SEARCH
August 21, 2008

	IN THE NEWS NBCU Acquires Brit Producer LONDON, August 20: As part of its efforts to ramp up its international production activities, NBC Universal is acquiring the British outfit Carnival Film & Television, whose credits include the hit BBC series Hotel Babylon. continued... ESPN Eyes 2014, 2016 Olympic Games NEW YORK, August 20: ESPN has plans to bid for the television rights to the 2014 and 2016 Olympics, and would carry more live coverage, regardless of the time zone, than NBC traditionally has done. continued... Comcast Signs New Partnership with Ryan Seacrest LOS ANGELES, August 20: Comcast Entertainment Group has secured a new multi-year deal that expands Ryan Seacrest’s television and new-media production business across its family of networks via Ryan Seacrest Productions. continued... ABC Plans Supernanny Spin-Off LOS ANGELES, August 20: A spin-off of the positive-parenting series Supernanny is in the works, and ABC plans to air a pilot episode this fall. continued... ITV in Deal for Brit Version of Paris Hilton Series LONDON/SANTA MONICA, August 20: In a deal with Lionsgate, ITV2 will create a British edition of Paris Hilton’s My New BFF, in addition to licensing the original American version, set to air on MTV in the U.S. continued... Virgin1 to Air New Reality Programming LONDON, August 20: Virgin1 has picked up the new U.S. series I Want to Work for Diddy, featuring entertainment mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, to air in its prime-time lineup along with The Prisoner: X. continued... Nick Jr. to Roll Out Fifth Season of Dora NEW YORK, August 20: Nick Jr. will premiere the fifth season of Dora the Explorer with a week-long celebration that includes new episodes airing daily from September 15 to 18 at 10:30 a.m. continued... ¡Sorpresa! Brings Chilean Tween Novela to U.S. NEW YORK, August 20: Karkú, a Chilean live-action tween telenovela series, is set to debut on the U.S. Spanish-language children’s network ¡Sorpresa! on August 25 at 9 p.m. continued... 4Kids Secures Deals for New Ninja Turtles Series NEW YORK, August 20: 4Kids Entertainment has completed deals with several broadcasters, including CITV, for a new series based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2009. continued... New Smurfs DVD Set for October Release BURBANK, August 20: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Smurfs franchise this year, Warner Home Video will release The Smurfs: Season One, Volume Two on DVD on October 7. continued... KaBOOM!, qubo Team Up for Playful City USA Initiative NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, D.C., August 20: KaBOOM!, a U.S. nonprofit dedicated to bringing play back into children’s lives, and multiplatform kids’ service qubo have formed an official partnership that will help honor communities that make play a priority. continued... Fox Reality, Target in Distribution Partnership LOS ANGELES, August 20: Fox Reality Channel has named Target Entertainment as it distribution partner for the celebrity competition series Gimme My Reality Show! to license the show’s format and finished episodes worldwide. continued... ABC Studios Names New Creative Chief BURBANK, August 20: ABC Studios has named Barry Jossen as its executive VP of creative, succeeding Julia Franz, who announced her intention to step down in April. continued... Sales Restructure at Telefe BUENOS AIRES, August 20: Michelle Wasserman is assuming a new role at Telefe International overseeing finished program and format sales, with Gonzalo Cilley exiting to work on his own TV projects. continued... MTV Japan Names Digital Media Chief TOKYO, August 20: Paul Greenberg is joining MTV Japan from Napster to take on the position of VP and general manager of digital media, effective immediately. continued... Granada America Bolsters Exec Staff LOS ANGELES, August 19: Granada America has reorganized its senior management team, appointing several executives to new positions, including Sam Zoda as the COO. continued... Bennett Closes Raft of Broadcast Deals LOS ANGELES, August 19: Bennett Media Worldwide has inked a range of international agreements, totaling more than 300 hours, for a number of its series, including the addition of five new markets for The MEN7 Show. continued... iaTV in Deal with TOKYOPOP for Programming, Sales NEW YORK, August 19: iaTV, a U.S.-based network dedicated to Asian pop culture, has secured a program acquisition deal and strategic ad sales partnership with manga entertainment distributor TOKYOPOP. continued... Inspidea and Yahoo! Southeast Asia in Olympics Tie Up MALAYSIA, August 19: Digital animation outfit Inspidea has licensed its Mustang Mama characters to promote the Olympic Games on Yahoo! Southeast Asia’s regional portals. continued... Skunk Fu! Gets New Toy Deal LONDON, August 19: Galleon Holdings has completed its first distribution deal in the U.S. with Zizzle Toys for the animated comedy-action series Skunk Fu! continued... New Ben 10 Online Game Debuts ATLANTA, August 19: Cartoon Network New Media has launched a free real-time eight-person multiplayer battle game based on the hit Ben 10 franchise. continued... The Wonder Pets! Bollywood Special to Air on Nickelodeon NEW YORK, August 19: A special Bollywood-themed episode of The Wonder Pets! about saving a Bengal tiger will premiere next month on Nickelodeon, with sneak peeks available leading up to the launch. continued... FME Picks Up Australian Crime Drama LONDON, August 19: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has acquired the distribution rights to Nine Network Australia’s new crime drama The Strip. continued... Singapore Cable Platform Unveils VOD Offerings SINGAPORE, August 19: The cable platform StarHub is launching an on-demand service for its digital customers tomorrow, featuring, among others, Barclays Premier League games and dramas from CBS Paramount International Television. continued... Sky Ramps Up Arts Programming LONDON, August 19: Sky in the U.K. is launching a new arts channel this October focusing on opera, classical music, fine art programming and dance performances. continued... Laurence Fishburne to Lead CSI LOS ANGELES, August 19: The Matrix actor Laurence Fishburne is taking on a lead role on CBS’s hit series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, replacing William Petersen, who announced his exit from the procedural crime drama earlier this summer. continued... MGM Options British Online Graphic Novel LOS ANGELES, August 19: The Many Worlds of Jonas Moore, a popular digital graphic novel from Factory Publishing, has been optioned by MGM Domestic Television Distribution for possible development into a series. continued... STAR Offloads Stake in Indian Producer MUMBAI/HONG KONG, August 19: STAR is selling off the 25.99 percent it owns of Indian production house Balaji Telefilms (BTL), and is terminating its agreement to launch regional-language channels with the company, known for its string of hit Hindi-language serials. continued... NBCU Cable Nets Get Olympics Boost BEIJING, August 19: More than 196 million viewers have tuned in to NBC Universal’s coverage of the Beijing Olympics through the first ten days, scoring big numbers for its cable networks as well as NBC Nightly News and Today. continued... Chorion Bolsters Licensing Staff NEW YORK, August 18: Robert Traub will replace Pamela Ferris Muller as the VP of licensing for the Americas for Chorion. continued... New CEO for TV3, TV6 Sweden STOCKHOLM, August 18: Manfred Aronsson has been named the new CEO of TV3 and TV6 Sweden, replacing Hasse Breitholtz, who regains his position as the executive VP of the Modern Times Group (MTG). continued... Mezzo Sets December Premiere for Dutch Version PARIS/AMSTERDAM, August 18: Mezzo, a European classical music and jazz channel, will launch a Dutch service in December to be available to all distributing partners in the Netherlands and Flanders. continued... New Pairings Set for Iconoclasts NEW YORK, August 18: Sundance Channel and Grey Goose Entertainment have unveiled the six new pairs on the roster for the fourth season of Iconoclasts, which will debut October 16 at 10 p.m. continued... Smithsonian Channel Content Available on iTunes NEW YORK, August 18: Smithsonian Channel has launched programming on the iTunes Store that covers genres such as wildlife, technology, history, pop culture and children’s shows. continued... TidalTV Adds Channels with AFP Programming BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON, D.C., August 18: TidalTV has added three online channels dedicated to worldwide news and feature programming from international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), which has a presence in 165 countries. continued... Norwegian Broadcasters Align for Mobile TV Venture OSLO, August 18: Norway’s three largest broadcasters—NRK, TV 2 and MTG—have cofounded a new company that will launch mobile TV via DMB this winter, offering nine live TV channels as well as on-demand content. continued... iCarly-Inspired Electronics Line Launches NEW YORK/OAKDALE, August 18: Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products has teamed up with Imation to release a line of tween-themed electronics inspired by the hit live-action series iCarly under Nickelodeon’s Npower brand. continued... FIC Debuts Web Community LOS ANGELES, August 18: Fox International Channels (FIC) has launched Biensimple.com, a wiki-based community for Latinos looking for advice on a range of topics including health, relationships, money, beauty and technology. continued... Top Gear Gets Dedicated YouTube Channel LONDON, August 18: BBC Worldwide has launched a 24/7 channel on YouTube for its hit Top Gear franchise, featuring highlights from the show as well as celebrity interviews. continued... Report: TV Remains Leading Source for News in the U.S. NEW YORK, August 18: According to a new survey from the Pew Research Center, fewer Americans are reading newspapers and instead getting their news online, while television still holds strong as the leading source for news in the U.S. continued... World Screen Launches Daily Video News Service NEW YORK, August 18: This September, World Screen and TV Latina will launch daily video news bulletins, in English and Spanish, in partnership with Reed MIDEM, the organizer of the international content industry’s biggest annual events, MIPTV and MIPCOM. continued... Short Attention Scores NBCU Deal in Asia VICTORIA, August 15: Australia’s Short Attention has licensed a package of some 100 short films to NBC Universal Global Networks in Asia. continued... G4 to Broadcast Demolition Series LOS ANGELES, August 15: This fall, G4 will launch the new half-hour series Human Wrecking Balls, featuring brothers Craig and Paul Pumphrey as they demolish everything from boats to houses using their bare hands. continued... HAGI Picks Up Amberwood’s Benjamin Bear OTTAWA, August 15: Poland’s HAGI has licensed 39 half-hour episodes of the animated series The Secret World of Benjamin Bear from Amberwood Entertainment for various additional European territories. continued... Slitherine to Develop Horrible Histories Games LONDON, August 15: Chorion has signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Slitherine Strategies to develop games based on Scholastic’s Horrible Histories for platforms such as PCs and Nintendo’s DS and Wii. continued... ShineReveille to Distribute Fox Reality Series LOS ANGELES, August 15: Fox Reality Channel has named ShineReveille International as its distribution partner to license the format and finished episodes of its original series Solitary, which will return to the network for a third season. continued... TVU Preps Internet Channel for Telemundo’s Decisiones MOUNTAIN VIEW, August 15: TVU Networks, a provider of live Internet TV, has added a Telemundo channel dedicated to the hit series Decisiones to its lineup, available worldwide outside of the U.S. and Mexico. continued... Cartoon Network Grows Mobile Presence in Taiwan TAIWAN, August 15: Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific has inked an agreement with iScreen to distribute, market and promote Cartoon Network-branded mobile services in Taiwan, with its first deal already in place. continued... Faith-Based Programming Block Set for CMT IRVING, August 15: Country Music Television (CMT) and Faith Time have partnered to create a new religious programming block that will air on the music channel seven days a week from 4:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. beginning September 1. continued... Warner Bros. Revives The Banana Splits BURBANK, August 15: The Banana Splits, the classic ’60s TV and music act, are set to make their return to television with a series of new comedy shorts and music videos airing on Cartoon Network and Boomerang beginning September 2. continued... Telefilm, Rogers Group Renew Public-Private Partnership MONTREAL, August 15: The partnership agreement between Telefilm Canada and the Rogers Group of Funds has been renewed until 2011, with a total budget of C$4.5 million to provide financing for feature-length documentaries. continued... National Geographic Preps Space Doc WASHINGTON, D.C., August 15: National Geographic Channel has commissioned Pioneer Productions to develop a two-hour CGI space documentary, Journey to the Edge of the Universe, to be launched in 166 countries, including the U.S. continued... BBTV to Begin Worldwide Rollout in 2009 LOS ANGELES, August 15: Hip-hop entrepreneur Percy Miller, formerly known as Master P, is set to launch Better Black Television (BBTV), a family-friendly network that features positive programming aimed at an African-American audience. continued... Record Scores Pan American Games 2011 SÃO PAULO, August 15: Record TV Network has picked up the exclusive rights in Brazil to the next Pan American Games, taking place in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October 2011. continued... Warner Bros. Delays Release of New Potter Film BURBANK, August 15: Warner Bros. Pictures has moved the release date of the highly anticipated sixth installment in the Harry Potter franchise from this November to summer 2009, partly in response to the 100-day Hollywood writers’ strike. continued... Icahn-Backed Execs Join Yahoo! Board SUNNYVALE, August 15: Former Viacom chief Frank J. Biondi, Jr. and John H. Chapple, previously the head of Nextel Partners, are joining billionaire financier Carl Icahn as new appointees to the board of directors at Yahoo! continued... New Sales Director for CCI Releasing TORONTO, August 14: Rekha Shah has been appointed as director of sales at CCI Releasing, responsible for Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Canada. continued... SPTI Bolsters Staff for Central Europe LONDON, August 14: Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has appointed Eddie Nelson as the general manager of the company’s networks in Central Europe, where he will oversee the four channel brands in the region. continued... Studio U7 Secures New Raft of Deals EKATERINBURG, August 14: Russia’s Studio U7 has completed a new round of deals for several programs, including Fit for the Wild and Up Close and Dangerous. continued... Asia-Pacific Deals for Portfolio TORONTO, August 14: Portfolio Entertainment has completed deals throughout Asia and Australia for the Michael Smith culinary series Chef At Home and Chef At Large. continued... Sullivan Opens Call for Short Film Entries TORONTO, August 14: Submissions are now being accepted for Sullivan Entertainment’s Anne of Green Gables Online Short Film Festival, where the winning entry will be included as an extra feature on the next Green Gables DVD. continued... Image Entertainment to Release The Who Concert CHATSWORTH, August 14: Image Entertainment has acquired from Spitfire Pictures all worldwide home video, broadcast, digital and non-theatrical rights, with the exception of Japan, to The Who At Kilburn: 1977. continued... Dork Hunters Scores for BKN LONDON, August 14: BKN International’s Dork Hunters from Outer Space has launched on SABC1 in South Africa, winning its slot with an average of 192,219 viewers in its first two weeks with a 5.1 rating. continued... Jetix Europe Picks Up New Pokémon Season AMSTERDAM/LONDON, August 14: Jetix Europe has completed a deal with Pokémon USA to air the 11th season of Pokémon on its channels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. continued... ESS Renews TNA Wrestling Partnership SINGAPORE, August 14: A new-long term contract has secured ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) as the exclusive broadcaster of TNA Wrestling content across the Indian subcontinent, covering TV, mobile and Internet platforms. continued... Debmar-Mercury Picks Up New Reality Game Show LONDON, August 14: Hot Seat, a new reality game-show format from Standing Stone Productions, has been acquired by Debmar-Mercury for distribution in the U.S. and markets outside of the U.K. continued... EA Mobile Preps Deal or No Deal Games LONDON, August 14: EA Mobile has signed a deal to develop, market and publish new mobile games for the U.K. market based on Endemol’s Deal or No Deal format. continued... Howard Stern Extends Contract with iN DEMAND NEW YORK, August 14: Howard Stern and iN DEMAND Networks have secured an agreement to continue the Howard TV On Demand service through the end of 2010, as well as ramp up the Howard TV digital cable network’s original programming. continued... FremantleMedia Inks Deal with Avatar Community BOSTON, August 14: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has entered into a licensing agreement with WeeWorld, an online interactive avatar community that is home to some 23 million “WeeMees” worldwide. continued... VH1 Launching New Programming NEW YORK, August 14: VH1’s new original series Glam God with Vivica A. Fox and The Cho Show will premiere on August 21, the same day The Fabulous Life returns with all-new episodes. continued... HBO to Premiere True Blood NEW YORK, August 14: True Blood, the new vampire series from Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball, will debut its 12-episode first season on September 7 on HBO. continued... Behind the Music Gets Latin Treatment MIAMI, August 14: VH1 Latin America is set to premiere the first locally produced episode of the Behind the Music franchise, featuring Argentine rock band Sumo, on August 21 at 10 p.m. continued... Top Movie Titles Now Available on iTunes in Australia, New Zealand SYDNEY/AUCKLAND, August 14: Films from major studios such as Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. Entertainment, The Walt Disney Studios and Lionsgate are now available on the iTunes Store in Australia and New Zealand. continued... Paula Wagner Exits UA LOS ANGELES, August 14: Paula Wagner is stepping down from her role as the CEO of United Artists, which she and Tom Cruise relaunched in partnership with MGM in November 2006. continued... Ofcom: Britons Spending More Time on Communications Services LONDON, August 14: New research from Ofcom indicates that people in the U.K. spent an average of 7 hours and 9 minutes per day on communications devices in 2007, including TV, the Internet and mobile, a 6-minute gain on 2002. continued... In-Stat Projects Strong Growth in Online Video Market SCOTTSDALE, August 14: Revenues from online video around the world will top $4.5 billion by 2012, according to In-Stat, up from $1.2 billion this year. continued... Phelps Propels NBCU to Top Olympics Ratings BEIJING, August 14: A total of 82 million viewers tuned in to NBC to watch swimming star Michael Phelps set the record for winning the most Olympic gold medals ever, delivering a 19.9 rating and a 34 share. continued... Al Jazeera Scores First International Emmy Nods NEW YORK, August 14: The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced the nominees for the news and current-affairs categories of the International Emmys, with first-time nods for Al Jazeera, while Brazil’s TV Globo and Romania’s Pro TV are in the running for the second year in a row. continued... News Corp. Inks NDS Privatization Deal NEW YORK/LONDON, August 14: News Corporation and Permira have signed the deal to take NDS private for the previously announced value of $63 per share, after first proposing the transaction in June. continued... HIT Veteran Joins Parthenon LONDON, August 13: Marie Chappelow, who has been with HIT Entertainment for the last seven years, is joining Parthenon Entertainment Group to head up its