November 20, 2006
The decision by 2waytraffic to acquire Millionaire and part of Celador’s library and its choice to float in Britain earlier this year mark yet another Anglo-Dutch union.
The Dutch and the British have long shared strong bonds and similarities — in their languages, tastes, outlooks on life and approach to business.
It is no coincidence that there have been successful tie-ups of British and Dutch companies. Examples include Reed Elsevier, the media group that owns The Lancet, Shell, the Anglo-Dutch oil group, and Unilever, the consumer goods company.
In recent years, British television has (arguably) benefited from the influence of the Dutch, with the increasing prominence of reality television productions from Endemol, the Dutch media company, on our screens.
Endemol, co-founded by the Dutch media entrepreneur John de Mol, was behind Big Brother, the hugely successful reality television show that kicked off the genre in the UK.
Endemol’s interest in the British media market came long before this. Originally known as Broadcast Communications, Endemol UK is one of Britain’s longest-established production groups and won its first television commissions in the 1980s. In 1990, the production group acquired two independent producers — Bazal, now Cheetah Television, and Hawkshead. It bought Initial in 1992.
The UK group employs up to 800 people at any time and is one of the largest independent producers in the country.
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