Pays will be responsible for the general management and commercial and operational leadership of WBITVPB’s non-scripted entertainment and authentic fiction business. He is also charged with developing new ideas and adapting existing IP from WBITVP’s catalogue for the Belgian market. In addition, Pays will work alongside Peter Bouckaert, MD of Eyeworks Belgium, WBITVP’s scripted label in the region. He will report to WBITVP President Ronald Goes.
Pays joins from All3Media Belgium, where he worked as a key creative and showrunner. Prior to that, he was Creative Director and Head of Development at Lecter Media, where he gained a Rose d’Or nomination for their original format Groeten uit…/Greetings from 19xx for VTM, which went on to be sold and produced in six territories.
Over the years, working for several production companies, Pays has successfully created multiple formats for Belgian broadcasters. He has also worked on big international formats for the Belgian market, including Love Island and Big Brother, and adapted the panel show Beste Kijkers / Telly Test (TVBastards), entertainment show Wat Een Jaar! / A Year To Remember?(Lecter Media), and the adventure reality game Het Onbekende / The Unknown (All3Media Belgium). His experience in leading creative teams goes back to his days as chief and final editor for some of Flanders’ biggest print media.
Ronald Goes, WBITVP President, commented: “We are excited to welcome Ben to WBITVP Belgium and to the global WBITVP family. His passion for creating great ideas and powerful storytelling, coupled with his impressive track record as a showrunner, team player and respected international industry executive, will make him a hugely valuable addition to the evolving WBITVP business.”
Pays added: “WBITVP Belgium is a creative powerhouse with an impressive and diverse slate of very good shows and a beautiful, long history. I look forward to joining its talented team and making it even stronger. I also believe in the power of WBITVP’s international catalogue and distribution network, which offer unique opportunities for creative exchange that can benefit both Belgium and the rest of the world.”