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LONDON/NEW YORK: ZenithOptimedia, MagnaGlobal and GroupM have released positive advertising forecasts for 2011, with all three adjusting earlier expectations upward and predicting that global ad growth will continue. Media buyer ZenithOptimedia estimates that global ad expenditure will have grown 4.9 …

NEW YORK: Carl Icahn has issued an open letter to Lionsgate shareholders, in which he announces the launch of a website entitled "Save Lions Gate." The website includes three reports. The first, "Why change is needed at Lions Gate," looks …

ENGLEWOOD: Liberty Global has reached a deal to buy up 100 percent of the Polish cable operator Aster from Mid Europa Partners. Liberty Global, which owns the country’s leading cable provider UPC, will acquire all shares of Aster for PLN …

LONDON: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has secured sales across Asia on nearly 2,000 hours of programming covering FremantleMedia productions and third-party titles. More than 500 hours of programming was sold across the Philippines. Solar Entertainment Group took on 100 hours of …

LONDON: A new deal between BBC Worldwide and MBC Plus Media will see the format Dancing with the Stars make its way to South Korea for a debut in 2011. MBC Plus Media is a subsidiary of MBC, which operates multiple pay-TV …

LONDON: ALL3MEDIA International has signed up a number of new broadcasters for the hit teen series Skins, ahead of the fifth season launching in the U.K. A Latin American pan-regional deal has been signed with HBO. A separate agreement was …

MUNICH: The sciencetainment magazine Galileo has been sold by SevenOne International to Spain’s Nova, a channel of Antena 3. Galileo is airing under its original title on Saturdays and Sundays at 7 p.m. on Nova. The Spanish version is hosted …

TORONTO: As a preview to the March 1 launch of OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network in Canada, W Network and VIVA are set to air weekly two-hour nested blocks with programming from the soon-to-launch channel throughout January and February. Starting January …

LONDON: Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) Europe has made an investment in the Swedish media company Starlounge, which provides celebrity news online. Starlounge has operations in 12 countries in 11 languages. The site recently achieved a new traffic high, with 16.2 million …

CHESHIRE: The m4e Group of Germany has been appointed as the exclusive agent for worldwide distribution for the new children’s property Franco and Formula Fun (working title) from Formula Fun Entertainment. The 52×11-minute CGI animated series is aimed at 3- …