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FremantleMedia UK launches digital label Shotglass Media
MUMBAI: FremantleMedia UK has launched a new digital media company called Shotglass Media.
The new digital entity will sit alongside FremantleMedia UK labels Talkback, Thames, Retort, Boundless, Newman Street and Euston Films and focus on creating innovative digital experiences for fans and brands. Kat Hebden will head up the operation as managing director, reporting to interim FremantleMedia UK CEO Richard Holloway. Hebden was previously head of FremantleMedia UK Interactive.
The investment in Shotglass Media will accelerate the growth of the company’s digital content initiatives in the UK, including the slate of original digital content, which already includes Munchies, a multi-channel food brand co-produced with Vice Media, and football fan channels Full Time Devils, Chelsea Fan Channel and Blue Moon Rising. Hebden and her team will grow the slate of food and sports content, and will also develop and produce in other key verticals like gaming, travel, music, entertainment and automotive.
Shotglass Media will also encompass all digital and social media activity for FremantleMedia UK’s programmes including Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, Celebrity Juice, The Apprentice, Take Me Out and more, and will work closely with all FremantleMedia UK labels to create new experiences for fans across the range of programming within the group.
The new company will be a key partner for brands and advertisers who are looking for creative digital advertising solutions: with the FremantleMedia UK Commercial team, Shotglass Media will offer the full scope of integrations from bespoke funded content to sponsorships and advertising.
Holloway said, “This is a very exciting time for FremantleMedia UK, the media landscape is changing so rapidly and while we’ve already been at the forefront of these changes, we’re now making even more investment in digital media to increase our activity. Kat is an unstoppable force and in her hands, Shotglass will become the benchmark for digital content companies.”
Hebden’s senior team will include head of business development Audrey Lang, executive producer of original programming James Cooper and head of sport Neil Smythe. The team will work in tandem with FremantleMedia and RTL Group digital companies including Divimove, the leading European MCN the company acquired earlier this year, as well as RTL Group’s MCNs StyleHaul and Broadband TV.
Hebden added, “FremantleMedia has become a key player in digital content and I’m delighted to be leading the next push in the UK. Not only do we have a strong team here in the UK, but FremantleMedia as a group has an impressive digital presence and we’ll continue the heritage of producing locally whilst using our global network to share best practices, relationships and where appropriate, cross-border content for fans and brands.”
Shotglass Media joins the growing number of regional digital entities under the FremantleMedia umbrella including Tiny Riot!, the US digital studio launched last year, UFALab, its German transmedia company, and Spring, part of FremantleMedia Australia.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
