Top Stories

LONDON, September 4: A new report from Screen Digest predicts that the online movie distribution market will be worth $1.3 billion in the U.S. and Western Europe by 2011. According to Online Movie Strategies: Competitive Review and Market Outlook‚ the …

BERLIN/LONDON/NEW YORK, September 4: Ulrich W. Klein has been tapped to fill the position of Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products’ (NVCP) VP of consumer products for Germany, based in Berlin. While leading the consumer products team in Germany, Klein is …

MOSCOW, September 4: Russian broadcaster CTC Media has made a $65 million cash investment to take a stake in Kazakhstan’s Channel 31, and plans to launch a new station in Uzbekistan. In Kazakhstan, CTC Media gains a 20-percent interest in …

HAMILTON, September 4: Central European Media Enterprises (CME) has secured a 60-percent ownership in Ukraine’s Studio 1+1, the license company of the Studio 1+1 Group. The stake was secured with CME’s completion of the registration of a 42-percent direct ownership …

LONDON, September 4: Season five of Doctor Who is not due to launch on BBC One until 2010, two years after season four hits British screens next spring. In the interim, a special Christmas episode starring David Tennant and Kylie …

KIEV/LONDON, September 4: MTV Networks International (MTVNI) has launched MTV Ukraine, a dedicated 24-hour cable and satellite channel and website for local audiences. The launch is part of a multiyear licensing agreement with Horizon Capital, a leading private equity fund …

SILVER SPRING, September 4: MTV Networks International executive Sahar Elhabashi is joining Discovery Networks International (DNI) as COO, reporting to president and CEO Greg Ricca, himself a former MTVNI executive. Elhabashi will be based in London and will manage the …

LONDON, September 4: The peer-to-peer-based Internet TV platform Babelgum has revealed further information and updates regarding the terms and conditions of its recently announced online film festival, which will now be open to all film school students per director and …

KIEV, September 4: YS Film, the Ukrainian production company recently acquired by Zodiak Television, will produce the satirical daily puppet show Pupsnia for Ukrainian broadcaster TET. Pupsnia will air begin airing on TET on September 10, to coincide with the …

LONDON, September 4: Zeal Entertainment has announced a list of international buyers that have commissioned local versions of the U.S. NBC hit Singing Bee, including Nine Network Australia and Antena 3 in Spain. Nine Network is creating 8 30-minute episodes …