News Broadcasting
FremantleMedia hires Petter Testmann-Koch for Norway office
MUMBAI: It was very recently that FremantleMedia International announced few huge deals in the Asian region. Now, the company that is one of the largest creators, producers and distributors of television brands in the world, is expanding its operations in the Norway region. The company announced the opening of a production operation in Oslo Norway, and has also appointment Petter Testmann-Koch, a leading Norwegian producer as FremantleMedia Norge Managing Director.
Testmann-Koch will set up the office and build the production team. He will be responsible for the day to day management of the operation and driving the strategic vision of the business. He will focus on developing quality content for the Norwegian market across all platforms, selling FremantleMedia formats in Norway and working closely with FremantleMedia’s International production, licensing and sales operations.
Testmann-Koch will report to Daniela Matei, CEO Nordics, Eastern Europe and Balkans (NOREEBA), and sit on the NOREEBA senior management team.
Prior to joining FremantleMedia, Testmann-Koch was working with Nordisk Film TV as CCO & Executive Producer where he had overall creative responsibility for development and production as well as co-managing format acquisitions and sales.
He has been credited for producing shows like 71 Degrees North, Home of the Year, Celebrity Cook Off and The Voice of Norway. Prior to this, he worked as a producer/director at Dinamo Story (Eyeworks Dinamo) for five years producing large scale event shows such as Spellemann (Norwegian Grammy), Amanda (Norwegian Oscar), Gullruten (Norwegian Emmy), and Eurovision Song Contest Countdown. Testmann-Koch began his career as a freelance broadcast journalist and went on to work for several production companies as a producer/director including Nordisk Film, Global TV Production Oslo and Allegro Film, before founding his own production company, Potato.
Testmann-Koch takes up his post in Spring 2014.
FremantleMedia also recently announced the appointment of Anne Brostrom as Managing Director, Blu, FremantleMedia’s Danish production arm. The company also acquired a majority stake (51 per cent) in Miso Film, a leading Danish scripted production company.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
