World Screen

LONDON, August 10: The international production company Zig Zag Productions has launched a regional office, called Zig Zag North, in Manchester. The new operation is led by creative director Bob Sandy, a former BBC Manchester and independent sector series producer …

LONDON, August 10: Liberty Global’s Extreme Sports Channel has commissioned two new series for its lineup, Euro Beach Soccer League and Streetball Extreme: Battle for Europe. Both series are set to start airing in September on Extreme’s five international feeds. …

LONDON, August 10: Challenge has secured the rights to Fear Factor in its first deal with Endemol, and has commissioned a new series called Pokerstars.com Vegas Daily from the online site PokerStars. The deal with Endemol gives Challenge two new …

TORONTO, August 10: MTV’s first multi-platform film competition, 48fest, will air in September across all of MTV’s worldwide outlets—on air, online and on mobile phones, giving 48 youths 48 hours to create three-minute films on HIV and AIDS-related issues. Eight …

SEATTLE, August 10: ReelTime Rentals, a broadband network promising a full-screen, DVD-quality online television experience, is set to launch on September 12. "Our much-anticipated launch is the fulfillment of a dream to bring full DVD quality video over the web …

HONG KONG, August 10: Sony Pictures Television International’s anime channel Animax has moved to the basic tier on Hong Kong Cable TV after having been an a la carte offering on the platform. Animax on Cable TV’s basic tier will …

LONDON/HILVERSUM, August 10: Channel 4 has commissioned Endemol’s Initial outfit in the U.K. to produce the 75-minute special One Night Only—An INSPI(RED) Evening of Fashion and Music, covering the Giorgio Armani event taking place on September 21 during London Fashion …

LONDON, August 10: Fremantle International Distribution has licensed a number of factual titles from Sundance Channel and Atlantic Productions to Noga in Israel. Titles from the Sundance portfolio included in the deal are the 6×1-hour Iconoclasts; Transgeneration, which explores the …

LOS ANGELES, August 10: Ripe Digital Entertainment (RDE) is set to launch OctaneTV, an on-demand network targeted to the youth car culture lifestyle and motor enthusiast, on Comcast and Time Warner Cable VOD platforms, as well as on the Internet …

NEW YORK, August 10: 4Kids Entertainment’s second quarter saw revenues fall 9 percent to $16.7 million, while profits fell 94 percent to $34,000. For the six months ended June 30, 2006, net revenues totaled $35.9 million compared to $37.6 million …