World Screen

LOS ANGELES, October 30: Debmar-Mercury has acquired the U.S. syndication rights for two of Discovery Communications’ highest-rated series—Deadliest Catch and American Chopper—marking the first time that Discovery has entered into the broadcast syndication market. American Chopper will be made available …

NEW YORK, October 30: On November 1, Turner Entertainment Networks’ Court TV will begin its rebranding campaign, leading up to the January 1, 2008, relaunch as truTV, which will feature an expanded lineup of original series and the new tagline …

LONDON, October 30: Entertainment Rights (ER) has teamed up with Digital Stores for the launch of a dedicated U.K. e-commerce store for its key animated properties, including Rupert Bear, Postman Pat, Basil Brush and Jim Jam & Sunny. Digital Stores, …

LOS ANGELES, October 30: Former Disney and Paramount executive Rich Frank has made a significant investment in the launch of mobile advertising company The Hyperfactory’s new entertainment division. The new division will leverage the power and reach of mobile to …

LOS ANGELES, October 30: The battle between the Troll Company and DIC Entertainment took a turn for the worse yesterday, with the doll-maker accusing the kids’ content company of “fraudulently” obtaining licensing rights to the Troll brand and then conducting …

LONDON, October 30: In its efforts to appease the Competition Commission, BSkyB has offered to give up part of the voting rights from its acquisition of a 17.9-percent stake in ITV. The Competition Commission has ruled that the Sky/ITV deal …

LOS ANGELES, October 29: The online video service Hulu, a joint venture between News Corporation and NBC Universal, has launched in private beta, offering viewers a selection of streaming, on-demand programming on a free, ad-supported basis, and has also received …

DUNEDIN, October 29: In an effort to maximize new-media opportunities and expand its business, New Zealand-based production outfit NHNZ has restructured its management team and created four new roles. Tim Mepham has been appointed as NHNZ's corporate services manager with …

LOS ANGELES, October 29: Promax/BDA has appointed Jonathan Block-Verk, the former VP and group publisher of Boards Magazine, as its new president, effective January 2008. In his new role, Block-Verk will be charged with the overall management of the association, …

COLOGNE/LOS ANGELES, October 29: Following MIPCOM, Gavin Reardon’s …and action! Distribution has completed new sales on the English-language action/drama film Fast Track: No Limits and the German-language action film Dekker the Trucker, both shot in Germany. Co-produced by Action Image …