Matchlight hopes £250,000 will help to spark Scots TV expansion

Published on Friday 9 October 2009 21:05

TELEVISION production company Matchlight will receive £250,000 over three years from Scottish Enterprise in the latest move to support more home-based programme making.

An initial award has helped the company create five jobs in Glasgow. It hopes to boost that to 20 staff, plus freelancers.

Scottish Enterprise will back the firm through the regional selective assistance scheme.

Matchlight is the largest indigenous production company to have opened in Scotland since the Scottish Broadcasting Commission identified a shortfall in network commissioning from Scotland for both the BBC and Channel 4.

It is a joint venture between six leading Scottish programme makers and DCD Media, one of the UK's largest independent television groups. The company is headed by creative director Ross Wilson, an International Emmy and Bafta award winning documentary producer/director, and managing director David Smith. The new company has already secured commissions from the BBC and Channel 4 as well as development support from both Channel 4 and the BBC.

The culture minister, Mike Russell, said: "The independent sector is vital to establishing a strong production base for Scotland's broadcasting industry, as well as being an important source of employment."

David Smith said: "Scotland has a reputation for making great TV and we want to help ensure it continues to do so for many years by adding to Scotland's long-term production capability. We are looking to achieve significant growth over three years, creating jobs and opportunities for permanent and freelance programme makers across Scotland."

Members of Matchlight's creative team have developed expertise in documentary, specialist factual and popular factual production and have, between them, over 50 years of experience in making a range of programmes for the main UK broadcasters as well as Discovery, National Geographic and others in the US. It is the only production company in Scotland run by people who have won, between them, an International Emmy, Bafta, Scottish Bafta, RTS and Broadcast awards.

The company's first documentary production, The Exhumer, aired primetime on Channel 4 this summer. It has two projects in production for the BBC.

DCD Media is a "super-indy" – a production and distribution company specialising in factual, entertainment, drama, music and arts programming for TV, DVD and new media markets.