Top Stories

EL SEGUNDO, April 4: DIRECTV has added TV Nanny, Russia’s first children’s channel, to its WorldDirect programming platform. TV Nanny is a 24/7 network that provides entertaining and educational programming for kids, while teaching the values and traditions of the …

NEW YORK, April 4: Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group has unveiled plans to develop and produce additional virtual worlds, following the success of its Neopets and Nicktropolis sites, beginning with one for SpongeBob SquarePants. A virtual world based on SpongeBob …

LOS ANGELES, April 4: Promax/BDA has unveiled a diverse lineup of speakers, including James Lipton, the creator, writer, executive producer and host of Bravo’s Inside the Actors Studio, for its 53rd annual North American Promax/BDA Conference, slated to take place …

NEEDHAM/LOS ANGELES, April 4: Echo Bridge Entertainment has inked a deal to acquire Alliance Atlantis International Distribution from Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, adding some 7,500 titles to its distribution catalogue. Through the share purchase agreement, Echo Bridge Entertainment will distribute …

LONDON, April 4: Gerry Donohoe will step down as managing director of Granada Ventures at the end of this month. Donohoe will leave the company, part of ITV Worldwide, at the end of April after supporting the merger of Granada …

NEW YORK, April 4: Cartoon Network has revealed its programming lineup for 2008, which includes new series like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a sequel to the live-action movie Ben 10: Race Against Time, and the return of the hit …

LOS ANGELES, April 4: The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) has named Denise O’Connor as the VP of business development. O’Connor will be responsible for managing sales and sponsorship activities for all year-round events, including NATPE’s annual Conference …

WEST PALM BEACH, April 4: ION Media Networks will extend the schedule for its flagship channel, ION Television, to an additional hour of entertainment programming from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. each weekday, with three new series joining the channel’s …

TORONTO, April 4: Licensing and distribution veteran Irv Holender has taken the helm of The Fremantle Corporation as director and principal. Holender’s career includes high-level stints in licensing for Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount and WB’s Looney Tunes, in addition to …

LONDON, April 4: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has acquired the global DVD, digital and TV rights to the Sex Pistols concert at London's Brixton Academy in late 2007 that celebrated the 30th anniversary of the punk band’s album Never Mind the …