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SINGAPORE: Vikram Channa, the VP of content for Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, will be taking up a new role as VP of programming for India and head of production for Asia Pacific. Channa will be based out of the company’s New …

TORONTO: The winners of the Banff World Television Awards, known as The Rockies, have been named across 23 categories, with British productions leading the pack, winning out in such categories as best comedy. The BBC’s Beautiful People took home honors …

LONDON: Elisabeth Murdoch’s Shine Group continues to expand its global footprint with the establishment of a new division in France, to be led by Thierry Lachkar, formerly the chief creative officer at Endemol France. This is the latest international push …

LOS ANGELES: On speculations that The Century Plaza, the L.A. Screenings yearly locale, would be torn down, Isabella Márquez, the president at Events TM, confirmed the event will continue to be held there until at least 2013. “The hotel guaranteed that nothing …

LONDON: Channel 4 has announced plans to become the first U.K. broadcaster to make its back catalogue available completely free of charge through its catch-up service, 4oD. Starting in July, more than 4,000 hours of Channel 4’s archived content, will …

MONTE CARLO: Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace, an original documentary that spotlights the landmark 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, officially kicked off the 49th annual Monte-Carlo Television Festival last night. This is the first time the Monte-Carlo …

LOS ANGELES: Comcast International Media Group (CIMG) has inked renewals for the E! International Network in Germany, France and the Netherlands, alongside new channel launches for E! and The Style Network in Croatia and Iceland. In Germany, Kabel Deutschland Group …

LONDON: BBC Worldwide Channels has acquired the chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross for its networks such as BBC America. Featuring a mix of comedy, celebrity chat and music, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross will air from June on …

LONDON: Ludorum’s train-based preschool property Chuggington has been picked up in the U.S. to air in Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney programming block. Slated for launch in the U.S. in spring 2010, Chuggington has been licensed to 145 territories worldwide since …

MUNICH/LONDON: TV-Loonland and France’s Gulli TV have commissioned two new seasons of the hit animated comedy Raymond, produced by Everybody on Deck. The additional 52 7-minute episodes complement the existing 26 episodes of the show. Raymond focuses on a super …