children’s programming division. continued... Celestial Completes Deals for Shaw Brothers Films HONG KONG, August 13: Celestial Pictures has signed agreements with BCI, Media Blasters and Well Go USA for a total of 45 martial arts titles from the Shaw Brothers film library for release on home video across the U.S. and Canada. continued... truTV to Broadcast Reality Series Focused on Schools NEW YORK, August 13: The Principal’s Office, an original behind-the-scenes series about what happens in a school’s administrator’s office, will premiere with two back-to-back episodes on truTV on August 21. continued... SPTI to Distribute Chinese Basketball Movie HONG KONG, August 13: Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has acquired the television, digital and mobile distribution rights in the Asia Pacific for Crimson Forest Film’s award-winning Chinese feature Slam. continued... Cuppa Coffee Series to Premiere Next Month TORONTO, August 13: Cuppa Coffee’s stop-motion comedy Life’s a Zoo.tv will launch on TELETOON Canada’s The Detour block on September 1, with the SBS Australia premiere of the show set for later this year. continued... New Programming Slated for Corus Kids’ Channels TORONTO, August 13: Corus Entertainment has prepped a range of programs to join the schedules of Treehouse, Discovery Kids Canada and YTV, including a new three-hour programming block that features a host of Nickelodeon shows. continued... ARD Germany Picks Up New Season of Sea Princesses SYDNEY, August 13: ARD Germany has acquired the second season of Southern Star’s animated children’s program Sea Princesses, which is based on an original book series by Brazilian author Fabio Yabu. continued... BKN Signs Up New L&M Agents LONDON, August 13: To support its animated children’s properties Zorro: Generation Z and Dork Hunters from Outer Space, BKN International has appointed a range of licensing and merchandising representatives in Greece, Eastern Europe, Brazil, the Middle East and Chile, among others. continued... Plans in Place for NYTVF NEW YORK, August 13: The fourth annual New York Television Festival (NYTVF) has unveiled the 36 selections for its independent pilot competition, along with the roster of media executives who will participate in the first-ever Industry Day panel series. continued... Brand Licensing Europe Gears Up for High Numbers LONDON, August 13: Still seven weeks ahead of Brand Licensing Europe and the number of companies from continental Europe exhibiting at this year’s event has already exceed the 2007 figures, representing the largest turnout from the region in the exhibition’s ten-year history. continued... Zoey 101 Star Signs Contract with Nickelodeon SANTA MONICA, August 13: Nickelodeon has signed former Zoey 101 actress Victoria Justice to an overall talent and music deal, which will include headlining a new original comedy series from Dan Schneider and a co-starring role in the upcoming television movie Spectacular! continued... UTV Preps Drama Series on Mahatma Gandhi MUMBAI, August 13: India’s UTV Television is looking to sign on American and British broadcast partners for a new series it is producing with Smriti Irani Productions about the life of Mahatma Gandhi. continued... Global Sets Fall Season Grid TORONTO, August 13: Canada’s Global Television will feature a host of new and returning series in its prime-time fall lineup, kicking off with three consecutive nights of two-hour premieres with Prison Break, 90210 and Bones, respectively. continued... Verizon FiOS to Provide Advanced Look at New Cheetah Girls Flick NEW YORK, August 13: Verizon FiOS TV is set to launch The Cheetah Girls One World on its VOD service on August 19, three days ahead of the movie’s Disney Channel premiere. continued... Comcast, MGM to Launch Action-Based VOD Channel PHILADELPHIA, August 13: Comcast Corporation and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) have teamed up for a new VOD channel that features action movies and TV shows, including titles from the James Bond, Rocky and RoboCop franchises. continued... Albrecht Exits IMG NEW YORK, August 13: After just 11 months, Chris Albrecht has exited as the president of IMG Global Media and is planning to relaunch his production outfit, Foresee Entertainment. continued... Report: British Online Services Expand TV Viewing Time LONDON, August 13: Online catch-up services like ITV.com’s broadband player and Demand Five had an incremental effect on British viewing figures in the first half of this year, according to a new report from Thinkbox. continued... SNL Kagan Forecasts Strong Year for U.S. Cable Networks MONTEREY, August 13: Revenues at the U.S. cable networks were up 12.6 percent to $38 billion in 2007, according to a new report from SNL Kagan, with affiliate revenues expected to continue to drive growth in the market this year. continued... Liberty Media Eyes AOL Assets NEW YORK, August 12: Liberty Media chairman John Malone has indicated that the company would consider swapping its stake in Time Warner for AOL’s dial-up business, though no such proposal has been made. continued... Disney Taps Top Technology Universities for R&D Program LOS ANGELES, August 12: Disney has signed up Carnegie Mellon University in the U.S. and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich to establish collaborative labs to conduct research and development for several of its business lines. continued... CBS Grows Cable Programming Unit LOS ANGELES, August 12: CBS Paramount Network Television is ramping up its original programming operation for basic and pay-cable platforms, with Jim McKairnes being named senior VP of cable development and strategic planning. continued... Cisneros Group Inks Landmark Partnership Deal in China BEIJING, August 12: The Cisneros Group of Companies and China’s CCTV have signed an agreement to pool their resources to distribute programming in their respective markets, reaching a combined potential audience of 1.5 billion. continued... Charter Launches Disney SVOD Service ST. LOUIS, August 12: Charter Communications has entered into an agreement with Disney-ABC Domestic Television to launch an SVOD service that features family-friendly content from The Walt Disney Studios. continued... Entourage Joins iTunes Lineup NEW YORK, August 12: HBO is making all four seasons of its acclaimed comedy Entourage available for download from the iTunes Store, in advance of the premiere of the fifth season. continued... Loss Widens at 4Kids NEW YORK, August 12: Despite a 38-percent increase in revenue to $16.5 million, driven by the sale of Chaotic trading cards, 4Kids Entertainment has reported a wider loss for the second quarter of $5.5 million, up from the year-ago period’s loss of $2.2 million. continued... AXN Sees Subscriber Growth in Central Europe LONDON, August 12: The Central and Eastern European feed of AXN, covering Poland, Romania, Hungary. