Top Stories

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 …

TORONTO, May 6: The Banff World Television Festival, set for June 8 to 11, will present its Outstanding Achievement Award to ABC Studios, with the company’s president, Mark Pedowitz, due to attend. On June 9, ABC Studios will be honored …

LOS ANGELES, May 6: Vince McMahon, the founder of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), will receive the Promax/BDA Lifetime Achievement Award during its upcoming 53rd annual conference, taking place June 17 to 19 at the Hilton New York Hotel. In addition …