Biography
Peta-Jane 'PJ' Madam is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Australian production company Wildman Films. She is also a United Nations award-winning reporter, producer, writer and news anchor.
PJ is the co-executive producer, creator and host of the Netflix Original Series, Extreme Engagement. Produced by Wildman Films, the series broke ground as the first original unscripted commission to be granted to an Australian company.
The show was unique in that PJ and Tim filmed the 8-part docu-series with no traditional crew. They fulfilled the roles of Director of Photography, Camera Assist, Sound Recordist, Producer, Drone Operator, Researcher and Hosts - all on their own. Throughout production, they had only 1 field assistant on hand to help them.
Since Extreme Engagement, PJ has learned more technical skills, with Tim teaching her how to shoot.
Background: PJ was born and raised in Mackay, North Queensland, the daughter of a mixed race, mixed culture and mixed religious family. She spent a total of 6 years at University completing a Bachelor of Arts degrees (majoring in politics and media), a Graduate Diploma in Business and Public Relations and Graduate Certificate in Journalism.
PJ has worked in a variety of roles on-air and behind the scenes for three of the major broadcasters in Australia, including Channel Seven, Channel Nine and the Special Broadcasting Service. She has been a producer for long-form documentaries, in the field and in news. For years, she would line up news bulletins, write and present them. She was a news anchor for SBS World News Australia and also Weekend Sunrise (breakfast television show).
In 2010, she won a Mackellar Media Award for investigating Australia's food crisis and in 2016, a United Nations Award for her landmark investigation into sexual assaults on University campuses. It was the first investigation of its kind in the country.
In her last job as a television journalist, PJ became a handful of exclusive reporters to present on 'Sunday Night', the Seven Network's flagship current affairs program (similar to CBS 60 Minutes). For 4 years, she traveled abroad, covering hard-hitting exclusives, social stories and interviewing people from terrorists and politicians to sports stars and celebrities. They included: the late Jerry Lewis, David Frost, Florence Henderson and Robbie Williams, One Direction, Meghan Trainor, Creedence Clear Water Revival and Jon Bon Jovi.
