World Screen

SANTA CLARA/LOS ANGELES, December 7: Macrovision, a provider of digital-content protection technologies, has reached a deal to acquire EPG-provider Gemstar-TV Guide International for $2.8 billion in cash and stock. Under the terms of the agreement, each share of Gemstar-TV Guide …

LONDON, December 7: Peter Orton, the founder and former chairman of HIT Entertainment, has passed away after a long battle with cancer. Orton retired from HIT in 2005 following its sale to Apax Partners. That same year, he was honored …

NEW YORK, December 7: James Murdoch is stepping down as the chief executive of BSkyB to succeed his father, Rupert Murdoch, as non-executive chairman of the satellite platform and take on the new role of chairman and chief executive for …

CHICAGO, December 6: The first and second seasons of Towers Productions’ improv comedy TV series Sports Action Team will be available on Apple’s iTunes Store and the digital video download service Amazon Unbox, beginning December 11. Thirty-two episodes in total …

BELFAST, December 6: Green Inc. Film and Television has been commissioned to deliver a second extended season of the music-entertainment series Deis Roc to Irish broadcaster TG4. Hosted by TG4’s Síle Ní Bhraonáin, Deis Roc is an eleven-week battle-of-the-bands style …

TORONTO, December 6: Playhouse Disney in Canada will premiere the new 26-episode half-hour preschool series Bunnytown on January 13, 2008, at 7:30 a.m. The series will air subsequently on Saturdays and Sundays at 7:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. …

TORONTO, December 6: 9 Story Entertainment has secured a raft of international sales for its comedy-action adventure series Futz! The first 26×3-minutes episodes of the series have been acquired by Australia’s ABC, Luk Internacional in Spain, HBO in Asia, Finland’s …

NEW YORK/LONDON, December 6: Discovery Kids Latin America has picked up new seasons of HIT Entertainment’s Barney, Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends. Discovery Kids will air never-before-seen episodes of Barney, Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends in …

PARK RIDGE/NEW YORK, December 6: Nickelodeon has teamed up with car rental company The Hertz Corporation for the rollout of Nick on the Go, a portable touch-screen media player pre-loaded with more than 40 hours of Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. …

DOHA, December 6: The Media Development Authority has granted Al Jazeera English, the Middle East-based English-language news and current affairs channel, permission to broadcast in Singapore. The Media Development Authority approved SingTel's application for Al Jazeera English early this month, …