Alex Breingan

Last updated

Alex Breingan
Born
Alexander Breingan
Other namesAJ James
Darci Penn
Occupation(s)Executive producer, Television writer, radio host
Years active1990s–present

Alex Breingan is a UK-born New Zealand television executive producer, television writer and former radio producer and host.

Contents

Starting his career in UK commercial radio and later as a producer at the BBC, Breingan moved to New Zealand in 2002, where he worked in radio management before transitioning into television. He co-founded Choice TV, now known as Eden in 2012, which was later acquired by international media companies, and established Stripe Studios, a production company responsible for various TV series in New Zealand. [1]

Personal life

Breingan was born in Lyme Regis in the United Kingdom, and educated at Woodroffe School and Durham University. [1] He is married to former Three News reporter and food blogger Rachel Hart. [1] [2] Along with his wife Rachel, they were both a subject for the 2019 series 100 Day Renovation . [3]

Career

He began his career in the mid 1990s in UK commercial radio and later as a producer at the BBC before moving to NZ in 2002. [4] He spent 10 years in NZ radio including as Mediawork's Radio Operations Manager and Assistant Programme Director for both More FM and RadioLIVE. [5] Breingan then moved into TV as Channel Manager for SKY TV's Food TV and The Living Channel. [5] [6]

In 2012 Breingan co-founded free to air TV channel Choice TV which launched on Freeview and Sky that year. Canadian Media company Blue Ant Media acquired the channel in 2014. Discovery Inc. later acquired Choice TV in 2019. [4] [7] [8]

In TV production, Breingan established production company Stripe Media in 2014, also known as Stripe Studios. The production company produced various television shows across New Zealand including the TV3 morning series, The Cafe [9] [10] [11] which aired from 2016 until 2020.

Stripe Studios production includes series previously on SKY Open New Zealand, Discovery Australia New Zealand, TVNZ and NBCU NZ for the channel Bravo. Breingan created, co-wrote and produced The Circus, Rich Listers, and Discovery's Great Southern Truckers. [12] Rich Listers received criticism after Breingan publicly mentioned that the show was fictional. [13]

Since 2019, Breingan has been a semi finals judge for the International Emmy Awards and later a finals judge in 2022. [14] [15]

In February 2024 reports emerged that Stripe Studios had failed to pay post-production companies and visiting actors for their work. [16] [17] In March 2024 one of the company's production entities, Stripe Studios (Comedy) Ltd was liquidated by the court, [17] and Stripe Media went into receivership. [18] [19] A receivers report found over NZD $20 million of debt, [20] as well as "irregularities" in the companies' finances which were then referred to the Serious Fraud Office. [20] [21] Additional companies associated with Stripe Studios were placed into liquidation due to unpaid taxes and outstanding debts to creditors in July 2024. [22]

Breingan has said that a U-turn decision by the New Zealand Film Commission was a cause for the financial issues. The Commission has denied this. [20] Breingan has also stated that such allegations were false and defamatory, writing that the NZ Herald was provided with false information. [23]

During the liquidation process Breingan attempted to re-establish himself overseas, establishing two production companies in the UK. [24] [25] An attempt to raise money for a documentary film about the English singer Tony Hadley was aborted after it was reported in the New Zealand media. [26] He later moved to Los Angeles, beginning new projects under the alias Darci Penn. [27]

New Zealand Investigation

In September 2024, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment's (MBIE) Integrity and Enforcement Team confirmed that they were investigating if Breingan should be disqualified from directing New Zealand companies. [27]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015 100 Day Bach Executive producer
2017Slice of ParadiseAssociate producer
2016–2020 The Cafe Executive producer
2019 100 Day Renovation Executive producer
2020The Bach that JK builtProducer, director and writer
2020Dream Home DilemmaExecutive producer
2021Uncharted New ZealandExecutive producer and writer
2019Great Southern TruckersExecutive producer, director and writer
2020–2024The CircusExecutive producer and writer
2022 Reunited Executive producer and cowriter
2022Rich ListersExecutive producer and writer
2022Clubhouse RescueExecutive producer
2023Snow CrewExecutive producer and writer

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ex-Lyme man makes the rigtht Choice down under". Bridport and Lyme Regis News. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  2. ↑ "How this courageous cook is baking her way to better health". Now to Love – New Zealand. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  3. ↑ "Watch 100 DAY RENOVATION | OSNtv UAE". OSNtv. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Top TV Ltd (Operating as Choice TV)". Gust. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Tune your Freeview to Channel 12 and find Choice TV!". www.scoop.co.nz. Scoop. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  6. ↑ "Freeview adds choice". The Post. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2024– via PressReader.
  7. ↑ "Choice TV adds On Demand channel". www.stuff.co.nz. Stuff. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  8. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (3 November 2014). "Canada's Blue Ant Media Buys Majority Stake in New Zealand's Choice TV". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  9. ↑ "New Morning Show the Café Coming Soon to Tv3". www.scoop.co.nz. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  10. ↑ "Hosts revealed for TV3's new morning show". NZ Herald. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  11. ↑ "New TV3 lifestyle show The Café to air in April". Newshub. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  12. ↑ Perry, Kevin (3 October 2022). "TV Blackbox".
  13. ↑ "Fake mews: Producers of new 'reality' show reveal it's not real". NZ Herald. New Zealand Herald. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  14. ↑ "48th International Emmy Awards Competition on Schedule & Moving Towards November Gala". International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  15. ↑ "Semi-Final Judging Events". International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  16. ↑ "They lured a legend to NZ, now a TV firm is in spotlight over bills; 7pm show's new name". NZ Herald. 22 February 2024. Archived from the original on 16 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  17. 1 2 "NZ film company's $2.25m debts – top international comedian: 'My patience is exhausted'". NZ Herald. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  18. ↑ "Auckland TV production companies in receivership". www.stuff.co.nz. Stuff. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  19. ↑ "STRIPE MEDIA LIMITED, AM MEDIA CORPORATION LIMITED, STRIPE STUDIOS (CIRCUS 4) LIMITED, STRIPE STUDIOS (FRANCE) LIMITED, STRIPE STUDIOS (GOLD) LIMITED, STRIPE STUDIOS (RICH LISTERS 2) LIMITED, STRIPE STUDIOS (SNOW 2) LIMITED and STRIPE STUDIOS (SNOW) LIMITED (all in receivership) – 2024-ar1057 – New Zealand Gazette". gazette.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  20. 1 2 3 "'Irregularities': NZ TV firm owes more than $20m to major bank, US TV stars – receivers". NZ Herald. 17 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  21. ↑ "Media Insider: TVNZ upheaval – state broadcaster's strategic changes,…". New Zealand Herald. 3 October 2024. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  22. ↑ "'Provocative': BSA rules on TVNZ poll uproar; Wine tipped over NZ rugby commentators; Mag depicts MP as Jesus". NZ Herald. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  23. ↑ "Top international comedian applies to liquidate NZ production company". NZ Herald. 19 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  24. ↑ "The fall and rise of Duncan Garner; Top reality TV shows 'at risk'; Media hacker's frustration". NZ Herald. 25 March 2024. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  25. ↑ "Stripe Studios boss sets up UK company, website disappears after questions from Stuff". www.stuff.co.nz. Stuff. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  26. ↑ Currie, Shayne (24 May 2024). "Failed TV firms – Boss' new alias and $2 raised online for new film". The New Zealand Herald . Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  27. 1 2 "Media Insider: Stripe Studios boss Alex Breingan linked to new alias;…". New Zealand Herald. 19 September 2024. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
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