The
aim is to develop formatted series and devise programs across all genres that
will work in a range of different markets and on a number of different
platforms. In addition, The Zodiak Distillery will partner with key
broadcasters and external production companies.

The move was inspired by
the successful MIPTV launch of Pin Code. The game show was originally conceived by Broadcasters (Finland) and
further developed by two members of the Zodiak Television Group: Saku Tuominen
of Broadcasters (Finland) and Kim Ardal of Mastiff (Denmark) with support from
other Zodiak companies as the development progressed. The two companies merged
ideas and refined the game show format using previous experience from their own
markets.

“The successful outcome of
this co-operation on Pin Code
made us realize we should use our wide and differing knowledge of the business
to greater effect,” said Patrick Svensk, the CEO of the Zodiak Television
Group. “We’re not just in the business of acquiring companies, there has to be
a creative benefit to being connected to other like-minded producers in other
countries.”

He continued: “We have an
abundance of great ideas in our companies. The aim of this group is to take
these ideas to the next level. We take the great ideas and distill them, hence
the name.”