WTFN elevates Michael McDermott to Head of Development as Nine greenlights Police Australia
Australian producer WTFN has elevated Michael McDermott to the newly created position of Head of Development, while simultaneously announcing that Nine has commissioned its latest factual series, Police Australia.
Founded in 2001 by Daryl Talbot and Steve Oemcke, WTFN has built a library of more than 2,000 hours of in-house content over its 25-year history. The company has developed 76 original programs over two decades, with 18 running for three series or more, establishing a strong track record in creating returnable content.
McDermott will oversee WTFN's development pipeline for traditional television and multi-platform content. The appointment comes as the company recently merged its Fred Media distribution arm and Radar digital division to form Radar Studios in September 2026, creating an integrated studios operation.
McDermott, who holds a PhD in media and diversity studies from La Trobe University, joined WTFN in 2020 as a development researcher. Over the past six years, he has worked across true crime, lifestyle, factual entertainment and observational documentary, taking projects from early research through to pitching and production. He also produced WTFN titles The Hunters and Healthy, Wealthy & Wise, and worked in casting roles on Emergency, Paramedics and Space Invaders.
In his new role, McDermott will lead development activity across WTFN's operations, including work with the newly formed Radar Studios, which operates a digital multi-channel network with more than 12 million subscribers. Together, the businesses will develop concepts and intellectual property for different platforms and audiences.
WTFN co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Steve Oemcke said McDermott's audience knowledge and analytical approach would be important for the company's next stage. McDermott said new viewing habits create room for ambitious ideas, though creators must stay clear about the audience and the right home for each project.
Nine commission extends blue light slate
Police Australia, which McDermott developed and cast, is a six-part observational documentary series following frontline police officers in Western Australia. WTFN has embedded its production team with the Western Australia Police Force, currently filming general duties, organised-crime investigations and special operations while focusing on the people behind the badge.
Nine will screen the series in 2027. The commission extends WTFN's blue light factual slate for the network, which includes Emergency, now in its sixth season with 50 episodes, and Paramedics, which has run for seven seasons totalling 75 episodes. The most recent season of Paramedics was filmed in Perth, Western Australia in 2026, following previous seasons in Melbourne and Adelaide, establishing WTFN's production infrastructure in the state where Police Australia is now filming.
Content from Police Australia is also expected to join Emergency and Paramedics on Real Emergency, the FAST channel WTFN and Nine launched in the second quarter of 2025. The channel is distributed on 9Now in Australia and on major FAST platforms worldwide, demonstrating the broader distribution strategy for WTFN's blue light content beyond traditional broadcast.
The commission gives the producer another returning factual property as it builds its local and multi-platform slate, reinforcing the company's strategy of creating returnable series that can be distributed across multiple platforms.
