NEW YORK: John Cora, a former FOX Networks Group exec, has joined Sprout as the 24-hour preschool network's new VP of insights and strategy. Working under Sandy Wax, Sprout's president, Cora will oversee all aspects of analytics and metrics related to the viewing of programming on both Sprout and NBC ...

LOS ANGELES: Jane Tranter is planning to exit her post as head of BBC Worldwide Productions and Adjacent Productions this August, to be succeeded by Matt Forde, currently the executive VP of TV sales and digital distribution. Forde's role will expand to include leading both L.A.-based production units, under the ...

TORONTO: Fresh TV is producing the half-hour scripted series Backstage, set within a performing arts school, for Family Channel to debut in spring 2016. The 30×30-minute docudrama features diary-style confessionals and dramatic cliffhangers to tell the stories of these talented teens who are chasing their dreams while balancing day-to-day realities ...

VANCOUVER: The Oznoz original miniseries Lili & Lola, made by Big Bad Boo Studios, will be released later this week on the OTT channel for bilingual preschoolers in North America. Lili & Lola follows the adventures of two sisters living in a small apartment in a big city. The 5×7-minute program ...

BERLIN: The German media giants ProSiebenSat.1 and Axel Springer are said to be in talks regarding a potential merger, valued at 14.4 billion euros ($15.9 billion). ProSiebenSat.1 Media is Germany’s biggest commercial broadcaster, and Axel Springer is the country’s largest newspaper publisher. Together, the two companies delivered 2014 revenue of ...

MONTEREY: SNL Kagan has revised its industry retransmission fee projections upward, now expecting U.S. TV station owners' retrans fees to reach $10.3 billion by 2021. This is up from the previously projected $6.3 billion. The reason for this upward revision is that station owners in the U.S. have continued to ...

SYDNEY: BBC Worldwide titles are joining Presto’s SVOD service, with a package featuring nearly 100 hours of documentaries from BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). Presto picked up SVOD rights to a variety of titles that will be available to stream on-demand for Presto TV and Presto Entertainment bundle ...

LONDON: The BBC has been ordered to take on the cost of providing free television licenses for those over the age of 75, a process that will be phased in from 2018-19 and fully implemented by 2020-21. U.K. Culture Secretary John Whittingdale announced the ruling earlier today that the BBC ...

SINGAPORE: RTL CBS Entertainment HD is bringing The Late Late Show with James Corden to Asia, beginning August 3 at 11:45 p.m. The show will air on weeknights, with a selection of popular episodes and current episodes aired express from the U.S. The second season will premiere on September 10 ...

AMSTERDAM/PARIS/LONDON: Endemol Shine Group’s game show Pointless has been commissioned in France and the Netherlands. Pointless will launch for the first time in the Netherlands, where it was commissioned by public broadcaster AVRO/TROS for 25 episodes. The format will air daily this summer and will be hosted by Lucille Werner ...