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LONDON/BUDAPEST, June 20: MTV Networks International (MTVNI) has extended the reach of the hit Nickelodeon property SpongeBob SquarePants in Central and Eastern Europe by closing several new deals with key commercial broadcasters in the region. Top Channel in Albania and …

TORONTO/LONDON, June 20: DECODE Entertainment has been commissioned by The Family Channel in Canada to produce a second season of 26 22-minute episodes of the tween comedy The Latest Buzz. "We wanted a sitcom and DECODE delivered,” said Sandra Walmark, …

COPENHAGEN, June 20: As DISCOP kicks off today in Budapest, Zodiak Television World has concluded a range of deals and options for new game show and reality formats launched at MIPTV. The game show Pin Code, from Zodiak-owned Broadcasters, has …

LONDON, June 20: Prior to the start of DISCOP today, ALL3MEDIA International secured a raft of new deals for its drama catalogue in Eastern Europe. The Romanian broadcaster Pro TV has acquired three additional seasons (seasons 7-9) of the drama …

STAMFORD, June 20: World Wrestling Entertainment has reached licensing agreements with fashion distributors Hybrid Tees and Fifth Sun to roll out WWE-branded apparel into major mass and mid-tier retailers as well as specialty and independent stores throughout the U.S. Traditionally, …

NEW YORK, June 20: News Corporation is said to be exploring the possibility of swapping its MySpace social networking site for a 25-percent stake in Internet giant Yahoo!, reports indicate. The discussions are still at a tentative stage, according to …

LOS ANGELES, June 20: Rigel Entertainment will be at DISCOP this week with an extensive lineup of theatrical features and prime-time TV movies, including seven titles made for Lifetime Television in the U.S. Seven movies made for Lifetime Television in …

LONDON, June 20: According to new figures from Ofcom, subscriptions to Freeview have risen to 8.4 million for the first quarter of this year, surpassing BSkyB’s 8 million subscribers. According to the British media regulator, 80.5 percent of U.K. homes …

MUMBAI, June 20: BBC Worldwide’s Global Channels division has named Nachiket Pantvaidya as general manager for South Asia. Pantvaidya will be responsible for leading the Global Channels team in the region and managing the growth strategy for BBC-branded channels, reporting …

BURBANK, June 20: In the wake of Laurie Younger’s decision to retire as the president of Disney-ABC Worldwide Television in January 2008, The Walt Disney Company is forming a new global television distribution division under Ben Pyne. Until her retirement, …