This announcement was made in July 2026, prior to the company’s rebrand to North Star in October 2026.
STV Studios today announces the appointment of Mark Hedgecoe as Creative Director of STV Studios Factual, one of the UK’s leading unscripted production houses. Mark will join the label’s Glasgow-based team in October, reporting directly to STV Studios CEO, David Mortimer.
A multi-award winning creative leader with over 25 years’ experience in factual programme-making, Mark joins from Rogan Productions, where he has been Head of Rogan Scotland since launching the company’s Glasgow base in 2021.
During his time at Rogan, Mark has overseen an extensive and wide-ranging development pipeline, with credits including The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone (BBC), Becoming Frida Kahlo (BBC), Original Sin: My Son the Killer (Showmax), Body on the Beach: What Happened to Annie? (BBC), The Secret of Me (Channel 4) and Freddie Mercury: The Final Act (BBC) – with the latter winning the International Emmy for Best Arts Programming in 2022.
It’s been a fantastic five years running Rogan Scotland, helping to create the company’s successful base in Glasgow. I’ve loved working with the team at Rogan and am extremely proud of the films and series we have made. The time now feels right for a new challenge. I’ve watched STV Studios Factual grow over the last decade into one of the country’s leading unscripted production labels. I’m so looking forward to working with David and the talented team there on nurturing much-loved returning formats, as well as developing new ideas into exciting must-see programmes. Now is a great opportunity to expand the label’s brand further in the UK and across the international stage.”
Mark Hedgecoe
Prior to joining Rogan, Mark spent much of his career in various roles at the BBC, starting as a BBC News trainee and rising to become Head of Pacific Quay Productions at BBC Studios. In this role, Mark led teams in Glasgow, London and Salford across titles such as This Farming Life, Imagine, Songs of Praise and The Big Painting Challenge. He previously led BBC Arts production across the UK and was Deputy Head of the BBC Science Unit.
Mark joins STV Studios Factual at an exciting time for the company, following recent success with conversation-starting documentaries The Beauty Queen and the Catfish – a breakout boxset hit for BBC iPlayer – and Disease X: Hunting the Next Pandemic, also for the BBC. The label is widely recognised as the market leader in antiques/collectables formats with a stable of long-running series for various broadcasters, including BBC favourites, Antiques Road Trip and The Travelling Auctioneers; the Auction House franchise for Quest; and recent Channel 4 newcomer, The Antiques Riviera.
STV Studios Factual is entering a vibrant new chapter and I couldn’t be happier to have Mark – a creative powerhouse with a stellar career and exceptional list of credits to his name – at the helm to steer it forward. Mark’s experience of identifying great stories then bringing them to life for international audiences will be an invaluable addition to an already brilliant team of creatives producing world-class content from our Glasgow home.”
David Mortimer, CEO, STV Studios