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DALLAS: Movie rental giant Blockbuster today announced a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and a recapitalization plan that will reduce its debt from almost $1 billion to about $100 million. All of Blockbuster’s 3,000 U.S. stores remain in operation, as …

BURBANK: FOX has finally unveiled the new judging panel for American Idol, with returning panelist Randy Jackson to be joined by Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, who has also entered into a first-look agreement with the network and …

LONDON: Brand Licensing Europe has announced the four entrepreneurs who will compete in the 2010 License This! This Next Big Thing competition. All four will pitch their projects to a judging panel in front of a live audience on September …

NEW YORK: World Screen has unveiled its MIPCOM Preview multimedia site, delivering interviews with Sony’s Howard Stringer, Simon Cowell and Haim Saban, along with a number of features and other resources. To see it, visit mipcom.worldscreen.com. You can also listen …

VANCOUVER: Endemol Group will handle global distribution outside of North America for the new Canwest original series Endgame starring Shawn Doyle, which is set to air on Showcase beginning in the spring. The Thunderbird Films production centers on a brilliant chess …

NEW YORK: MIPCOM Screening Rooms for more than 130 distributors are now available on WorldScreenings.com, allowing you to watch hundreds of clips and access detailed information on more than 1,000 new shows being launched at the market. WorldScreenings.com allows you …

VANCOUVER: Nerd Corps Entertainment has signed up a number of international broadcasters for the second season of League of Super Evil ahead of the fall launch, including SUPER RTL. Germany’s SUPER RTL will be adding the show to its TOGGO block …

LUCERNE: The winners of the Rose d’Or Awards have been announced, and two Golden Jubilee Awards, specially created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the event, were presented to Coronation Street and Simon Cowell for their outstanding contribution to entertainment …

NEW YORK: Food Network is launching into its third Asian market, securing carriage on the Astro B.yond HD service effective October 1. The Scripps Networks International-owned channel has already launched in Singapore and Taiwan. “We recognize the growing demand in Asia …

LONDON: DRG has sold the rights to ITV’s Collision and BBC’s Criminal Justice 2 to Fox Channels Italy, along with picking up ITV’s prime-time crime drama Injustice in a separate deal. Over the past year, DRG has launched BBC Productions’ …