CULVER CITY: Despite a last-minute offer from Relativity Media, Maker Studios has confirmed that it is already locked into a merger agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Relativity made an offer of $525 million in cash and stock, plus $500 million in stock if Maker meets certain financial targets, according ...

NEW YORK: Just ahead of its summer launch, A+E Networks' new lifestyle channel FYI has ordered two hour-long pilots, with production on both set to start immediately. Marry Me… Today (working title) follows a groom-to-be as he surprises his girlfriend by getting engaged and married all in one day. 44 ...

NEW YORK: TV Land has picked up Younger, which is written, executive produced and directed by Darren Star (Sex and the City) and stars Sutton Foster (Bunheads) and Hilary Duff (Lizzie McGuire). The single-camera comedy has been given a 12-episode order. The half-hour series is slated for a TV Land ...

HAMILTON: Central European Media Enterprises (CME) has added four members to its board of directors, including John K. Billock, who is also tapped to serve as the non-executive chairman. Billock currently serves as member of the board of advisors at Simulmedia and was previously director of TRA Inc. and TiVo ...

HORSHAM: As Aereo awaits its Supreme Court hearing, new research supports pay-TV operators' fears that the streaming service could potentially erode their market share. The marketing science firm Centris surveyed its Evolution of Video Community (EOVC) to gauge interest in Aereo. It found that four in ten pay-TV households would ...

LONDON: The U.K.’s ITV is bringing back the classic game show Celebrity Squares, set to air on the channel later this year thanks to a deal with CBS Studios International. September Films and GroupM Entertainment will produce the revamped series, with actor Warwick Davis slated to host. Based on the ...

SILVER SPRING: Rita Mullin, formerly the executive VP of programming and development at OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, has been elevated to the role of general manager of Science Channel. The promotion is effective as of June 2. At OWN, Mullin was overseeing program development and current programming. There, she was ...

LONDON: The 2014 edition of Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), organized by Advanstar, is accepting entries for the yearly License This! challenge until September 5. The competition, now in its fifth year, gives new creative ideas the chance to enter the ...

WASHINGTON, D.C.: David Lyle, the CEO of National Geographic Channels U.S., is leaving the company, with the news coming a day after Howard T. Owens announced his departure. Courteney Monroe, who has served as chief marketing officer for National Geographic Channels’ domestic networks since joining the company in January 2012, ...

SEATTLE: The hit Syfy series Defiance has been added to Amazon's Prime Instant Video library as an exclusive, allowing members to catch up on season one ahead of the season two premiere on June 19. At no additional cost, Prime members can have instant access to Defiance to stream on ...