World Screen

LOS ANGELES/PARIS: Moonscoop is looking to expand its animation work-for-hire business in the U.S. as it reorganizes its Los Angeles office. The company is currently in production of Zevo-3 for Skechers and is set to announce a number of other work-for-hire …

LOS ANGELES: On August 1, The Africa Channel will be made available in HD in select markets in the U.S. The HD version of the channel will feature original programming that features a variety of entertainment- and information-oriented genres, including …

NEW YORK: Sharon Levy has been promoted to the post of executive VP of original series and animation at Spike TV, based at the male-skewing cable channel’s Los Angeles office. Previously senior VP of original series, Levy reports to the channel’s …

WEST PALM BEACH: Five new half-hour shows are set to premiere this summer on ION Life, which has expanded its schedule. The lineup includes the U.S. premieres of three new daily half-hour series: Gadget Girlz, Body Fuel and Smart Cookies. Also …

LOS ANGELES: Fox International Channels is launching a dedicated U.S. feed for its Spanish-language lifestyle network Utilisima. The channel’s international feed has been available in the U.S. for years, but Utilisima is now ramping up its original productions for a …

LONDON: Production is under way on Sky1 HD’s second Mark Billingham adaptation, Thorne: Scaredy Cat, with Grey’s Anatomy‘s Sandra Oh to star in the series alongside David Morrissey. The first adaptation, Thorne: Sleepyhead, finished production in April and is slated …

LOS ANGELES: Syfy has reached a deal with ITV Studios to develop a one-hour scripted series pilot based on the late 1960s British detective series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). Josh Bycel (Scrubs) and Jonathan Fener (American Dad) will write and executive produce …

STOCKHOLM: Norwegian-based telco Telenor Group has become TV4 Group’s partner in C More Entertainment, picking up a 35-percent stake in the Nordic premium channel operator. C More Entertainment operates a suite of 14 premium film, series and sports channels under …

MONTEREY: The number of cable-TV subscribers in the U.S. fell last year, according to SNL Kagan, while the number of satellite and telco customers increased. SNL Kagan, in partnership with MediaBiz, reports that the overall multichannel video market expanded from 97 million …

NEW YORK: A majority of viewers of live TV—86 percent—will sit through commercials versus changing channels or leaving the room, according to the Video Consumer Mapping (VCM) study sponsored by the Council for Research Excellence (CRE). The report notes that 11 …