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, has hit the 12-million household subscriber mark. continued... MTV Networks Rebrands HD Music Net NEW YORK, August 12: MTV Networks is relaunching its high-definition music channel MHD as Palladia, featuring a slate of new programming, effective September 1. continued... Three FME Comedies Head to the U.S. LONDON, August 12: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has secured U.S. broadcast deals for the British comedy series The IT Crowd, Modern Toss and Look Around You. continued... Telemundo to Roll Out Multiplatform Sales Initiative MIAMI, August 12: Telemundo Communications Group’s owned-and-operated stations’ sales division is launching Telemundo Conexion, a multi-market, cross-platform branded sales solution. continued... Wild Talk Africa Open for Film Entries DURBAN, August 12: Filmmakers can now submit their wildlife, travel and/or cultural productions for consideration for the ROSCAR Award at the Durban Wild Talk Africa Film Festival and Conference, which will take place April 19 to 23, 2009, at the ICC Durban. continued... Ben 10 Magazine in the Works LONDON, August 12: Turner Broadcasting has granted Egmont Magazines the license to publish the first official print title for the Cartoon Network animated series Ben 10, to be launched in 2009. continued... PorchLight Takes On Holiday Film LOS ANGELES, August 12: PorchLight Home Entertainment is set to release the feature film Together Again for the First Time on DVD this fall, with parent company PorchLight Entertainment securing the worldwide rights on all platforms to the Brownie Films production. continued... Compedia to Create Postman Pat CD-ROM LONDON, August 12: Compedia will develop and launch a worldwide educational CD-ROM game to complement Entertainment Rights’ new series Postman Pat Special Delivery Service, which will premiere on BBC Two this fall. continued... ITV Worldwide Prepares Programming for BCWW HONG KONG, August 12: ITV Worldwide will bring a raft of new programming to BCWW in Korea next month, ranging from formats to dramas to documentaries. continued... BBC Worldwide Names New Digital, DVD VP for EMEA LONDON, August 12: Simon Hutson has been appointed as the VP of digital media and DVD for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for BBC Worldwide Sales and Distribution. continued... AETN International Bolsters Staff NEW YORK/LONDON, August 12: AETN International has made two new hires to its executive team, and is also expanding its international digital media operations. continued... New Exec Appointment at Eyeworks AMSTERDAM, August 12: Eyeworks has appointed Tobias Bringholm as managing director for Scandinavia, where he will oversee all of the company’s activities in the region and focus on further expansion. continued... Univision Appoints President of Television Station Group NEW YORK, August 12: Joanne Lynch has been promoted to president of the television station group, effective immediately, for the Spanish-language media company Univision Communications. continued... New Executive Producer for Aito Media TAMPERE, August 11: Timoteus Tuovinen has been appointed as the executive producer for Finnish format outfit Aito Media, where he will be responsible for international productions and distribution. continued... ESS Bolsters Sales Activities for Digital SINGAPORE, August 11: ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has created a dedicated sales team to explore and maximize revenue opportunities within the digital space, to be led by Delilah Chan. continued... Eyeworks Picks Up RTL Cooking Show HILVERSUM, August 11: Eyeworks will be the exclusive worldwide distributor outside of the Netherlands for RTL 4’s format Who is the Chef?, which was developed and produced in house by RTL Productions. continued... Beyond to Distribute Package from MTV Networks SYDNEY, August 11: Beyond Distribution has been named the worldwide distributor for a collection of programming from MTV Networks’ VH1 and Logo channels for launch at MIPCOM. continued... FME Adds New Thom Beers Programming to Catalogue LONDON, August 11: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has picked up all visual rights, excluding North America, to five new shows from Thom Beers’ Original Productions that focus on blue-collar heroism, and plans to launch the titles at MIPCOM. continued... CNBC to Broadcast British Version of The Apprentice ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, August 11: The Apprentice UK, where contestants battle for the chance to work for self-made millionaire Sir Alan Sugar, will air Mondays on CNBC in the U.S. starting this month. continued... Unitymedia Expands Cable Footprint COLOGNE, August 11: Germany’s Unitymedia Hessen has signed a deal to acquire PrimaCom’s networks in Aachen (North Rhine Westphalia) and Wiesbaden (Hesse) for approximately 49 million euros, adding some 100,000 cable subscribers to its reach. continued... BBC Worldwide Set for Fifth Annual Latin Showcase NEW YORK, August 11: BBC Worldwide is returning to Brazil for its fifth annual BBC Showcase Latin America, where it will highlight its varied catalogue to buyers from across the region. continued... Freeview Tops British Poll of TV Innovations LONDON, August 11: TV viewers in the U.K. have voted Freeview as the technology that has had the greatest impact on the way they watch television, while mobile TV was reported to have no influence on consumers’ habits. continued... Lionsgate Reports Revenue, Profit Gains SANTA MONICA, August 11: Lionsgate notched up revenues of $298.5 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2009, a 50-percent rise from its year-ago results, with a profit of $7.1 million compared to last year’s net loss of $53.1 million. continued... Discovery Revenues Up 10 Percent ENGLEWOOD, August 11: Second quarter revenues at Discovery Communications increased 10 percent on the year-ago period to $863 million, driven by the company’s international portfolio of networks. continued... NBC Hails Strong Performance of Olympics Coverage BEIJING, August 11: With a record 114 million total viewers in its first two days of coverage from Beijing, NBC Universal maintains that this year’s Olympics is on pace to be the most watched in history. continued... Sci Fi Shorts for Sale on iTunes LONDON, August 8: Shorts International’s The Sci Fi Collection of Shorts is now available on the iTunes Stores in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada, featuring 21 titles ranging from drama to thrillers to animation. continued... Disney Preps Live-Action Series for Re-Branded Channel BURBANK, August 8: Production has begun on the live-action original series Aaron Stone for premiere in February, which will coincide with the launch of