Top Stories

LOS ANGELES, May 1: First Look Studios has appointed Dean Wilson, previously with Blockbuster Inc., as its COO, reporting to CEO Trevor Short and to Avi Lerner, the co-chairman of First Look Holdings, which acquired control of the studio earlier …

NEW YORK, April 30: 4Kids Entertainment has upped senior VP Carlin C. West to executive VP of acquisitions and development, where she will be charged with directing the online and retail launch of the multiplatform trading card game Chaotic this …

MADRID, April 30: Spain’s Telefónica and a group of Italian investors are shelling out 4.1 billion euros for a controlling stake in Telecom Italia. In winning the stake, the consortium beat out U.S. giants like AT&T and Mexican mogul Carlos …

CULVER CITY, April 30: Sony Pictures Television is culling its archive of TV dramas from the 1970s and 1980s to produce three and a half-minute mobile clips, dubbed minisodes. According to the New York Times, the studio will be repurposing …

LONDON, April 30: According to the Independent Production Census, developed by Pact, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking and KPMG, the British indie sector generated £1.88 billion in revenues in 2006, a 9.8 percent increase on 2005. The report also notes …

SANTA CLARA, April 30: California-based VUDU says it has lined up content deals with seven Hollywood studios in order to offer subscribers access to more than 5,000 titles directly on their television sets, without requiring a PC or a cable …

SANTA MONICA, April 30: Ovation TV, the only 24-hour U.S. cable network devoted exclusively to the arts and personal creativity, will re-launch in conjunction with its premiere on DIRECTV on June 20, with plans to initiate an aggressive multiplatform strategy …

TORONTO, April 30: The 14th annual Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival awarded more than C$50,000 in cash prizes to six films in official competition, along with a slew of other awards, on Friday, April 27, at a ceremony at …

WARSAW, April 30: Disney Channel has boosted its presence in the Polish market—which it entered in December 2006—reaching a multiyear deal with the cable operator Aster to bring the kids’ network to subscribers across Poland, starting tomorrow. Launched in Poland …

TORONTO, April 30: As part of its new eco-friendly initiative, the Banff World Television Festival (BWTVF) has announced that broadcaster and award-winning scientist David Suzuki, actress Daryl Hannah and acclaimed scientist, explorer, conservationist and author Tim Flannery will participate in …