Blue Ant Media has announced its acquiring Toronto-based production company Saloon Media.
Saloon Media’s Michael Kot (CEO), Steve Gamester (Executive Producer), Paul Kilback (Executive Producer) and Betty Orr (Head of Production) will join Blue Ant Media’s Global Production unit, which includes NHNZ (New Zealand), Beach House Pictures (Singapore), Antenna Pictures (London), Blue Ant Digital Studios (Los Angeles), Look Mom! Productions (Toronto) and Northern Pictures (Sydney).
With Saloon Media specializing in factual television and digital content, Blue Ant says the acquisition is a key step in the expansion of its North American original content business.
“Blue Ant Media is committed to growing its content business in both Canada and the United States. The acquisition of Saloon Media is a key step in the execution of this strategy, as their award-winning factual content and notable creative talent fit perfectly within our content growth strategy in North America,” said Sam Sniderman, Executive Vice-President, Global Production, Blue Ant Media. “We have long admired Michael Kot, and his team, for the quality and global reach of their programming and we are thrilled to have them as colleagues.”
Saloon Media launched in 2013 with recent credits including the Mummies Alive for HISTORY (Canada), Smithsonian Channel (U.S.) and Yesterday (UK); 10-part broadcast and web series Tornado Hunters for CMT; long running series See No Evil, co-produced with the UK’s Arrow Media for DISCOVERY ID US; eight-part series Hunting Nazi Treasure for HISTORY (Canada), American Heroes Channel (U.S.) and More4 (UK); and work on several series and specials including The Kennedys, a six-part CNN mini-series in partnership with Raw TV in the UK.
“Saloon’s ambition to reach a wider audience and connect with new global business partners dovetails perfectly with Blue Ant Media’s push to expand content production for world markets. We’re extremely excited to be part of Blue Ant’s growing North American team, and on a personal note, I look forward to working once again with Michael MacMillan to make great programs,” said Michael Kot, CEO, Saloon Media.
Prior to launching Saloon Media, Kot served as senior vice-president Factual for eOne, overseeing and executive-producing original factual programming for the company’s television group and vice-president Original Factual Content for Canwest channels, including Global Television, HISTORY, Mystery, National Geographic Canada and IFC. Kot was also responsible for leading programming, acquisitions and the general operations of BBC Canada.
Steve Gamester has worked as a broadcaster, development executive and series showrunner. His recent productions include Hunting Nazi Treasure, Mummies Alive, Perfect Storms, Miracles Decoded and Museum Secrets, all multi-part series broadcast around the world. He is currently producing 9/11 Kids, which examines the hidden impacts of 9/11 on American society. From 2005-09, he was a production executive of Original Programming at Canwest and Alliance Atlantis, and oversaw more than 300 hours of programming for HISTORY, National Geographic, Showcase and Global Television. Gamester’s productions have been nominated for over 20 Canadian Screen Awards.
Paul Kilback is a multi-award-winning series producer, director and editor with over 20 years of experience filming and editing documentaries. He has produced and/or directed scores of television projects including: Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan, Greatest Tank Battles, Museum Secrets and Hunting Nazi Treasure. More recently, he completed the critically acclaimed Tornado Hunters series and is currently putting the finishing touches on a soon-to-be-released, four-part true crime special.
Betty Orr, Head of Production, has over 20 years of television and film production experience, ranging from producing award-winning television series such as Kids in the Hall to her critically acclaimed feature film, CUBE. Prior to joining Saloon when it launched in 2013, Orr worked with Entertainment One, Cineflix, Decode Entertainment (DHX Media), Jim Henson Productions and CBC on various television projects, including young adult scripted comedies, docudrama series, documentaries and Movie of the Weeks.
Sam Sniderman, EVP, Global Production, Blue Ant Media oversees the production, finance and business affairs teams at Blue Ant Media. He is formerly the Global Chief Operating Officer and MD, Film and Entertainment at Pulse Films (a Vice Media company). In these roles, he was responsible for the commercial performance of Pulse’s TV, film and branded content output and helped guide the company through rapid growth, including scripted and unscripted commissions from Channel 4, Sky Atlantic and ITV. He also spearheaded the financing and distribution of award-winning theatrical feature films like 20,000 Days on Earth (Nick Cave), Who Is Dayani Cristal (Gael García Bernal) and Shut Up and Play the Hits (LCD Soundsystem).
Subscribe Now – Free!
Broadcast Dialogue has been required reading in the Canadian broadcast media for 25 years. When you subscribe, you join a community of connected professionals from media and broadcast related sectors from across the country.
The Weekly Briefing from Broadcast Dialogue is delivered exclusively to subscribers by email every Thursday. It’s your link to critical industry news, timely people moves, and excellent career advancement opportunities.
Let’s get started right now.
