Top Stories

STRASBOURG: The number of news channels operating in Europe has hit 162, according to the European Audiovisual Observatory, double the number available in 2005. Of the 162 channels operating in the European Union, Croatia and Turkey, 32 have an explicit …

LONDON: Grant Ross, former director of international at Endemol France, is to take on the role of director of acquisitions at Endemol, replacing Lisette van Diepen, who recently stepped down after a 14-year tenure. Ross will take on responsibility for …

SILVER SPRING: Discovering Ardi, a two-hour special exploring new findings about human evolution, will be launched to the international market by Discovery Enterprises International at MIPCOM, ahead of the U.S. television broadcast on October 11. The special chronicles the discovery …

BOSTON: PBS Distribution, jointly owned by PBS and WGBH, is heading to MIPCOM with Ken Burns’ latest doc series: The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. The series recently premiered to critical acclaim on PBS in the U.S. PBS Distribution’s worldwide co-production …

LOS ANGELES: Fox International Channels (FIC) has promoted Sharon Tal Yguado to the position of senior VP of content development, while Jason Simms becomes senior VP of global acquisitions. In their new roles, both will continue to work closely together to oversee …

SINGAPORE: Singaporean IPTV platform SingTel is expanding its channel lineup this month, adding the Tamil-language general entertainment channel Kalaignar TV and the Malay service Astro World. Both channels join mioTV on October 15. Launched in 2007 in Chennai, India, Kalaignar TV offers …

TORONTO: DECODE Enterprises has lined up a slate of new preschool shows, including dirtgirlworld, alongside tween live-action titles like How to Be Indie. The series dirtgirlworld is a commission by ABC, CBeebies and CBC. The show blends live action and …

VIENNA: Iran’s IRIB has taken on more than 80 hours of fiction programming from the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF), including a package of six TV movies. Further titles in the IRIB buy include the crime series K-Files and Trautmann. The …

TORONTO: Canadian multi-faith and multicultural network VisionTV has put its fourth comedy-drama series into development: Flatearth E.R. from Angel Entertainment. The show focuses on a  strong-willed South African surgeon who moves to a small community in Saskatchewan, where she must learn to co-exist with …

LOS ANGELES: A lineup of 23 feature films and more than 100 hours of series and specials will be introduced to buyers at MIPCOM from Moving Pictures Film & TV, which recently acquired the Bennett Media Worldwide operation. Moving Pictures …