World Screen

LONDON: Global ad expenditure is expected to fall 6.9 percent this year to $453.2 billion, according to ZenithOptimedia, which also forecasts a "slight recovery" of 1.5 percent in 2010 to $460 billion, followed by a 4.5-percent increase to $480.7 billion …

PARIS/LONDON: Mitzi Berberi is taking on the role of head of legal and business affairs for Zodiak Entertainment Distribution, based in London with an office in Paris as well. Berberi will supervise and manage all legal activities for the company’s …

TORONTO: Tricon Films & Television has closed a deal that sees Spanish outfit Redacción 7 producing a local version of Lone Eagle Entertainment’s game show Inside the Box, to air on Canal Sur 2. The game-show format plays off the …

WASHINGTON, D.C.: National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) has signed on to co-produce the new HD series First Ascent with Sender Films, slated for launch on Nat Geo Adventure in the third quarter of this year. The six-part series follows top-level …

CHANNEL: Blighty COUNTRY: U.K. LAUNCH DATE: Formerly known as UKTV People—which launched in 2004—Blighty rolled out on February 17, 2009. OWNERSHIP: UKTV, a 50/50 joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Virgin Media. DISTRIBUTION: Blighty, together with nine other channels operated …

Caleb Weinstein Senior VP Discovery Enterprises International Just before MIPTV last year, Discovery Communications announced the appointment of Caleb Weinstein to head its newly formed Discovery Enterprises International group, which functions as the single access point to the company’s content …

Nancy Dubuc Executive VP & General Manager History History channel in the U.S. had a record-breaking year in 2008. Viewership among adults 25 to 54 increased by 10 percent—the biggest jump among any of the top 11 cable networks. History …

NAME: Ben 10: Alien Force ORIGIN: Ben 10: Alien Force is the next chapter in the Ben 10 action-adventure series. It features Ben Tennyson five years older, as a 15-year-old. CREATORS: Ben 10 was originally created by Man of Action …

LOS ANGELES: The seventh annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) will feature In Prime Time: Hollywood’s Spotlight on India seminars in its lineup of events, which run from April 21 to 26 at ArcLight Hollywood. The IFFLA will …

SINGAPORE: The new drama A Starry Night is being produced for broadcast on trains and in train stations across Singapore and China, reaching a potential 15 million daily commuters. A joint initiative of the Media Development Authority of Singapore, Singaporean …