Los Angeles-based TGC Global Entertainment (TGC GE), the global distribution company launched by format veteran Phil Gurin to represent premium formatted content, has recruited Asia-focused marketing, sales and distribution specialist Rosemond Perdue to manage its sales into the fast-growing Asia-Pacific television market.

In her new role, Perdue will draw on her deep experience of the Asia-Pacific market to promote TGC GE’s growing catalogue of formats, documentaries and non-scripted series across Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Mongolia, China, Philippines and Japan. Priorities titles include US/Japanese format Heavy But Rich, which launches international at MIPCOM, evergreen karaoke game show The Singing Bee and cooking challenge Fridge Wars.

Perdue is founder of Los Angeles-based Breakthrough Now Media, which she established in 2019 to bridge the gap between Asian and US content and creators. She manages a client list that includes major broadcasters, production and animation companies in Japan and Korea, alongside government agencies and non-profits, including Korean content agency KOCCA, diplomacy organisation The Korea Foundation and the Embassy of the United States in Seoul. Prior to launching Breakthrough Now, she served as vice-president of business development at international distribution company Small World IFT, where she was responsible for the sales and marketing of unscripted formats. She was also a founding partner of Bungalow 3, a Los Angeles-based promo and TV marketing agency, whose clients included Sony, CBS, Scripps Networks and Disney.

Phil Gurin said: “The Asia-Pacific region is not only one of the most vibrant content markets in the world, but it’s one that’s growing at warp speed. And if anybody has the vision, experience and contacts to put TGC GE at the heart of that story it’s Rosemond. With her help and guidance, we’re looking forward to growing our presence across the region, sharing great content with our Asian friends and partners, and building new long-term relationships that will benefit us all.”

Perdue’s appointment brings TGC GE’s international team of sales and acquisition agents to five -she joins Cecilia Ingebrigtsen (Europe and the Nordic territories), Jess Khanom (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey and MENA), Malgorzata Gudel (Central and Eastern Europe) and Janel Downing (Latin America and Hispanic North America)

TGC GE’s activity in Asia-Pacific is intensifying, bolstered by the recent addition to its slate of hotly tipped physical entertainment format Heavy But Rich, co-developed by The Gurin Company and Fuji Creative Corporation under their long-standing creative partnership. The format, which is headlining TGC CE’s MIPCOM launch slate, is a fast-paced, celebrity-led studio game show, designed to appeal to audiences looking for the thrills and spills of a classic Japanese physical competition, as well as those who enjoy games of skill and strategy.

Fridge Wars, originally produced by CBC and The Gurin Company, which sees two celebrity chefs race against the clock to make extraordinary meals using the contents of ordinary fridges is currently on air in its second season on NTV in Mongolia and about to air on Sat. 1 in Germany.  

Meanwhile, much-travelled musical format The Singing Bee is currently on air in its first season on RCTI Indonesia. The family-focused show, in which contestants are judged on how well they know a song’s lyrics, rather than how well they can sing it, has now aired in 35 territories since it was first The Gurin Company and Juma Entertainment.

for NBC in 2006.

In other news, Grace O’Doherty has been promoted to director of development at The Gurin Company responsible for all creative affairs at both The Gurin Company & TGC Global Entertainment.   O’Doherty will make her MipCom debut this year with a focus on acquisitions for The Gurin Company in North America and for TGC GE.  Taking on O’Doherty’s role as executive assistant to Phil Gurin is Tori Purcell, who joins TGC GE from Dick Clark Productions.