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NEW YORK, January 15: AETN has closed a number of deals for BIOGRAPHY: Barack Obama, less than a week ahead of his historic U.S. presidential inauguration. The hour-long program has been licensed to ATV in Hungary; ETB and Telemadrid in …

LONDON, January 15: The BBC has commissioned a second season of Basil’s Swap Shop, a live studio-base kids’ show from The Foundation, a part of the RDF Media Group, and represented by Entertainment Rights. The series, which began its 12-week …

LOS ANGELES, January 15: Adness Entertainment has finalized a broadcast licensing deal with TV Globo in Brazil for the live-action franchise Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. The series, to debut in fall 2009, follows the adventures of Kit Taylor as he …

LONDON, January 15: Five has commissioned Windfall Films to produce Helicopter Warfare, a 4×1-hour series that spotlights dangerous and courageous helicopter missions. The series highlights daring helicopter rescues of the Vietnam War and the Falklands War, as well as missions …

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 14: Dawn McCall, the former president of Discovery Networks International, has aligned with ten other ex-Discovery Communications staffers to set up a media consultancy business. International Media & Entertainment Partners will work with clients on improving their …

LOS ANGELES, January 14: Lionsgate will present a live musical revue, A Night on the Town with ‘Mad Men’, as part of this year’s NATPE market and conference as a fundraiser for the NATPE Educational Foundation, which promotes the association’s …

HILVERSUM, January 14: Following news that Paul Johnson is stepping down as the director of the television division at Reed MIDEM, Endemol has announced his appointment as its global head of marketing and brand partnerships. In his new role, Johnson …

HOLLYWOOD, January 14: Melissa Segal is joining The Jim Henson Company to head up its relaunched consumer-products division, which plans to release the first merchandise for Sid the Science Kid in fall 2009. Segal joins The Jim Henson Company as …

CULVER CITY, January 14: In a move to expand its non-fiction programming output, Sony Pictures Television has acquired Michael Davies’ outfit, Embassy Row. Davies is best known for bringing Who Wants to be a Millionaire? to the U.S. The deal …

LONDON, January 14: Japan’s WOWOW channel has picked up the first three seasons of the hit C4i comedy series Peep Show to air later this year. C4i has also sold the British comedy to 2×2 in Russia, FX Channel in …