World Screen

BANFF: In the 2008-09 fiscal year, the Canadian Television Fund contributed to the financing of 475 production and 325 development projects, with total budgets of more than C$943 million and C$18 million, respectively, resulting in the creation of 2,210 hours of …

NEW YORK: Twentieth Century Fox Television is returning to production on the animated sci-fi comedy Futurama more than six years after the series aired its last original episode on FOX, with 26 new half-hours to debut on Comedy Central in …

ANNECY: French producer Cyber Group Studios has raised 1.5 million euros from company shareholder La Financière Viveris, the private-equity fund of bank Caisses d’Epargne, to boost its internal development strategy and support external growth. Current productions in various stages of development will …

LONDON: The BBC Trust has issued its review of how the British public broadcaster is serving younger audiences—those in the 13 to 34 set—arguing that while outlets such as BBC Three are "doing a particularly good job," there are still areas …

NEW YORK: Some 2.8 million American homes are not ready for the June 12 analogue switch-off, according to The Nielsen Company, reflecting about 2.5 percent of the television market. Younger, African American and Hispanic homes are disproportionately unready, the report notes, …

BRUSSELS: Philippe Delusinne, the CEO of RTL Belgium, has been elected as the new president of the Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT). Delusinne succeeds Nicolas de Tavernost, the chairman of the executive management board of M6, who has …

LOS ANGELES: The members of the Screen Actors Guild have voted to accept a new two-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) by a 78-percent margin. The contract, more than a year in the making, took …

BURBANK: ABC has announced the premiere dates for its 2009-10 season, kicking things off on September 21 with a two-hour Dancing with the Stars, followed by the return of Castle. The hit dance competition takes the Monday 8 p.m. to …

NEW YORK: Ahead of DISCOP, World Screen has released a special video report on Emerging Markets, focusing on the developing television markets in Asia, the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe. To view it, please click here. The report, presented by …

TORONTO: Gwen McCauley has joined Cookie Jar Entertainment as VP of distribution/sales operations for Canada after 11 years at BBC Worldwide Canada. Based in Cookie Jar’s Toronto headquarters, McCauley will develop and distribute programming that fits with Cookie Jar’s brand and broadcaster needs. …