Love Nature announced that it has promoted Alison Barrat to SVP, Head of Content, Love Nature. In this elevated role, Alison will lead Love Nature’s global content strategy across original commissioning, acquisitions, programming and marketing to support growing the brand’s global reach with affiliate partners around the world. Based in Love Nature’s headquarters in Washington, DC, Alison is also charged with generating new co-production opportunities with platform partners to further enhance Love Nature’s output of original productions in line with its unique content strategy for wildlife and nature content.
Alison will continue to oversee all development and production for Love Nature and will continue reporting to Carlyn Staudt, who was recently promoted into the newly created role of EVP, Global Channels & Streaming, Blue Ant Media and now leads the growth of Blue Ant Media’s portfolio of international channels. James Manfull, Commissioning Editor and Katie Murdock, Executive Producer, will continue to report to Alison.
“Alison has excelled at elevating the quality, breadth and contemporary appeal of Love Nature’s original programming, leading development and production. Her new role as Head of Content is a natural progression of the incredible results she’s achieved and sees her taking the helm of the brand’s commissioning as it reaches the next stratosphere of popularity,” said Carlyn Staudt, EVP, Global Channels & Streaming. “Her promotion also aligns with a new chapter for Love Nature as it celebrates ten years of incredible growth, unveils a new brand look, and is a driving force within Blue Ant Media’s global channels strategy.”
Alison’s promotion comes as Love Nature is celebrating its ten-year anniversary, in which the brand has grown from a Canadian HD PayTV specialty channel to a global natural history brand that is now available in 110 countries, 29 languages, and across both PayTV and streaming platforms in 4K. Love Nature has evolved to include a full commissioning team on Washington, DC, and also has set up affiliate sales hubs in the UK, L.A., Singapore and Sydney, Australia and Toronto, all actively growing the reach of the channel on platforms with over 310 affiliate partners across EMEA, Asia Pacific, Latam and the U.S. Love Nature’s embrace of the new media landscape and its strength in building global partnerships has allowed it to curate a world class line-up of fresh wildlife and nature programming that is created by some of the most celebrated and respected natural history producers around the world.
Alison was previously SVP of Production & Development, Love Nature, providing a leading role in finding, developing and commissioning new projects for Love Nature. She is a multi award and Emmy-winning film professional with over 20 years experience in natural history film production. Prior to Love Nature she launched a specialist wildlife film production unit at the Living Oceans Foundation where she executive produced films for PBS, the Smithsonian Channel and Curiosity Stream. Over the last two decades she has written, produced, and directed natural history and science documentaries and series for National Geographic Channel, Discovery Communications and PBS. Barrat’s experience also includes leadership roles in development and production with National Geographic Television.