the newly re-branded kids’ entertainment channel Disney XD. continued... Sundance Channel Gives Go-Ahead to Eco Series NEW YORK, August 8: Sundance Channel has greenlit production on Eco-Trip: The Real Cost of Living, an eight-part series hosted by eco-adventurer David de Rothschild. continued... SCI FI Channel Preps Battlestar Galactica Final Episodes, Special NEW YORK, August 8: SCI FI Channel will air the final ten episodes of Battlestar Galactica in 2009, followed by a two-hour special that portrays the events before the series begins. continued... FOX Sets September Premiere for Hole in the Wall LOS ANGELES, August 8: FOX will premiere the body-bending game show Hole in the Wall from FremantleMedia North America on September 11. continued... Dori Renews Israeli Carriage Deal TEL AVIV, August 8: Dori Media Group has signed a three-year extension for the carriage of its two dedicated telenovela TV channels—VIVA and VIVA Platina—on Israeli cable platform HOT. continued... NBCU Launches Time-Shifted Channels in the U.K. LONDON, August 8: NBC Universal Global Networks has launched two time-shifted channels on the Sky and Virgin Media platforms: Diva TV +1 and Hallmark Channel +1. continued... Revenues Up, Loss Narrowed at RHI NEW YORK, August 8: RHI Entertainment, which recently completed its IPO, has reported second quarter revenues of $53.4 million, reflecting a 130-percent gain, and a smaller net loss of $5.8 million, as compared with $33 million in the comparable period last year. continued... Canwest President to Exit Post TORONTO, August 8: Kathy Dore is set to leave her role as the president of Canwest Broadcasting when her contract expires later this year, and will assist in the search for her replacement. continued... Moves Made to Oust KBS Chief SEOUL, August 8: The board of directors of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) has approved a proposal to oust the pubcaster’s president, Jung Yun-joo. continued... Disney Completes Investment in UTV Broadcasting Business MUMBAI, August 8: The Walt Disney Company, which already owns 32.1 percent of UTV Software Communications, has completed the acquisition of a 15-percent interest in the Indian media company’s broadcasting arm. continued... Revenues Drop at Univision NEW YORK, August 8: U.S. Hispanic media company Univision Communications has reported that its second quarter revenues fell 4.3 percent to $533.1 million, while its net loss increased to $100.7 million from last year’s $19.6 million. continued... Virgin Media Posts Loss LONDON, August 8: An impairment charge of £366.2 million on its mobile business has led to Virgin Media posting a second quarter operating loss of £333.1 million, as compared with the year ago’s profit of £3 million. continued... NBCU Secures $1 Billion-Plus in Olympics Ad Revenue BEIJING, August 8: NBC Olympics has surpassed $1 billion in advertising for the Beijing Olympic Games, which kick off today and run through August 24. continued... STAR Appoints Ad Sales VP for Japan HONG KONG/TOKYO, August 7: Hiromu Iwamoto has been named STAR’s VP of advertising sales for Japan, where he will oversee advertising sales activities for the company’s regional office in Tokyo. continued... UKTV Names New Channel Heads for People, History LONDON, August 7: UKTV has appointed two new channel heads, Adrian Wills for UKTV People and Richard Kingsbury for UKTV History, in preparation for the re-branding of its factual portfolio in 2009. continued... Shine Lines Up Dual Management Roles LONDON, August 7: Tiger Aspect’s commercial director and senior VP of international production, Jamie Munro, will assume a joint managing director role at Shine Television, alongside Karen Smith, who has been upped from director of programs. continued... Biker Mice from Mars Finds U.S. Home on 4Kids TV LONDON, August 7: The Criterion series Biker Mice from Mars will premiere in the U.S. on August 9 on 4Kids TV, FOX’s Saturday morning programming block, before launching in several other markets this fall. continued... South African Children’s Program Includes New Languages JOHANNESBURG/NEW YORK, August 7: Sesame Workshop’s award-winning South African children’s show Takalani Sesame has added four new languages—Sesotho, Xitsonga, isiXhosa and Afrikaans—for the program’s fifth season to debut on SABC this August. continued... New DVD Deals for Southern Star SYDNEY, August 7: Southern Star International has secured DVD deals on its hit kids’ property Sea Princesses with Studio Canal France and Tycoon Mexico. continued... Underdog Heads Up Kabillion’s Olympics-Themed Programming LOS ANGELES, August 7: Kabillion will debut the classic 1960s animated TV show Underdog on both its VOD and online platforms today as the service launches a series of Olympics-themed programming. continued... BBC Motion Gallery Bolsters Sports Footage LONDON, August 7: BBC Motion Gallery, the archive sales arm of BBC Worldwide, has signed a deal to add footage from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to its library of some 70,000 hours of BBC Sports content. continued... ALL3MEDIA in First-Look Deal LONDON, August 7: ALL3MEDIA International has inked a first-look deal with British independent doc producer Gecko Productions. continued... The Style Network Takes on New Fashion Countdown LOS ANGELES, August 7: Target Entertainment’s Glamour’s 50 Best Dressed 2008, a countdown of the most stylish women of the year and their best outfits, will debut on The Style Network in the U.S. on August 9, airing in a block of five, half-hour back-to-back specials. continued... Cisneros Group Expands Presence in China MIAMI, August 7: Next week in Beijing, the Cisneros Group of Companies is set to enter into a strategic media partnership with Chinese broadcasting behemoth CCTV. continued... Dori in Deal for Gaming Channel in Indonesia TEL AVIV, August 7: Dori Media Group is adding to its broadcasting portfolio in Indonesia, scoring a deal to localize the video gaming channel Ginx for Indonesian DTH provider MNC Sky Vision. continued... ABC Orders Second Season of Wipeout BURBANK, August 7: ABC has picked up a second season of the competition show Wipeout from Endemol USA, after the series has consistently scored well this summer. continued... Toon Disney to Become Disney XD BURBANK, August 7: Disney is set to re-brand its Toon Disney television and online platforms in the U.S. as Disney XD, shifting the focus to boy-skewing animated and live-action programming. continued... TEN Secures Two High-Profile New Series SYDNEY, August 7: Australia’s TEN is set to air the spin-off of the hit ’90s drama Beverly Hills, 90210 from CBS Paramount International Television, as well as FremantleMedia Enterprises’ fantasy drama series Merlin. continued... Sky One Takes New J.J. Abrams Drama LONDON, August 7: In a deal