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LONDON: BBC Worldwide Channels has commissioned two new factual titles, Free Rein and The Kangaroo Gang: Thieves by Appointment. Free Rein, a 50-minute special for BBC Knowledge, is a Lonely Planet TV and Freehand production for BBC Knowledge. It will launch on BBC Knowledge …

LONDON: Passion Distribution’s slate for DISCOP will include season six of Design Star as well as Secrets from a Stylist, both from the Scripps Networks International catalogue. The 10-episode Design Star is produced by CBS Eye Two productions for HGTV. In …

LONDON: Michael Acton Smith, the CEO and founder of Mind Candy and the creator of Moshi Monsters, is slated to deliver a keynote address at this year’s Brand Licensing Europe. The online Moshi Monsters community of adoptable pet monsters for …

UNIVERSAL CITY: NBC has tapped Tal Rabinowitz for the role of executive VP of comedy programming, effective early June. Rabinowitz replaces Jeff Ingold, the executive VP of comedy programming for NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios, who is departing the company. …

LOS ANGELES: Rive Gauche Television has scored deals for its non-scripted programming slate with broadcasters across Latin America. Sports Crash was taken by Channel 12 in El Salvador, as well as Channel 9 in Costa Rica. Meanwhile, the first three seasons …

BURBANK: ABC Family has acquired the new Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides from Disney-ABC Domestic Television, giving the network the first-window rights to launch the movie in 2013. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is one of …

LONDON: CAKE has promoted Leila Ouledcheikh to VP of international sales from senior sales manager. In her new position, Ouledcheikh will be responsible for worldwide merchandising and licensing sales, as well as TV and home-video exploitation across Germany, France, Italy, Benelux, the …

LONDON: The Killing won in the international category at this year’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) TV Awards, beating out Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men and Glee. Sherlock was named best drama series, while EastEnders scored its second …

MILANO: Giochi Preziosi Group and Mondo TV have inked a deal to co-produce a new 2D animated series based on the Dinofroz property, which is set to be ready in fall 2012. The 26×26-minute Dinofroz series features four children who discover that …

TORONTO/LONDON: Entertainment One (eOne) reported revenues of $752.9 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, up 12 percent on the 2010 figures, with adjusted profit before tax rising 39 percent from the year prior. “We are very pleased …