Toronto, Canada-based Corus Entertainment execs Andrea Gabourie and Simon Watts have left the broadcaster to form indie prodco Pivotal Media.

Gabourie was director of live-action productions for two years at Corus, while Watts was a senior line producer.

Together they are combining their past indie production expertise to hang a shingle at Pinewood Toronto Studios that will produce factual, kids and scripted TV for the world market.

Pivotal Media has as its first gig in making the second season of Canadian kidcaster YTV’s live-action challenge-based series Zoink’d!, and is developing additional properties for other broadcasters.

Gabourie’s credits include Project Runway Canada from Insight Productions for Global Television and Slice, Project Runway All Star Challenge from Bunim Murray Productions for Lifetime US and the lifestyle series How to Look Good Naked Canada for W Network.

Watts, who completed earlier executive stints at Portfolio Entertainment and Red Apple Entertainment, has among his credits Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That for Treehouse and PBS, and Opening Soon for Food Network Canada.

The exit of Gabourie and Watts from Corus follows the promotion of Maria Hale to VP of television, and head of digital and content distribution as the broadcaster combines its digital and interactive activities with its TV division.

And John MacDonald, who returns to Canada after serving as chief operating officer and executive vice president programming for Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network, is filling Hale’s old post of VP of TV, head of production and programming.