World Screen

SYDNEY: FOXTEL’s The Comedy Channel has licensed a raft of comedies from BBC Worldwide, among them the new Steve Coogan show Alan Partridge’s Mid-Morning Matters. The deal, totaling more than 40 hours of programming, sees seasons one and two of …

LOS ANGELES: Michele Val Jean, who has worked on the writing team of General Hospital for the past 18 years, has joined the writing team of The Bold and the Beautiful. Prior to General Hospital, Val Jean wrote for Santa …

LONDON: A+E Networks has brought its Crime & Investigation network to the Middle East with a launch on OSN, marking the third new territory for the channel so far this year. Crime & Investigation is offered as part of OSN’s …

ISTANBUL: Disney Channel has secured carriage on Free Sat in Turkey, bringing the service to more than 11 million households in the country starting January 12, 2012. The kid-focused, family-inclusive channel will be available on free-to-air television in Turkey, offering …

NEW YORK: Time Warner Cable is now offering its digital customers instant access to episodes of the new season of The Walking Dead 24 hours after they air on AMC. Customers can watch the new episodes of the hit AMC …

EL SEGUNDO: Mattel has entered into a deal to acquire HIT Entertainment, which has a portfolio that includes the hit preschool brands Thomas & Friends, Barney and Bob the Builder, for $680 million in cash from a consortium led by Apax …

NEW YORK: NBCUniversal’s Telemundo Media has scooped up the exclusive Spanish-language U.S. rights for FIFA World Cup soccer from 2015 through 2022, covering all platforms except radio. The agreement includes the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, the 2018 …

LOS GATOS: Netflix has confirmed that it will expand its streaming service into the U.K. and Ireland in early 2012, adding to its current reach of the U.S., Canada and Latin America. Netflix members in the U.K. and Ireland will …

NEW YORK: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has revised its Global Entertainment and Media Outlook for 2011-2015 for the first time, citing weak consumer spending but a steady television market. PwC says that "the slower economy is adversely affecting advertising, but by no …

PREMIUM: World Screen Newsflash looks at how tax incentives and lush locations are luring producers of programming to destinations across the globe.   Producers are used to being sellers in the television business, pitching ideas to programming executives. But when …