Debbie Macdonald

Debbie Macdonald is an Independent Children’s Media Consultant.

She started her television career 20 years ago at the BBC and after spending 2 years at the public broadcaster she decided that kids programming was where her passion lay. In 1995 she joined the UK arm of US broadcaster Nickelodeon and rose through the ranks to become the VP, Programming Director. During her tenure, she was responsible for all UK Acquisitions, Original Production and Scheduling across Nickelodeon UK’s network of channels and the position also required her to work as part of the global Nickelodeon network. During her time at the broadcaster, Debbie worked within the UK Senior Management team and led and oversaw the work of a 15 strong team who were responsible for a diverse portfolio of commissions and acquisitions. A frequent panellist at conferences and a member of the Children’s Media Conference Advisory committee, Debbie is considered a key figure in the children’s industry with strong communication and interpersonal skills. She was previously on the BAFTA children’s committee and continues to work closely with this world renowned organisation.

Debbie has vast experience in Original Series Production taking series from concept stage through to final delivery including script development, script editing, storyboarding, background layout and design, character design and development and has been executive producer across many award winning series including ‘Peppa Pig’, ‘Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom’, ‘Humf’, ‘Nick News’, ‘Fifi & the Flowertots’ and ‘Roary the Racing Car’.

Debbie has a real passion for Kids TV and, during her 20 years in the industry, has seen many changes in this sector of the media giving her a broad experience and understanding of UK television.

Now a mother of 3, Debbie is working independently as a Children’s Media Consultant working with a broad range of companies around the globe.