Top Stories

LONDON/MOSCOW, May 8: Zodiak Television’s Russian business development unit, Zodiak Vostok, has completed a format deal with First Channel Russia for a new season of Stars on Stage. The first season of the Russian version of the celebrity-based format, called …

SINGAPORE, May 8: ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has inked a deal with Imagine OmniMedia, the producer of The Contender Asia, to jointly develop, produce and broadcast Sport*Star Football, a global reality football entertainment series, in Asia. The series will be …

LONDON, May 7: The BBC and ITV have rolled out their joint venture Freesat, a free digital satellite service reaching 98 percent of households in the U.K. Launched yesterday, Freesat has 80-plus free digital channels spanning television, radio and interactive—plus …

NEW YORK, May 7: Comedy Central has secured an agreement for the first broadcast-window premiere rights to a multi-picture package of comedies from The Weinstein Company. Comedy Central will have the first-window premiere rights to the full-length theatrical features Superhero …

STUDIO CITY, May 7: With revenues up 32 percent to $70.6 million in the first quarter, Crown Media Holdings, parent company of the Hallmark Channel in the U.S., has narrowed its net loss to $14.7 million, down from $40.2 million …

LONDON, May 7: Virgin1 has commissioned three one-off factual programs for its upcoming prime-time lineup, dubbed The Rude Season. Premiering this summer, the hour-long shock-doc tentatively titled My Free Boobs, from Amaze TV, explores the rising Internet trend of social-networking …

SYDNEY, May 7: VOX Germany has taken on season eight of Southern Star International’s McLeod’s Daughters, the final installment in the drama series. McLeod’s Daughters, produced by Millennium Television and Nine Films and Television, focuses on the lives of a …

ENGLEWOOD/PARIS/MIAMI, May 7: DISH Network will add Eurochannel to its international channel lineup on April 30, with all programs broadcast in their original audio with English subtitles. Eurochannel, a 24/7 network that provides a window into Europe, will be available …

HILVERSUM, May 7: Endemol International will roll out the new telenovela The Successful Mr. Pells at the L.A. Screenings next week. The Successful Mr. Pells is a co-production between Endemol Argentina and Underground, whose credits include the international hit Lalola. …

LONDON, May 7: BBC Worldwide will head to this year’s New York Licensing Show with a range of products inspired by award-winning programs such as Doctor Who, Charlie & Lola and Teletubbies. The company will showcase master toy licensee Hasbro’s …