Danska, Shinnick join rapidly expanding RDF USA

Broadcast networks and television studios are cutting back, but apparently independent production companies are thriving.

RDF USA has hired two new executives. Jennifer Danska is senior vice president of development and current programs, while Kevin Shinnick is vice president of production.

In addition, RDF is promoting Miranda Wang to vice president of business and legal affairs and Andy Lennon to chief financial officer.

In her new role, Danska will be responsible for developing new and current non-scripted programming for both broadcast and cable networks.  She will report to Chris Coelen, CEO of RDF Media USA.

Prior to joining RDF, Danska was vice president of talent, development and casting for E! Entertainment.  There, she developed and helped launch Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood, Candy Girls, and Taradise.  Danska began her career at CAA and then became a creative executive at Davis Entertainment, a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox. Later, she was a producer for The Isaac Mizrahi Show.

Coelen named Kevin Shinnick vice president of production earlier this year. In this role, Shinnick manages the Los Angeles production facilities.  Prior to joining RDF, Shinnick was vice president of production at Painless Productions.  With over 14 years of production experience, Shinnick has managed productions for Fox, HBO, NBC, TLC, Discovery, Animal Planet and Fox Sports.  Shinnick reports to Tony Yates, COO of RDF Media USA.

RDA USA produces such unscripted entertainment and informational programs as Fox’s Don’t Forget the Lyrics, ABC’s Wife Swap, Fox’s Secret Millionaire, The CW’s Hitched or Ditched, Lifetime’s How to Look Good Naked, MTV’s The Girls of Hedsor Hall, Oxygen’s Addicted to Beauty, A&E’s Fugitive Chronicles, A&E’s The Two Coreys and Oxygen’s Coolio’s Rules.