Top Stories

LOS ANGELES: Paramount Pictures is launching an in-house animation division to roll out feature-film titles with budgets of up to $100 million each, with the first slated for release in 2014. Brad Grey, the studio’s chairman and CEO, said the move …

LONDON: The U.K.’s CiTV has commissioned its own kids’ version of Zodiak Media’s hit adventure game-show format Fort Boyard that will also roll out on Disney XD channels across the globe. The kids’ version, Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge, will premiere …

LONDON: Turner Broadcasting has named Anthony Lukom as VP and general manager for the U.K. and Ireland, to lead the company’s entire entertainment business, including Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Adult Swim. Lukom joined Turner in May 2010 …

MUNICH: Nina Etspüler has been hired by the Red Arrow Entertainment Group as creative producer in the area of creative operations and business development. Etspüler will work to identify and develop TV formats from the group’s internal and external creative …

NEW YORK: Four months after emerging from bankruptcy protection, RHI Entertainment has announced the exit of president and CEO Robert Halmi, Jr., while Halmi, Sr. will remain under a long-term production agreement. Also out at the company is COO Peter von Gal, …

LONDON: Passion Distribution has scored deals for more than 200 hours of programming across Central and Eastern Europe, following its outing at the recent DISCOP East market in Budapest. The series Baby Beauty Queens, Design Star season one, Secrets from …

NEW YORK: Adding to its roster of original series, USA Network has picked up the cop show Common Law, with 11 episodes being shot in New Orleans. Michael Ealy (The Good Wife, Californication), Warren Kole (The Chicago Code, 24) and …

LONDON: A number of deals have been firmed up from the Scorpion TV catalogue, with sales to Art Media in Russia, Turner in Latin America and Planete in Poland, among others. The science series The Brain Fitness Program and the …

NEW YORK: Global advertising rose 8.8 percent to $118 billion in the first quarter, according to Nielsen, with television advertising alone up 11.9 percent. According to the new Nielsen Global AdView Pulse report, television’s share of the global ad pie …

BURBANK: TVNZ has renewed its pact with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution for the free-TV rights to a slate of feature films and TV series, including this fall’s Person of Interest and 2 Broke Girls and the last two films …