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TORONTO: Breakthrough Entertainment and Northeast Films have started production on the original sketch comedy Picnicface, debuting on The Comedy Network in Canada. The series is from the Halifax-based sketch troupe of the same name. The show combines animation and sketch …

MADRID: Zinkia Entertainment has firmed up new deals in Latin America for its hit property Pocoyo, signing up additional licensing agents and broadcast partners. A multi-territory free-to-air deal has been inked with Televideo (Albavisión) for Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, …

MADRID: Spanish broadcaster laSexta has picked up the rights to the new FOX series Alcatraz and the CBS show Person of Interest, both from J.J. Abrams. The new shows, distributed by Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, were among the most buzzed-about offerings …

TORONTO/LONDON: Entertainment One’s Jason Priestley comedy Call Me Fitz, which has already rolled out in the U.S. and Canada, has been picked up in France by pay-TV channel Série Club. Priestley—with whom eOne is working on a number of other projects—stars …

BUDAPEST: Twelve Spanish firms are in place for DISCOP, seven of which will be located at the Audiovisual from Spain pavilion. In the way of animation, Cromosoma is presenting the 52×30-minute Lila. Trini Cuevas, the head of distribution at Cromosoma, …

LONDON: The 125th anniversary of the Wimbledon tennis championships is being celebrated with live 3D coverage of the men’s and women’s singles finals on the BBC’s HD channel. The free-to-air broadcast in 3D will be available to anyone with a 3D …

NEW YORK: HBO Documentary Films has picked up the U.S. TV rights to Vinyl Films’ The Union, directed by Cameron Crowe and chronicling the collaboration between Elton John and Leon Russell. The Union looks at the creative life of John and …

PREMIUM: Markus Tellenbach, the president and CEO of Poland’s TVN Group, discusses what have been the drivers of the company’s success across TV broadcasting and production, digital satellite pay TV and online.   WS: What factors have contributed to Poland’s …

MONTE-CARLO: The 51st Monte-Carlo Television Festival kicked off today, with the opening film When Harvey Met Bob, which tells the story of how the charity musical event Live Aid was created. The film’s producer, Joe Dunlop, was among the attendees …

TORONTO: The Banff World Media Festival is presenting South African investigative journalist Liz Fish with the inaugural David Suzuki Green Producer Award. The award has been renamed this year in honor of Dr. David Suzuki, the long-time host of CBC’s …