Top Stories

KNOXVILLE, September 12: Jim Samples, most recently the general manager and executive VP of Cartoon Network Worldwide, has been named as president of Scripps-owned HGTV, effective October 1. Samples will succeed Judy Girard, who earlier this year announced her retirement …

LONDON, September 11: Granada International has sold both seasons of the preschool hit Pocoyo to the U.K.’s Five for terrestrial broadcast beginning in early 2008. Co-produced with Spain’s Zinkia Entertainment, the 3-D, CGI-animated series will continue to air to digital …

BRISTOL, September 11: Tigress Productions has been commissioned by Five to produce the new factual series Nigel Marvin’s Shark Island for broadcast later this year. Nigel Marvin’s Shark Island follows the eponymous presenter and naturalist as he explores the Cocos …

NEW YORK, September 11: A new report from TNS Media Intelligence reveals that total U.S. advertising expenditures slipped in the first half of 2007 by 0.3 percent to $72.59 billion, versus the same period a year ago, with broadcast television …

ATLANTA, September 11: Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) has signed Segal Licensing as promotional agent to expand the brand of its hit property Ben 10 in the Canadian market. Segal Licensing, Canada’s largest licensing agency, will look to expand Ben 10’s …

LONDON, September 11: A new report issued by business consulting firm Bain & Company reveals that the European video content market is currently worth 123 billion euros and is growing at a rate of 4 to 6 percent per year, …

NEW YORK, September 11: The U.S. Hispanic outlet V-me has secured the rights to produce the first local version of the Australian kids’ series The Fairies in a deal that will allow it to distribute its version to Latin America, …

MIAMI, September 11: Univision's Spanish-language Democratic Presidential Candidate Forum last night attracted 4.6 million viewers, versus an average draw of 4.3 million viewers for this year's English-language debates on ABC, CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC. Among adults aged 18 …

LOS ANGELES, September 11: A recent study from consumer research firm OTX and social networking site eCrush reports that 51 percent of U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 still find out about new TV shows from TV ads and promos. …

NEW YORK, September 11: United Talent Agency (UTA) and Jarrod Moses, most recently CEO of the WPP-owned brand firm Alliance, have formed United Entertainment Group (UEG), a new company devoted to building brand-specific entertainment properties and creating entertainment-based marketing solutions …