(2 December 2005 8:00 pm)

MUMBAI: FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) has appointed industry veteran Eugene Young as chief creative officer.

Young will oversee all development and programming for the rapidly expanding production company and will report to FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz. He will assume the position at the beginning of 2006.

"We are thrilled to have someone with Eugene's tremendous production and development experience join FremantleMedia North America. His demonstrated leadership and creative strengths will help shepherd the company as we continue to expand our production slate," said Frot-Coutaz.

Young brings nearly two decades of development and production experience to FremantleMedia North America, having most recently served as senior vice president of programming and development for Endemol USA where he was responsible for creating, developing, adapting, selling and executing both original and foreign television formats for the network, cable and syndication marketplace.

Under his guidance as creative director, Endemol USA produced some of the highest rated and critically acclaimed programs on television including the Emmy-winning series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Fear Factor.

Prior to joining Endemol USA, Young spent seven years as show runner and senior supervising producer of the syndicated entertainment magazine Extra. Young was instrumental in the start up of the daily strip, overseeing all production, editorial content and execution.

He also served as executive producer of KCBS News in Los Angeles where he overhauled the station's newsroom operations and won the Emmy Award for outstanding coverage of the 1994 Northridge earthquake. In February 1994, he guided the station's 11 pm newscast from last to first place in the ratings; it was the first time KCBS won a ratings book in 10 years.

Young also distinguished himself as producer of New York's top 11 pm Newscast at WABC-TV. He covered everything from the first World Trade Center bombings, to the Persian Gulf War. He was also a producer for WXIA in Atlanta, and at CNN Headline News.