World Screen

LONDON: The BBC’s proposal for an "online federation" of British public-service broadcasters providing on-demand content via the iPlayer through a mix of commercial and public-service components has been rejected by its governing body. The BBC Trust said it supported the …

MONTREAL: The Alliance for Children and Television (ACT) has lined up Maya Goetz for a one-day workshop at the Children, Youth & Media (CYM) Conference, being held November 19 in Toronto, focused on understanding the preschool audience. Goetz and IZI (International Central Institute …

TORONTO: At the first of two Gemini Awards Industry Gala evenings, winners were named for the documentary and lifestyle categories.  Hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, a total of 26 awards were presented at The Sound Academy in Toronto, Ontario. Best biography documentary …

BURBANK: Disney Channel has ordered a third season of the hit comedy series The Suite Life on Deck, with production set to resume in Hollywood in early 2010.  The series, which follows identical twins Zack and Cody Martin and hotel …

Even though the television industry has slipped into the worst recession in its history, sales of factual programming have remained strong. For the documentary and factual programming business, the current global economic crisis has given new relevance to the old …

LOS ANGELES/MILAN: Atlantyca Entertainment is teaming up with the Gotham Group for the film version of Italian publisher Edizioni Piemme’s book series Century. The Century book series, recently launched in the U.S. by Random House, is written by Italian author Pierdomenico Baccalario. …

NEW YORK: Jerry Trainor and Jennette McCurdy, two of the stars of Nickelodeon’s hit series iCarly, will headline the kids’ channel’s new original movie Best Player, slated for a 2010 premiere. Shooting is to take place in Vancouver beginning October 24 …

AMSTERDAM: Taco Ketelaar, the former chief creative officer of 2waytraffic—and co-founder of the Dutch company that is now owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment—is taking up the role of CEO at the BlazHoffski Group. Ketelaar becomes CEO of the company, based in …

VICTORIA: The Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) has sold a second season of the live-action comedy Lockie Leonard to Cartoon Network in Latin America.  The second season has also been picked up by Cartoon Network in Spain, as well as Nine …

LOS ANGELES: Hallmark Movie Channel has secured distribution in the top 30 television markets throughout the U.S., and is now available to more than 25 million households. The growth is an increase of more than 100 percent over a year …