Top Stories

LONDON, February 28: All3Media has made an offer to acquire the German production company MME Moviement for 7 euros per share. The acquisition is being facilitated by pertus Zehnte, a wholly owned subsidiary of All3Media that is set to be …

BURBANK, February 28: NBC has renewed the drama series Las Vegas for a fifth season through 2007-2008. Currently in its fourth season, Las Vegas is averaging 9 million viewers with a 2.8 rating and an 8-percent share among adults aged …

TOKYO, February 28: In April, Japanese MSO Jupiter Telecommunications (J:COM) will begin rolling out a slate of new premium channels for its digital customers, including the classical music network Classica Japan. Classica Japan, distributed by Classica-Japan Corporation, launches on J:COM’s …

LOS ANGELES/TORONTO, February 28: Blueprint Entertainment, founded by former Alliance Atlantis executives John Morayniss and Noreen Halpern, has secured a multimillion-dollar investment from Robert Lantos and Jeff Sagansky. The financing will be used to boost Blueprint’s international presence and its …

TORONTO, February 28: Emmy Award-winner Jenji Kohan, the creator and executive producer of the Lionsgate series Weeds, has been added to this year’s line-up of Master Class speakers at the Banff World Television Festival (BWTVF). The BWTVF will take place …

LONDON, February 28: The music VOD service i-concerts has secured a U.K. distribution deal making its programming available on the upcoming global broadband content platform Joost. Joost will feature approximately 20 hours of i-concerts programming that will be refreshed regularly. …

SYDNEY, February 28: Disney Channel Australia has commissioned a new original comedy series As the Bell Rings, which will premiere in Australia and New Zealand later this year. Disney Channel has commissioned FremantleMedia to produce the pilot of the show, …

BRIGHTON, February 28: Australia’s Network Ten has acquired BBC Worldwide’s 13×50-minute drama Torchwood, and has committed to the second season that is currently in production. Torchwood is about an international team of investigators led by Captain Jack Harkness, an American …

LOS ANGELES, February 28: Cookie Jar Entertainment’s animated series Johnny Test will return to Kids’ WB! on The CW for a third season consisting of 13 additional episodes. The new episodes of the series are being produced for the network’s …

LONDON, February 28: With the deadline for BSkyB and Virgin Media to hammer out a carriage deal just hours away, the satellite platform has proposed a new alternative, according to local reports: retailing the five basic channels, including the flagship …