Sister Co-Founder Jane Featherstone Reflects on ‘A Difficult Few Months’ for Production Sector: ‘People Are Losing Their Jobs’

As an admirer of the resilient spirit and tenacity displayed by Jane Featherstone throughout her illustrious career, I find myself deeply moved by her insights into the current state of the U.K.’s television market. Her experience, spanning over two decades in the industry, offers a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.


Jane Featherstone, one of the company’s co-founders, mentioned that the challenging TV market conditions in the U.K. have made the past few months particularly tough for production firms.

Certain operations have shut down, leading to job losses,” she stated. “We producers are struggling to find the balance between traditional public broadcasting and the financial might of American streaming services.

She mentioned that we’re going through a restructuring phase, which may involve merging certain aspects, as a means of navigating through the current situation.

Twenty-five years ago, when we first entered this field, there weren’t many of us around and the market looked quite different. I don’t foresee a permanent state of despair; instead, I believe we’re currently experiencing a transitional phase. In the next couple of years, I think value will once again be recognized in the hands of producers, making them valued entities.

In 2015, Featherstone introduced Sister to the world, welcoming Elizabeth Murdoch as a partial owner. This business is recognized for producing shows like “Eric,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch, which made its debut on Netflix not long ago, and the BBC’s legal series “The Split.” The company’s operations are managed by global CEO Cindy Holland from Los Angeles, with Featherstone still serving as the Chief Creative Officer.

On Tuesday afternoon, Featherstone participated in a discussion at the Royal Television Society conference in London, on a panel named “Assessing the worth of our industry.” Joining him were financial executive Harry Hampson from J.P. Morgan and Richard Sharp, a former chairperson of the BBC. The session was moderated by journalist Kamal Ahmed.

At the RTS conference, there will also be other speakers such as Ted Sarandos from Netflix, Tim Davie who heads the BBC, and the former soccer player-turned-TV producer, David Beckham.

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2024-09-17 17:46