with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, Sky One has scored the linear British TV rights to J.J. Abrams' new series for FOX, Fringe. continued... Loss Up at Premiere MUNICH, August 7: There was an 18.9-percent gain in second-quarter revenues to 272.4 million euros at German pay-TV giant Premiere, but the company still posted a wider loss, of 37.8 million euros, versus the 32.6 million euros loss recorded in Q2 2007. continued... German TV Business Hurts ProSiebenSat.1 Performance MUNICH, August 7: Although revenues were up 45 percent to 801.9 million euros at ProSiebenSat.1 Media, a weakened German free-TV ad market has impacted the company’s second-quarter net results, with profit down 32 percent to 59.5 million euros. continued... Subscriber Growth, Revenue Gains at DIRECTV EL SEGUNDO, August 7: The second quarter at The DIRECTV Group saw revenues increase by 16 percent on the same period last year to $4.81 billion, with a 2-percent increase in profit to $455 million, driven by subscriber gains at its platforms in the U.S. and Latin America. continued... New Affiliate, Multimedia Sales VP for ESPN STAR Sports SINGAPORE, August 6: Mike Kerr has made a lateral move at ESPN STAR Sports (ESS), from serving as the VP of advertising sales, operations and strategy to VP of Southeast Asia for affiliate and multimedia sales. continued... Southern Star Names New Factual Exec SYDNEY, August 6: BBC Factual executive Joe Evans has been appointed as the first head of development for Southern Star Factual, whose credits include Meerkat Manor for Animal Planet. continued... GS New Media to Develop Virtual World Based on Children’s Series TORONTO, August 6: Canada's GS New Media has tapped into the resources of Project Darkstar, an open source online game platform invented by Sun Microsystems, to develop a virtual world for tweens and teens based on the TV series The Saddle Club. continued... New Service Brings Korean Programming to U.S. Market ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, August 6: Korea’s MBC and SBS have signed on to provide content for myCreo.com, an online destination that features a range of Korean dramas, sitcoms, variety shows and documentaries, which recently launched an Internet VOD service in the U.S. continued... Principal Photography Begins on Sci-Fi Film MONTREAL, August 6: Rise of the Gargoyle, the story of an ancient gargoyle monster terrorizing modern-day Paris, began principal photography this week and is expected to shoot until the end of August in Romania. continued... Discovery Channel Secures Sportswear Sponsorship PORTLAND/SILVER SPRING, August 6: Columbia Sportswear has signed a deal to become the official outfitter of Discovery Channel’s Survivorman and Into the Unknown with Josh Bernstein, in addition to other media tie-ups. continued... VH1 Grows Digital Presence with New Pop-Culture Blog NEW YORK, August 6: Scandalist.com, VH1’s new online and mobile blog, will feature breaking entertainment news and celebrity gossip and photos, along with commentary on trends in fashion, music, TV and politics. continued... Nick Jr. Preschool Series Returns for Second Season NEW YORK, August 6: Nick Jr.’s Emmy Award-winning animated preschool comedy series Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! will return for a second season with a new character and special guest stars—figure skating champion Michelle Kwan and TV personality Ty Pennington. continued... Ten Sports Heads to Europe MUMBAI, August 6: Spize TV, a pan-European DTH platform for South Asian TV channels in Continental Europe, has added Ten Sports to its lineup. continued... New Sky One Dating Show to Feature 21st Century Twist LONDON, August 6: Cilla Black is making her return to television in Loveland, an animated/live-action dating show for Sky One from Standing Stone Productions, which has already inked an option deal on the new format with FOX in the U.S. continued... Playboy Posts Q2 Loss CHICAGO, August 6: Playboy Enterprises has released its second quarter results, with revenues down 14 percent to $73.4 million, and a loss of $2.1 million, as compared with the year-ago profit of $1.9 million. continued... Revenues Up 25 Percent for Liberty Global ENGLEWOOD, August 6: For the second quarter, revenues at Liberty Global were $2.73 billion, 25-percent higher than the same period last year, with a net profit of $428 million, as compared with last year’s loss of $130 million. continued... First-Half Loss for ITV LONDON, August 6: Impairment charges have left ITV plc with a loss for the first six months of the year of £1.5 billion, versus the £85 million profit recorded in the year-ago period. continued... News Corp. Delivers Profit Gains NEW YORK, August 6: Fourth quarter net profit at News Corporation increased by 27 percent to $1.1 billion on revenues of $8.6 billion, reflecting a 17-percent rise on the year-ago period. continued... Revenues Up, Profit Down at Time Warner NEW YORK, August 6: Time Warner increased its revenues by 5 percent to $11.6 billion in the second quarter, but net profit was down 26 percent to $792 million. continued... Canis to Provide Classic Content to New VOD Service LONDON, August 5: The new online VOD service Zeeng has struck a deal to host more than 25 hours of classic content from Canis Media, including series and feature-length films such as Sherlock Holmes, The Beverly Hillbillies and Bonanza. continued... Documentary Channel to Broadcast Iraq War Programming NASHVILLE, August 5: Documentary Channel will air two programs about the Iraq war during the network’s Primetime Premieres on August 18. continued... BNET.com, Portfolio.com in Cross-Content Partnership SAN FRANCISCO, August 5: BNET.com, a property of CBS Interactive, and Portfolio.com, the online offering from the Condé Nast magazine of the same name, have secured an agreement to jointly offer business articles and video content on each other’s sites. continued... ALL3MEDIA Inks Deals with Australian Broadcasters LONDON, August 5: ALL3MEDIA International has completed a raft of deals with several Australian broadcasters for drama and factual programming, including BBC HD and BBC Knowledge taking on a range of China-based programs. continued... MSN to Feature Content from Entertainment Tonight HOLLYWOOD, August 5: Entertainment Tonight has signed a deal to become the premiere provider of entertainment and celebrity content for MSN, and will also produce a daily online mini-newscast, ET on MSN, hosted by on-air talent from the syndicated newsmagazine. continued... The Young Ones Now Available Online in the U.K. LONDON, August 5: BBC Worldwide’s hit ’80s series The Young Ones is now available on the iTunes Store in the U.K., with all six 30-minutes episodes from season one launching today and season two to follow shortly. continued... New Showrunners for Criminal Intent NEW