Alex Breingan Explained

Alex Breingan
Other Names:AJ James
Darci Penn
Birth Name:Alexander Breingan
Occupation:Executive producer, Television writer, radio host
Years Active:1990s–present

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

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.

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.[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]

Financial and legal issues

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, 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.[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.

Filmography

Television

!Year!Title!Role!Notes
2015100 Day BachExecutive producer
2017Slice of ParadiseAssociate producer
2016–2020The CafeExecutive producer
2019100 Day RenovationExecutive 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
2022ReunitedExecutive producer and cowriter
2022Rich ListersExecutive producer and writer
2022Clubhouse RescueExecutive producer
2023Snow CrewExecutive producer and writer

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 19 December 2013 . Ex-Lyme man makes the rigtht Choice down under . 17 June 2024 . Bridport and Lyme Regis News . en.
  2. Web site: 31 March 2022 . How this courageous cook is baking her way to better health . 24 February 2024 . Now to Love – New Zealand . en-AU.
  3. Web site: Watch 100 DAY RENOVATION OSNtv UAE . 11 September 2024 . OSNtv . en-ae.
  4. Web site: Top TV Ltd (Operating as Choice TV) . 16 June 2024 . Gust.
  5. Web site: Tune your Freeview to Channel 12 and find Choice TV! . 17 June 2024 . 24 April 2012 . Scoop . www.scoop.co.nz.
  6. Web site: Freeview adds choice . The Post . 11 February 2012 . 17 June 2024 . PressReader.
  7. Web site: Choice TV adds On Demand channel . Stuff . 12 July 2012 . 17 June 2024 . www.stuff.co.nz.
  8. Web site: Vlessing . Etan . 3 November 2014 . Canada's Blue Ant Media Buys Majority Stake in New Zealand's Choice TV . 16 June 2024 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  9. Web site: 11 March 2016 . New Morning Show the Café Coming Soon to Tv3 . 16 June 2024 . www.scoop.co.nz.
  10. Web site: 17 June 2024 . Hosts revealed for TV3's new morning show . 16 June 2024 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.
  11. News: New TV3 lifestyle show The Café to air in April . 16 June 2024 . Newshub . en.
  12. Web site: Perry . Kevin . 3 October 2022 . TV Blackbox .
  13. Web site: Fake mews: Producers of new 'reality' show reveal it's not real . 8 October 2022 . New Zealand Herald . 17 June 2024 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.
  14. Web site: 48th International Emmy Awards Competition on Schedule & Moving Towards November Gala . International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . 16 June 2024 . en-US.
  15. Web site: Semi-Final Judging Events . International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . 16 June 2024 . en-US.
  16. Web site: 22 February 2024 . They lured a legend to NZ, now a TV firm is in spotlight over bills; 7pm show's new name . subscription . https://archive.today/20240216085247/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider-tv-company-in-spotlight-over-bills-revealed-name-of-ryan-bridges-new-7pm-show-fair-go-host-i-ended-up-exhausted-former-air-nz-agency-moves-to-qantas-rnz-ratings-standoff/IVOYCPBHUJFSNNU24AG6GQ3NHU/ . 16 February 2024 . 21 February 2024 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.
  17. Web site: 17 May 2024 . NZ film company's $2.25m debts – top international comedian: 'My patience is exhausted' . 17 May 2024 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.
  18. Web site: Auckland TV production companies in receivership . Stuff . 12 March 2024 . 17 June 2024 . www.stuff.co.nz.
  19. Web site: 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 . 16 June 2024 . gazette.govt.nz.
  20. Web site: 17 June 2024 . 'Irregularities': NZ TV firm owes more than $20m to major bank, US TV stars – receivers . 16 June 2024 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.
  21. Web site: 3 October 2024 . Media Insider: TVNZ upheaval – state broadcaster's strategic changes,… . https://archive.today/20241003190103/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider/media-insider-tvnz-upheaval-state-broadcasters-strategic-changes-ahead-of-more-job-losses-stuff-cuts-roles-in-auckland-tui-rolls-out-new-yeah-right-campaign/J6E5FP5Q7FF45O4QW5NWI5773Y/#selection-4789.0-4853.211 . 4 October 2024 . New Zealand Herald . 3 October 2024 . live.
  22. Web site: 13 September 2024 . 'Provocative': BSA rules on TVNZ poll uproar; Wine tipped over NZ rugby commentators; Mag depicts MP as Jesus . 13 September 2024 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.
  23. Web site: 19 June 2024 . Top international comedian applies to liquidate NZ production company . 18 June 2024 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.
  24. Web site: 25 March 2024 . The fall and rise of Duncan Garner; Top reality TV shows 'at risk'; Media hacker's frustration . subscription . https://archive.today/20240322035537/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider-top-tv-shows-in-fight-for-life-duncan-garners-podcast-reboot-stripe-boss-sets-up-uk-firms/ASPA7LOUY5D7NLOHWWAMXPF57I/ . 22 March 2024 . 24 March 2024 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.
  25. Web site: Stripe Studios boss sets up UK company, website disappears after questions from Stuff . Stuff . 22 March 2024 . 17 June 2024 . www.stuff.co.nz.
  26. News: Currie . Shayne . 24 May 2024 . Failed TV firms – Boss' new alias and $2 raised online for new film . subscription . https://archive.today/20240524070453/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider-failed-tv-firms-boss-new-alias-and-2-raised-for-new-film-redundancy-blow-for-newshub-contractors-revealed-the-price-of-commercial-integration-on-tvnz-breakfast/OEXTJ4GFKNGN3AXPF5DH77AHI4/ . 24 May 2024 . 25 May 2024 . The New Zealand Herald.
  27. Web site: 19 September 2024 . Media Insider: Stripe Studios boss Alex Breingan linked to new alias;… . https://archive.today/20240919172821/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider-stripe-studios-boss-alex-breingan-linked-to-new-alias-pm-says-people-dont-watch-6pm-tv-news-any-more-paul-henry-on-lachlan-murdoch/JPSJOU7BUNATTIUYOVSTX3DUSA/ . 20 September 2024 . New Zealand Herald . 19 September 2024 . live.

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