World Screen

LONDON: Optomen International has closed a slate of programming agreements across Central and Eastern Europe ahead of next week’s DISCOP market, selling more than 150 hours to the region. Menu TV in Ukraine closed a deal for the worldwide hit …

TORONTO: Breakthrough Entertainment has brought on a new sales executive to its team, Kate Blank, to handle the distribution of its titles in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe and Africa. Most recently, she was a …

LONDON: The Endemol U.K.-owned Initial has received a commission from Sky1 for a new series that offers young football players, aged 16 to 18, the chance to compete for a contract with Inter Milan. The 8×1-hour Football’s Next Star is slated …

LONDON: Richard Foster has been promoted to managing director of GroupM Entertainment in the U.K. and director of strategy and distribution for GroupM Entertainment worldwide. Upped from his role as the U.K. unit’s commercial director, Foster will be responsible for …

PARIS: Moonscoop will head to DISCOP with a number of sales already signed with broadcasters in the region on shows such as Dive Olly Dive! and SamSam. Orlando Kids, which broadcasts to Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia, picked up …

BALTIMORE: NBC and Retirement Living TV (RLTV) have signed a deal for the rebroadcast rights to Meet the Press, which for 61 years has featured interviews with world leaders and U.S. newsmakers. Starting July 13, Meet the Press will air …

LONDON: BBC personalities have been told they can expect their salaries to be reduced when their contracts come up for renewal, as part of the pubcaster’s efforts to cut costs. Television stars such as Bruce Forsyth and Sir Terry Wogan …

PARIS: France’s Constitutional Council has nixed the provision in the country’s new Internet piracy law that enabled authorities to cut off the web access of repeat offenders. Approved last month, the Creation and Internet bill, backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy, calls for …

PARIS: A number of new agreements have been firmed up by Zodiak Entertainment for the game show Fort Boyard, which is gearing up for its 20th anniversary. TV3 in Denmark, which aired 117 shows under the local name Fangerne På …

LONDON: British media regulator Ofcom has awarded broadcaster Five a high-definition slot on DTT platform Freeview, it was announced today. Ofcom has made a provisional decision to award the license to Five to launch HD services on Freeview in 2010, after also …