YORK, August 5: A new production team has been named for the eighth season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which will premiere this November on USA Network with new cast member Jeff Goldblum. continued... Viasat to Premiere Action Movie Channel in CIS, Baltic Territories STOCKHOLM, August 5: Modern Times Group’s Viasat Broadcasting will launch the movie channel TV1000 Action on September 1 in Russia, five other countries in the CIS and in the Baltics. continued... Showtime to Air Comedian’s Special, New Series LOS ANGELES, August 5: Comedian Russell Peters will premiere his latest special, Red, White and Brown, on Showtime and will host the channel’s new stand-up series Comics Without Borders next month. continued... Plans Unveiled for Asia Media Summit HONG KONG, August 5: Twenty media companies in the Asia Pacific are set to participate in the upcoming Asia Media Summit, organized by Media Partners Asia (MPA), on September 8, with speakers from STAR, Yahoo! and Discovery Networks, among others. continued... SPT Takes on Multiplatform Rights to Rocketboom CULVER CITY, August 5: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has acquired the worldwide cross-platform distribution rights to Rocketboom.com, an online New York-based daily video news program, with plans to integrate the property with Crackle.com. continued... ESPN Acquires Motor Racing Site LONDON, August 5: ESPN has reached a deal to take control of Racing-Live.com, a site that provides news and information on events like the Formula 1 to more than 3 million unique users per month. continued... RGM Establishes New Financing Facility SINGAPORE, August 5: RGM Entertainment, a talent management and executive-production firm headquartered in Singapore, has set up a $400 million fund for English-language film and TV projects for the international market. continued... WWE Releases Q2 Results STAMFORD, August 5: While profit was stable at $7 million for the second quarter, World Wrestling Entertainment saw its revenues fall 6 percent to $129.7 million as compared with the year-ago period. continued... Blockbuster in Partnership to Launch DVD Vending Kiosks DALLAS/DAYTON, August 5: NCR Corporation, a provider of self-service and assisted-service technology, has aligned with Blockbuster to develop DVD vending kiosks in a pilot program that could potentially lead to a national rollout of thousands of units. continued... Lionsgate in U.S. Distribution Tie Up with Disney-ABC LOS ANGELES/SANTA MONICA/VANCOUVER, August 5: Lionsgate has obtained the home-entertainment distribution rights to select prime-time series and library titles from ABC Studios, including Reaper, in a deal with Disney-ABC Domestic Television. continued... Cablevision Wins DVR Court Battle NEW YORK, August 5: Cablevision Systems Corporation, which announced today that it may spin off some of its assets, has won a legal battle over its remote-storage DVR. continued... Harry E. Sloan Re-Ups MGM Contract LOS ANGELES, August 5: Harry E. Sloan has inked a new three-year agreement to continue as the chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM). continued... Sony Buys Out Bertelsmann in Music Venture NEW YORK, August 5: Sony Corporation is buying Bertelsmann’s 50-percent stake in Sony BMG, the music company the two partners formed in 2004, for an undisclosed sum. continued... Digital TV Homes in Western Europe to Hit 157 Million LONDON, August 5: There will be 104 million digital TV homes in Western Europe by the end of this year, according to Informa Telecoms & Media, which forecasts 157 million homes and a 90-percent penetration rate by 2013. continued... VSS Releases Annual Communications Forecast NEW YORK, August 5: Private-equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS) has forecast that broadcast TV will surpass newspapers as the largest ad medium in the U.S. this year, while Internet advertising will exceed broadcast TV in 2011. continued... New Business Affairs SVP at Telemundo MIAMI, August 4: Former MGM executive Anjelica Cohn has been named senior VP of business affairs at Telemundo Communications Group, effective today. continued... V-me Adds New Children’s Programming NEW YORK, August 4: U.S. Spanish network V-me will launch two new children’s series today: Cotoons and Bruno and the Banana Bunch. continued... MobiTV’s Subscribers Top 4 Million EMERYVILLE, August 4: MobiTV’s managed network for mobile television and radio has surpassed 4 million subscribers on more than 15 carrier networks, with 50-plus channels available in the U.S. continued... Arirang TV Added to StarHub’s Free Services SINGAPORE, August 4: The Korean channel Arirang TV will become available to StarHub Digital Cable customers as a complimentary service starting September 1. continued... BabyFirst to Debut in Singapore LOS ANGELES, August 4: The 24-hour child-development channel BabyFirst has finalized a carriage agreement with Asian telecommunications company SingTel to launch in Singapore on the digital pay-TV service mio TV. continued... ALL3MEDIA Signs Digital Distribution Deal LONDON, August 4: Myvideorights.com has completed an agreement to distribute content from ALL3MEDIA International’s catalogue into the worldwide digital market. continued... Cartoon Network, Warner Premiere Align for New Scooby-Doo Movie BURBANK, August 4: Scooby-Doo: In the Beginning, a new live-action prequel in the long-running franchise, is being produced by Cartoon Network and Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Entertainment’s new production company, for delivery in 2009. continued... FIC, Wall Street Journal in Promo, Ad Sales Agreement LOS ANGELES, August 4: Fox International Channels (FIC) and The Wall Street Journal Digital Network have secured a deal to jointly promote and sell The Wall Street Journal Americas, the company’s Spanish- and Portuguese-language online section that focuses on Latin America. continued... Japanese Expansion for Brightcove TOKYO, August 4: The online video platform Brightcove has named a general manager for its Japanese subsidiary, as well as announced its first customer in this lucrative Asian market, inking a deal to power local web coverage of this year’s Olympics. continued... FIC Enters FOX Deal with Premiere MUNICH, August 4: Starting October 4, Fox International Channels’ (FIC) FOX brand will be available on Premiere in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with hit series such as Lost, Entourage and The Wire broadcast without commercials in both German-language and original English versions. continued... NonStop Television Acquires Swedish Entertainment Channel STOCKHOLM, August 4: TV7, Broadcast Management Sweden’s (BMS) entertainment channel launched in 2006, has been acquired by NonStop Television, which plans to relaunch the network this fall across Scandinavia.