Top Stories

TORONTO: The Banff World Television Festival, taking place June 13 to 16 alongside nextMEDIA Banff, will feature a keynote address by Andrew Whitaker, the executive VP of international at World Wrestling Entertainment. Whitaker’s address will discuss WWE’s strengths as as a …

LONDON: The hit format Come Dine with Me continues to notch up sales for ITV Studios Global Entertainment, with 445 new episodes commissioned in Eastern Europe. Come Dine with Me has been commissioned for 65 episodes by Serbia’s Nacionalna TV, while …

TORONTO: Doodlebops Rockin’ Road Show, an animated take on Cookie Jar’s hit Doodlebops live-action series, is slated to premiere on Kids’ CBC on February 20. The series, a co-production with Illusion Studios in Argentina and OPTIX Entertainment in Germany, will air …

LONDON: Cineflix International has secured a new batch of deals for two of the most recent additions to its catalogue, Conviction Kitchen and My Monkey Baby. Conviction Kitchen, a Cineflix production in association with City TV in Canada, features executive …

NEW YORK: Bandai has extended its licensing agreement with Cartoon Network Enterprise (CNE) to continue as the master toy licensee for the Ben 10 franchise through 2012. CNE and Bandai have been partners since 2005. This worldwide deal renewal will …

LONDON: JimJam continues to expand across Asia with a launch in Thailand and a new carriage deal in Indonesia with Indovision, coinciding with a refresh of the preschool channel’s on-air look. The channel launched in Thailand last week as a …

LONDON: BBC Worldwide’s annual international market BBC Showcase kicks off on February 21, highlighting a range of new comedy and drama programming such as Married Single Other and Luther. With more than 500 digibooths, buyers have access to 1,400 hours …

NEW YORK: Jana Bennett, the director of BBC Vision, has joined the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Executive Committee. In her role at the British public broadcaster, Bennett oversees BBC Television—BBC One, Two, Three, Four, HD, CBBC and …

RESTON/MEXICO CITY: Televisa is acquiring a 30-percent interest in wireless operator Nextel Mexico for $1.44 billion, positioning the Mexican broadcaster to offer the first quad-play package—pay TV, broadband, fixed line and mobile telecommunications—in the country. "With this partnership, we are accessing …

LONDON: RDF Rights has been appointed by United Agents as the U.K. licensing agent for the online property Simon’s Cat. Created by Simon Tofield, the animated series follows the adventures of Simon’s Cat and his relationship with Simon’s cartoon alter …