BBC, Sony, Framestore Make Asia Appointments

By Naman Ramachandran

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Cheryl Png has been promoted to VP, distribution, South East Asia and Stanley Fernandes has been promoted to VP, distribution, South Asia, at BBC Studios Asia. Both will explore new revenue streams for the BBC’s distribution business.

Png has been head of distribution, channels and digital at Southeast Asia for the last two years. Her responsibilities included securing revenue deals for the BBC’s branded services in the region, including launching BBC Player and BBC First in Singapore and Malaysia and also expanding CBeebies’ distribution to Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Fernandes was director of content sales, South and Southeast Asia, based in India.  His responsibilities included bringing BBC First to Zee Café, CBeebies to Zee Q and “Doctor Who” to Star India. The BBC has also promoted Sweta Sriram to manager, content and brands for South Asia, reporting to Fernandes.

Sony Pictures Networks India has appointed Saugata Mukherjee as head – original content, digital business. Mukherjee will oversee the Hindi original content initiatives for streamer SonyLIV and expand the footprint of the platform. Mukherjee was previously with Disney’s Hotstar as head of development and creative, and editor, Hotstar Specials.

Meanwhile, leading VFX outfit Framestore, had appointed Akhauri P. Sinha as the head of its new Mumbai studio.  He will report directly to ’s global managing director, film, Fiona Walkinshaw, and will be responsible for setting up Framestore’s newest office in Mumbai. Sinha was previously managing director of Method Studios’ India operations.

Sinha is the first of several new hires by Framestore. The company is creating a team in Asia to work closely with its existing London and Montreal operations.