Top Stories

LOS ANGELES: The Channel 4 five-part horror event Dead Set, set within Britain’s Big Brother house, is to air on IFC in the U.S. in the run-up to Halloween. Dead Set is partially filmed at the real U.K. Big Brother …

BURBANK: Starz Media has sold Film Roman to a group of investors, led by the former president of the animation studio, Scott Greenberg. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the transaction is contingent on certain closing conditions. …

LOS ANGELES: Lionsgate has proposed a merger with debt-laden MGM—which last week announced plans to combine with Spyglass Entertainment—and has received backing for the move from Carl Icahn, who owns shares in both studios. Icahn, a signification stakeholder in the independent …

LONDON: After more than 30 years with the BBC, Mark Byford is leaving his post as the deputy director-general, a role that will now be closed. Byford is stepping down from the executive board at the end of March 2011 …

NEW YORK: Formerly known as Discovery Kids HD, The Hub HD is to join the lineup of Verizon’s FiOS TV. The Hub is a multiplatform joint venture between Discovery Communications and Hasbro. The channel just made its SD debut on …

LONDON: Season six of the BBC’s Doctor Who opens with a two-parter co-produced with BBC America and shot in Utah, the British broadcaster has announced. Penned by Steven Moffat, the episodes feature a story line set in the late ’60s, with the …

NEW YORK: A number of new stars have been added to the cast of HBO Films’ Too Big To Fail, including Ed Asner, Paul Giamatti, Cynthia Nixon and Tony Shalhoub. Additional cast members include Ayad Akhtar, Kathy Baker, Billy Crudup, …

ATLANTA: Cartoon Network has secured the worldwide rights to a new series from DreamWorks Animation based on the critically acclaimed animated feature How to Train Your Dragon, which grossed close to $500 million in theaters worldwide. The show is set to …

NEW YORK: Jeff Bewkes, Ivan Seidenberg and Rupert Murdoch are among the executives who will take part in the Paley Center for Media’s International Council, which gathers in New York from November 17 to 19. At the Paley Center’s Manhattan …

MIAMI: Discovery Familia is looking for programming that speaks to Hispanic moms to fill prime time, according to Bilai Joa Silar, VP and channel director of Discovery Networks U.S. Hispanic Group. The service has been redesigned to reflect and speak …