Top Stories

LOS ANGELES, September 28: MarVista Entertainment has acquired the international distribution rights to the teen movie Taking 5 (outside of the U.K.) and the Christmas classic The Secret of the Nutcracker (outside of Canada) for launch at MIPCOM. Taking 5 …

NEW YORK, September 28: CBS has launched EyeLab, an editing studio dedicated to creating promotional content to be distributed across CBS Interactive platforms. The new short-form video content will be produced by fans, online content editors and producers of CBS …

LONDON, September 28: Pilot Productions will be unveiling the new 6×30-minute series Metropolis, focusing on urban architecture and design, at MIPCOM. Hosted by an architectural historian, Metropolis reveals the architectural influence, nature and foundation of some of the most recognizable …

BURBANK, September 28: The Walt Disney Company is closing down its branded cell-phone service for kids at the end of this year and is looking instead to develop a partnership with “a major U.S. carrier.” The mobile virtual network (MVNO) …

NORWALK, September 28: CABLEready has picked up the exclusive multiplatform U.S. and international distribution rights from The New York Times for its signature TimesTalks interview series. CABLEready plans to offer up 34 one-hour episodes of the series, filmed in 2006 …

BURBANK, September 28: In the hotly contested Wednesday 9 p.m. slot, Bionic Woman won the night in the coveted 18-49 demographic against ABC’s Private Practice, CBS’s Criminal Minds and FOX’s Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Bionic Woman followed by Life at 10 …

LONDON, September 28: BBC Worldwide’s Digital Delivery team, the recently launched online unit of the BBC’s commercial arm, has announced a series of new appointments. The new team, formed in May as a central resource for all of BBC Worldwide’s …

OSLO, September 28: Schibsted, which is active in newspaper publishing, online businesses and TV and film production, has taken full control of Metronome Film & Television by acquiring Endemol’s 35-percent stake in the Scandinavian production company for SEK 145 million …

LONDON, September 28: Coolabi, the TV production and licensing company behind King Arthur’s Disasters and Sir Gadabout, among others, has reached a deal to acquire the production outfit Indie Kids for an undisclosed sum. Indie Kids is responsible for such …

SAN FRANCISCO, September 27: VIZ Media has licensed the Death Note anime series to Adult Swim, Cartoon Network’s late-night programming block, for broadcast in the U.S. beginning at midnight on Saturday, October 20. Death Note has spawned two successful live-action …