World Screen

WESTLAKE VILLAGE: A new wireless VOD service from Row 44 brings in-flight passengers access to movies and TV shows from partners such as Disney, Universal, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros. to be streamed on smartphones, tablets and laptops. Passengers …

MAINZ: At this year’s MIPCOM, ZDF Enterprises will be introducing a new premium short-video service, contunico, aimed at media professionals who want a quick and economical way of adding audiovisual from ZDF’s archives to their projects. contunico provides short films, …

LONDON: Comedic talent from TV Land’s original sitcoms Happily Divorced and The Exes will be on hand at MIPCOM with Endemol Worldwide Distribution. Among the talent coming as Endemol’s guests are Fran Drescher (The Nanny), the co-writer, executive producer and star …

LONDON: The Italian-language Mediaset Italia channel has scored carriage on Israeli cable platform HOT, in a deal secured by Chello Zone. Mediaset Italia features the best of mainstream Italian television from the local channels Canale 5, Italia 1 and Rete …

LOS ANGELES: The motion-picture studio Gaumont has launched Gaumont International Television (GIT), marking its foray into worldwide television production and distribution. Based in Los Angeles, GIT will be led by Katie O’Connell as CEO and Richard Frankie as COO. The …

LOS ANGELES/TORONTO: Entertainment One (eOne) has struck a deal for the exclusive rights to all scripted TV development projects from Richard Branson’s Virgin Produced. The two-year first-look deal covers the scripted output from Virgin Produced, the production arm of Sir …

NEW YORK: Total U.S. advertising expenditures in the first six months of 2011 increased 3.2 percent from the year-ago figures, reaching $71.5 billion, according to new data from Kantar Media, with TV adspend up 1.8 percent. Spending growth in the …

LONDON: The Universal Networks International (UNI) movie channel Studio Universal is set to launch on the DStv platform, available in 47 African countries. Beginning September 30, Studio Universal will be available on the DStv Premium and DStv Compact bouquets on …

TORONTO/LOS ANGELES: Entertainment One (eOne) and Thump have started principal photography on the third season of Rookie Blue, in which William Shatner is to guest star in the first episode. Rookie Blue airs on ABC in the U.S., Global Television …

LONDON: 3D versions of Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale Tour, Alice Cooper’s Halloween Night of Fear and Elbow: Live on Air are to be offered to broadcasters at MIPCOM from BBC Worldwide. Among the 3D performance offerings available, Britney Spears in …