World Screen

NEW YORK, August 16: Juniper Partners Acquisition has signed a deal to acquire Firestone Communications, the Texas-based company that owns and operates ¡Sorpresa!, the Hispanic kids’ network, in an all-stock transaction. Once the deal closes in the fourth quarter of …

LONDON, August 16: The reality series The Race, The Big Idea and Cirque de Celebrité and a HD concert with Robbie Williams headline Sky One’s fall slate. Cirque de Celebrité will run over a ten-week period and will be hosted …

HAMILTON, August 16: Central European Media Enterprises (CME) will appeal a Ukrainian court ruling issued today that says that local businessman Igor Kolomoisky is entitled to a 70-percent stake in Studio 1+1, in which CME currently holds a 30-percent stake. …

STAMFORD, August 16: Global paid product placement spending in TV, film and other media is expected to climb 38.8 percent to $3.07 billion in 2006, according to a study released today by the Connecticut-based research firm PQ Media. Global paid …

NEW YORK, August 15: Sesame Workshop has promoted Celia Schneiderman to manager of international television distribution, with responsibility for program sales in Asia, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean and in-flight. Schneiderman reports to Renee Mascara, the VP of international television …

BURBANK, August 15: As part of a wide-ranging reorganization at Disney’s home entertainment operations, Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment International will be integrated into one global division, Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment (BVWHE), headed up by …

OTTAWA, August 15: HAGI, the current rights holder in Poland for Amberwood Entertainment’s The Secret World of Benjamin Bear, has licensed the television and DVD rights to the series for a number of other territories. The expanded deal will see …

ORLANDO, August 15: Florida-based i.d.e.a.s. Entertainment and Ohio’s The Team: Sports, Entertainment & Media have entered into a joint venture to produce original sports and entertainment programming for television and new media broadcast. Based in Columbus, Ohio, The Team: Sports, …

ATLANTA, August 15: JWTwo Entertainment, a division of ad agency JWT, is working with Nuance Productions and The Greif Company on a “micro-series” of two-and-a-half minute, self-contained sitcom episodes for TBS. lovebites begins airing on TBS on September 13. It …

NEW YORK, August 15: VH1 Classic has acquired the exclusive U.S. TV rights to the final episode of the BBC’s long-running music series Top of the Pops, which aired in the U.K. at the end of last month. The one-hour …