Mercury Launches Documentary Distributors’ Association

CEO Tim Sparke took the opportunity to announce the launch of  MercuryMedia’s initiative the Documentary Distributors’ Association at this year’s Hot Docs Festival.

The association was founded by Tim Sparke along with Mercury Chairman Simon Shaps. The group aims to urge public service broadcasters to air a greater breath of documentaries and to fight for an enhanced position within television schedules and on other platforms.

Simon will chair DDA, whilst Tim will be in charge of securing the first ten distributors to hop on board.

Sparke comments that, “Increasingly public service broadcasters have shied away from the documentary genre because factual and factual entertainment can provide bigger ratings, and it’s easier to schedule than traditional documentary fare.”

The first official DDA meeting will take place at Sunny Side of the Doc festival, La Rochelle, France from 22nd - 25th of June, 2010.