All the latest news from the global content industry on Friday, 4 April

 

Former Vice Media chief re-emerges

Former Vice Media chief Nancy Dubuc exec has re-emerged, two years after leaving the youth-skewing brand.

Dubuc, who was also previously chief exec at A+E Networks, has joined female sports brand Togethxr as its exec chair.

The brand was launched by sports stars Chloe Kim, Alex Morgan, Simone Manuel and Sue Bird, with Dubuc joined by former Disney exec Susan Lyne and ex-Westbrook exec Tina Tozzi also at the company.

 

ABC extends raft of scripted shows

US broadcaster ABC has extended 9-1-1, Grey’s Anatomy, The Rookie, Shifting Gears and Will Trent for the 2025-26 season.

All shows are produced by 20th Television, part of the Disney family as is ABC, apart from The Rookie, which hails from Lionsgate TV.

ABC has already handed extensions to 9-1-1 Nashville, Abbot Elementary and High Potential - a remake of hit French format HPI - but the future of medical drama Doctor Odyssey remains unclear.

 

 

FRAPA unveils exec changes

The Format Recognition and Protection Association (FRAPA), which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, has announced several changes to its executive team.

Blink49’s Adam Steinman, Shimmer Media’s Pascal Dalton and Formatbiz’s Maria Chiara Duranti are all joining FRAPA’s advisory board, with BBC Studios Nordics’ Jan Salling stepping down as co-chair after 10 years in service. Mike Beale, ITV Studios’ managing director, Creative Network, is also standing down from the management board after a five-year stint.

Salling and Beale have been named Lifetime FRAPA Ambassadors in recognition of their service to both FRAPA and the global formats industry. Salling’s fellow co-chair, The Gurin Company/TGC Global Entertainment’s Phil Gurin, will now serve as the Association’s sole chairman.