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LONDON: Five has reduced its programming budget for this year by 25 percent to £165 million in response to the advertising downturn. This is the biggest percentage reduction in program spend among all the major British broadcasters, press reports reveal. …

LONDON: Exclusive digital content based on the British soap Coronation Street is being developed by ITV Studios’ digital productions unit for itv.com. Coronation Street‘s website will host some 100 minutes of premium video content every month, including cast interviews, backstage …

LONDON: ITV1 has unveiled its programming slate for the fall, with highlights that include a new drama with Robbie Coltrane and a documentary marking the 70th anniversary of the beginning of World War II. Announcing the upcoming schedule, Peter Fincham, …

  SANTA MONICA/VANCOUVER: TBS has ordered an additional 20 episodes of the comedy Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, taking the total for the series to 172 episodes. TBS has ordered a total of 46 new episodes of House of Payne in …

NORTH HOLLYWOOD: After four decades of serving Hollywood, 20th Century Props is going out of business, putting more than 93,000 items, from the rattan furniture used on The Golden Girls to Howard Hughes’ desk from The Aviator, on the auction …

LONDON/BURBANK: Virgin Media Television picked up the exclusive linear and digital broadcast rights for season five and future sixth season of Supernatural for LIVING in the U.K., and also went for a third season and future fourth season of Chuck …

LONDON: The factual series Million Dollar Catch has secured a number of sales in the U.K., Australia and Europe, while Chopper Squad has been notching up presales, with ALL3MEDIA International handing distribution on both titles. Originally produced by Great Southern Television for …

NEW YORK: President Barack Obama’s fourth press conference attracted 24.7 million viewers on Wednesday night, half the number that tuned in to his first, in February, and 14-percent down on the 28.8 million who watched his last televised address in April. …

LONDON: BBC Worldwide is to manage the MasterChef brand in the U.K. and Ireland under a partnership deal with Shine Television. The three-year deal will focus on a multiplatform licensing program for the brand that includes live events, licensed product, …

TORONTO: Spin Master has signed a deal with Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) to be the master global toy licensor for the forthcoming theatrical release The Last Airbender, from Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan …