Endemol gets another brother

Dutch TV production firm Endemol has announced the formation of Endemol Polska, aimed at broadening the company's position in the Polish market by creating and producing content for all broadcasters in Poland.

Endemol Polska is a spin-off of the former Endemol-Neovision, a joint venture of Endemol and the ITI group, which produced content exclusively for ITI-owned broadcaster TVN.

The firm generated a number of local hits including the Polish versions of Big Brother, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Milionerzy) and Those Were the Days (To było grane).

Endemol agreed to buy ITI's 50-percent share in Endemol-Neovision back in November 2005. Completion of the transaction gives Endemol Polska the freedom to produce program formats for all broadcasters in Poland.

This applies to both international formats such as Deal or No Deal? (Grasz czy nie grasz?) and those which are prepared for the Polish market such as Eureko, ja to wiem! (Junior Knowledge Knockout) and Polsat's Co z tš Polskš? (What will become of Poland?).

Hesther Jolly from Endemol N.V. says the new company will not only strengthen Endemol's position on the Polish market but it will also export successful formats to other countries.

"If a format is successful in Poland it will be sold to other countries, including [in] Eastern Europe," she adds.

The changes in the structure of the company will also affect the management. Sylweriusz Rudolf, managing director of Endemol-Neovision will not take on the same post at Endemol Polska. Hesther Jolly says a managing director for the new entity will be appointed "in due time."

Based in Hilversum, the Netherlands, Endemol now has subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries across the world.

The company currently owns roughly 900 entertainment formats and sells them to broadcasters around the world.