Former Rumpus exec unveils Northern Ireland indie

Former Rumpus exec Fintan Maguire has launched Northern Ireland indie High Rock Media with a pair of factual orders from Channel 5 and Channel 4. 

Headquartered in Belfast, High Rock also has a London office and will focus on accessible factual programming including travelogues, ob docs and lifestyle titles. Also at High Rock is RTS Award-winning and former Waddell Media creative Catriona Doyle, who serves as development executive. 

Maguire, who is founder, managing director and creative director of High Rock, brings 20 years’ experience to the indie, having exec produced numerous series for BBC, ITV, C4, C5 and Sky.  

His production background includes series requiring sensitive handling of privileged access to major institutions, making documentaries and series with the Royal Family and the National Trust.  

Most recently, he was director of factual at Rumpus Media. Prior to that he was an executive producer at Spun Gold and Crackit Productions and has worked with on-screen talent including Laura Whitmore, Sir Tony Robinson, and Alan Titchmarsh. 

Doyle joins worked on tentpole entertainment, quiz and gameshow brands including Strictly Come Dancing, The Weakest Link and Ready Steady Cook. Doyle held posts at BBC and Endemol before returning to Belfast and spending ten years at Waddell Media. 

Maguire billed the indie as marrying traditional programme-making with new twists and innovation to create “unique and compelling shows”. 

He said: “Launching a production company has always been my ambition but to realise that goal in what is arguably one of the most challenging times in our television history was inevitably daunting.  

“I love making television and our ambition is to take viewers on a voyage of discovery in entertaining ways – both these commissions have that ethos at their heart and we hope this is the start of delivering many such series in the future.” 

Factual pair gild launch  

For Channel 5, High Rock is making an as-yet unnamed docuseries celebrating the history of Cheshire through the lives of its residents. Commissioned by Federico Ruiz and co-produced by GroupM Motion Entertainment, the four-part series will launch later this year. 

Its first format order from C4, revealed by Broadcast today, is a three-part series which challenges the perceptions of supermarket loyalty. The commission comes from lifestyle commissioner and former nations and regions manager Deborah Dunnett and benefits from funding from Northern Ireland Screen. 

Maguire added: “To be able to launch with two series from Channel 4 and Channel 5 is really exciting – thank you to the commissioning editors and to Northern Ireland Screen for helping to make that happen.”