World Screen

SCOTTSDALE: ABI Research forecasts that more than 50 percent of television homes in North America and Western Europe will have Internet-connected TV sets by 2017, up from just 10 percent last year, while Blu-ray player penetration is expected to rise to …

NEW YORK: Economic uncertainty in Europe and the U.S. has prompted GroupM to lower its forecasts for ad-revenue growth this year from 6.3 percent to 5.1 percent. The group has previously expected global adspend this year to reach $522 billion; it …

LOS ANGELES: Ben and Izzy, an animated series from Rubicon Group, will premiere this month on Kidobi.com, a website featuring preschool programming for American and Canadian audiences. RGH Entertainment’s Ben and Izzy, an animated action-adventure comedy in 3D, tells the …

PARIS: MIPCOM has made two additions to its lineup of Media Mastermind keynotes: Hulu CEO Jason Kilar and Condé Nast Entertainment’s president, Dawn Ostroff. The two executives join a conference slate that already includes Mark Burnett and Nancy Dubuc. Ostroff, …

NEW YORK: Deepak Chopra and his children have launched a new original lifestyle YouTube channel called The Chopra Well. For the channel, Dr. Chopra—a physician, author, speaker and founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing—will work alongside Mallika Chopra, his …

DALLAS: The percentage of U.S. smart TV owners using those devices to access movies and TV shows online has risen by more than 30 percent in the last six months, according to new research from Parks Associates. "The percentage of …

PHILADELPHIA/KNOXVILLE: Scripps Networks Interactive has expanded its deal with cable giant Comcast, bringing the channel operator’s brands to Xfinity TV subscribers through online, mobile, and other devices. The multi-year arrangement also covers distribution of HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking …

MIAMI: A number of the stars from the USA Network legal dramedy Suits sat down with World Screen, alongside executive producer Doug Liman, who lets us in on some of the surprises viewers can expect from season two.   The …

LONDON: Passion Distribution has sold 80 new hours of programming, including Extreme Clutter and The Dead Files, through deals with broadcasters in Eastern European territories. TLC, Discovery Networks’ lifestyle channel for women, will now air a host of titles from …

This interview originally appeared in the MIPTV 2012 issue of World Screen.   When Chris Albrecht joined Starz LLC as president and CEO, in 2010, one of his main priorities was to produce high-end original programming. Having shepherded shows such …