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TORONTO: Under the banner EBTV, Brightlight Pictures and Essential Pictures will be working together to produce and distribute TV programming for the U.S. and international markets. Canada’s Brightlight Pictures has strong ties with U.S. and Canadian broadcast and cable networks, …

LAS VEGAS: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has signed a slew of licensing deals for The X Factor in the U.K. The 2010 licensing program will cover a range of categories, including everything from adult and children’s apparel, baby and toddler apparel …

LOS ANGELES: Executive produced by Kim Kardashian and Bunim-Murray Productions, The Spin Crowd is a new eight-episode series for E! that looks inside the renowned celebrity and entertainment public relations agency Command PR. The Spin Crowd originally aired on E! …

NEW YORK: Over the last two years, ownership of HDTV sets, DVRs and smartphones has increased at double- and triple-digit rates, according to The Nielsen Company’s Three Screen Report, driving continued increases in U.S. media consumption. “Consumers are driven by …

TORONTO: Cookie Jar Entertainment, American Greetings Properties and Exim Licensing Group have secured a licensing deal with Xeryu’s of Brazil to create a new line of products for Strawberry Shortcake. The product line will feature a collection of fashion bags, …

TORONTO: Portfolio Entertainment is to executive produce and distribute a new half-hour cooking series, Raider of the Spice Rack, co-produced by Free Form Productions and SILO Entertainment. The series features Kevin Brauch, host of The Thirsty Traveler and floor reporter …

LOS ANGELES: PromaxBDA has upped two members of its board of directors to serve as co-chairmen, Lisa Gregorian and Adam Stotsky. Gregorian is the chief marketing officer at Warner Bros. Television Group. Stotsky is the president of marketing at NBC Entertainment. …

NEW YORK: Financier Carl Icahn has said that he intends to seek the replacement of the board at Lionsgate, which he claims may be headed towards bankruptcy. Icahn issued a new open letter to the independent studio today. He has …

TORONTO: Anne Fenn has been appointed as Amaze Film & Television’s new development executive. Fenn’s credits include screenwriting, story editing and series development. She began her career at the Television Corporation of Singapore, where she served as a staff writer. …

NEW YORK: Inside Secret Government Warehouses: Shocking Revelations, a series inspired by Warehouse 13 and hosted by NBC News journalist Lester Holt, makes its debut on Syfy on July 11. Holt heads to restricted warehouse sites where super-classified objects are kept …