NINE LIVES’ NEWS:

Manchester based Nine Lives Media
wins 8-programme Dispatches output deal from Channel 4

Nine Lives Media is one of four production companies to win an output deal from Channel 4 to make eight programmes across the next twelve months for the channel’s current affairs series.  Three London based independents - ITN Productions, Blakeway and October Films are the other chosen companies.  Nineteen independents were asked to submit programme ideas and a strategy as to how they would deliver the films, train up and coming programme makers and improve the multi-platform offering. 

Although Nine Lives hasn’t previously made programmes for Dispatches, over the last twelve months the Manchester based company has become the biggest independent supplier to the BBC’s current affairs series Panorama, making three programmes – Finished at Fifty; Are You Paying too Much Tax and Banks Behaving Badly.  Alongside six drama documentaries and six observational documentaries, the company is also currently making an investigative current affairs film for BBC Three.

Mike Lewis heads up Nine Lives’ current affairs department and will be the Executive Producer of the Channel 4 programmes.  He was previously Editor of ITV1’s Tonight overseeing over 80 half hour current affairs programmes for three and a half years and before that was a successful current affairs producer on a range of BBC series and for ITV’s prestigious World in Action. 

Mike has won many awards for his current affairs films, including the series of investigations exposing the miscarriages of justice caused by cot deaths, which resulted in many innocent mothers being imprisoned. “Brilliant current affairs programmes have been made in Manchester for the last fifty years, starting with World in Action in 1963. Radio 4’s excellent File on Four is still made in the city as is ITV1’s Tonight.  Nine Lives is building on that strong legacy to ensure the large talent base of superb current affairs programme makers in the north are given an opportunity to get their best ideas on screen.”

In January 2011, Cat Lewis, MD & Exec Producer of Nine Lives was been co-opted onto the new PACT Council to represent independent production companies based in the English regions.  PACT is the national organization which represents independent TV companies and its Council oversees all its work.