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BURBANK: The Walt Disney Company boosted its second-quarter profits by 52.8 percent in the second quarter to $998 million, thanks in large part to its film division, on revenues that were 6 percent higher at $8.6 billion. “The incredible box …

BURBANK: Warner Bros. International Television Distribution has upped Ted Lai to the newly created role of senior VP of TV distribution for China and Korea and business development for Asia. Lai’s expanded remit includes day-to-day supervision of Warner-branded VOD services in …

BRISTOL/PHILADELPHIA: Comcast Corporation is the first pay-TV platform on board for ESPN’s new 3-D channel, which launches in time for the kick-off of the World Cup on June 11. ESPN 3D will be made available to Comcast’s Digital Cable customers. In …

PARIS: Vivendi’s first-quarter revenues increased by 6 percent to 6.9 billion euros, with an adjusted net profit of 736 million euros, reflecting a 13.4-percent increase. The company reported an EBITA of 1.5 million euros, an increase of 14.1 percent on the …

TORONTO/MONTREAL: Astral Media has inked a deal that gives subscribers to The Movie Network on Canadian DTH platform Bell TV online access to a slate of content from HBO. Available at no additional cost for Bell TV customers who subscribe to The …

LONDON: The U.K.’s Competition Commission is keeping the Contracts Rights Renewal (CRR) restrictions on how ITV sells its advertising time, as a result of the broadcasting group’s "unrivaled ability to deliver large audiences on ITV1." The Commission has ruled that …

NEW YORK: TV Latina, World Screen’s Spanish-language publication, has launched an L.A. Screenings Preview multimedia site, delivering interviews with TV Azteca’s Mario San Román, Bandeirantes’ João Carlos Saad and RCN’s Fernando Gaitán, as well as a special video report on …

LOS ANGELES: Starz has announced that pre-production is underway on a six-part prequel to its original series Spartacus: Blood and Sand for a January 2011 premiere. The acclaimed original series has been renewed for a second season but production was recently …

SEOUL/BURBANK: A joint venture between The Walt Disney Company’s Disney Channel International subsidiary and telco SK Telecom intends to roll out local-language Disney-branded channels in South Korea. This is the first time that Disney is launching branded channels as a …

SANTA MONICA/VANCOUVER: Lionsgate stockholders today voted on its Shareholders Rights Plan, with 55.7 percent casting their support for the measure, intended to block a hostile takeover by billionaire financier Carl Icahn. The studio notes that excluding the votes submitted by the …