Top Stories

PARIS, August 31: France's Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry has authorized the merger of French pay-TV platforms CanalSat and TPS. Lagardere is joining Vivendi, TF1 and M6 in the merged Canal+ France venture, taking a 20-percent stake with ...

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BERLIN/CULVER CITY, August 31: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) announced today plans to roll out its Blu-ray Disc (BD) titles beyond North America, beginning this fall. The rollout will begin in the fall, coinciding with the first availability of Blu-ray ...

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MUNICH, August 31: Discovery Networks International is set to launch its new free-to-air channel DMAX in Germany tomorrow (September 1), targeting male viewers aged 20 to 39. DMAX is targeting young, upscale men with a range of international and German ...

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LOS ANGELES/LONDON, August 31: Elisabeth Murdoch’s British production outfit Shine is working with Twentieth Television on My Games Fever, a participation television game show that will launch on MyNetwork TV at the end of this year. Slated for a December ...

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LONDON, August 31: RDF Media Group has reached a deal to acquire the Glasgow-based indie The Comedy Unit for initial consideration of £6.5 million, £4 million of which will be payable in cash and £2.5 million in RDF shares. The ...

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LONDON, August 31: Icon Film Distribution, the British arm of Mel Gibson’s outfit Icon, has signed a deal with Arts Alliance Media (AAM) to make its movies available on a download-to-rent basis in the U.K. The titles will be available ...

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WASHINGTON, August 31: National Geographic Channels International has commissioned Lion Television to produce Outbreak Investigation, a six-part series that looks at the world’s most baffling outbreaks of diseases. The 6×1-hour production rolls out this fall on the channel in 163 ...

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BURBANK, August 31: Hilary Estey McLoughlin has been named president of Telepictures Productions, where she succeeds Jim Paratore, who last week announced plans to set up a full-service television production company, paraMedia inc. During her tenure at Telepictures Productions, McLoughlin ...

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BURBANK, August 31: Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD) is establishing a new structure for its European management team, with Robert Blair and Jose “Pepe” Abad splitting oversight of the sales team, and Mickie Steinmann relocating to Canada. Blair, who ...

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WINNIPEG, August 31: CanWest Global Communications has appointed Derek H. Burney as Chairman of the Board, where he succeeds the interim chairman David Drybrough. Drybrough has held the position since March 2005, after then-chairman Frank McKenna stepped down to become ...

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