World Screen

SYDNEY: Australian pubcaster ABC has picked up more than 40 hours of drama from ITV Global Entertainment to air in prime time in its upcoming schedule. For broadcast on ABC 1 and ABC 2 later this year, the deal includes …

SANTA MONICA: A second season of 16 & Pregnant, which follows teenage girls as they navigate the uncertainty of becoming mothers, has been picked up by MTV, which is also set to air the 16 & Pregnant: Life After Labor finale special …

LOS ANGELES: In a bid to cut costs, Paramount Pictures is said to be considering the merger of its home-entertainment operations with that of 20th Century Fox or Sony Pictures Entertainment. The move could save the Viacom-owned studio millions of …

NEW YORK/LONDON: Joost, the Internet TV platform from Skype’s founders that launched with much fanfare in 2007, is shifting away from the direct-to-consumer model, opting now to focus on assisting media companies that are looking to launch their own branded …

LOS ANGELES: Metan Development Group and Shandong Film & TV Group have struck a partnership that sees the U.S. outfit consulting on current Chinese productions to help bring this content into the global market. Metan will represent Shandong’s interests in …

WINNIPEG: Canwest Global Communications Corp has reached an agreement to sell two of its local stations—CHCH-TV in Hamilton and CJNT-TV in Montreal—to independent television broadcaster Channel Zero, which operates the Movieola and Silver Screen Classics specialty networks. In February, Canwest announced …

NEW YORK: The award-winning writer, producer and director Jack D. Ferraiolo has returned to Scholastic Media’s animation studio division, Soup2Nuts, in a new position as development executive. Ferraiolo is responsible for developing new and existing properties at Soup2Nuts’s Boston-area studios …

MIAMI: Jose Tolosa expands his role at MTV Networks Latin America (MTVNLA) to include responsibilities for MTV Networks International (MTVNI) as well, in a post as senior VP of strategy and business development.  Tolosa, formerly the VP of strategy and …

TORONTO: The animation studio guru has brought on Janice Jacobs as producer for its episodic and film department. Jacobs joins guru with more than 20 years experience as a producer, production manager and line producer for animated CGI feature films, …

NEW YORK: Former K2 Pictures principal Jay Peterson has been appointed to the newly created post of senior VP of production and development for Original Media. Based in New York, Peterson will report directly to Original Media’s CEO, Charlie Corwin. …