Top Stories

LONDON: A new four-part drama, Mad Dogs, has been commissioned by Sky1 HD for a spring 2011 debut. Mad Dogs, written by Cris Cole and produced by Left Bank Pictures, stars Max Beesley, Philip Glenister, John Simm and Marc Warren. …

NEW YORK: HISTORY, which to date ranks as the number one non-fiction network of 2010, is adding 15 original series and 10 tent-pole specials to its schedule for the 2010-11 season. HISTORY recently announced its first scripted show, The Kennedys, …

NEW YORK: First-quarter net profit at Time Warner rose almost 10 percent to reach $725 million—its highest quarterly profit in company history—on revenues that were up 5.4 percent to $6.3 billion, its biggest gain in almost two years. "Time Warner is …

NEW YORK: David Ward, Todd Field, Lawrence O’Donnell and Todd Holland are among the creative talent that is set to develop original scripted drama and comedy programming for the new premium entertainment channel EPIX. Ward (The Sting) and O’Donnell (The …

NEW YORK: Driven in part by the success of Avatar, News Corporation beat analysts’ estimates with its third-quarter results, delivering total revenues of $8.8 billion, a 19-percent gain, and a net income of $839 million. The company reported total segment operating …

CINCINNATI/MUMBAI: NDTV Group and Scripps Networks Interactive have called off a deal that would have given the U.S.-based channels operator a majority interest in the English-language Indian lifestyle channel NDTV Good Times. The deal would have seen Scripps taking a 69-percent stake …

LONDON: Universal Networks International (UNI) has introduced a new look, along with other enhanced elements, for its flagship entertainment offering Universal Channel in Russia, the Baltics and CIS as well as in Poland and Romania. The refresh is part of …

TORONTO: Shaftesbury Films has expanded its senior management team with the addition of two new roles, hiring former Discovery Networks International executive Katherine Wolfgang and former CCI Entertainment exec Gord McIlquham to fill the newly created posts. Wolfgang is to …

HAMILTON: Releasing its first-quarter results today—with revenues up 5 percent to $143.6 million but a wider net loss of $42.3 million—Central European Media Enterprises (CME) is expecting a better second half, forecasting single-digit ad growth in the region. Announcing the …

SAN FRANCISCO: Current Media has hired Courtney Menzel as executive VP of distribution, to be based in the company’s New York office. Menzel will be responsible for overseeing the network’s affiliate sales and marketing initiatives for Current Media. She will …