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NEW YORK, February 7: Sesame Workshop is partnering with NDR and Ki.Ka in Germany and Five’s preschool block Milkshake! in the U.K. to produce two seasons of The Adventures of Bert and Ernie, a claymation spin on two of Sesame …

AMSTERDAM, February 6: Cable revenues in Europe rose 12 percent to 18.8 billion euros in 2006, according to a report presented today at Cable Europe, the European Cable Communications Association’s annual conference. According to the research, European cable revenues doubled …

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 6: National Geographic Channels International has promoted Rafael Sandor to senior VP of creative and marketing and has hired Stephen Hunter as senior executive producer and Jennifer Williams as director of digital media. Sandor will supervise the …

BRISBANE/BENTONVILLE, February 6: Wal-Mart Stores has unveiled the beta version of its new video download service, offering up movie and TV titles from Disney, Lionsgate, MTV Networks and a slate of other providers. Available at www.walmart.com/videodownloads, the beta service is …

NEW YORK, February 6: VOOM HD Networks’ Gallery HD, a high-definition channel in the U.S. devoted to the visual arts, is launching a Sunday afternoon programming block, Opera and an Omelet, featuring well-known operas from around the world. The block …

LONDON, February 6: Setanta Sports will launch on the British DTT platform Freeview on March 1 with a £10.99 a month subscription fee. Last October, Setanta announced a deal with Top Up TV to join the Freeview line-up, where it …

LOS ANGELES, February 6: DIC Entertainment has named Mattel as its master toy partner for the upcoming merchandise launch of the tween entertainment brand SPG: The Slumber Party Girls. Last year, DIC formed a partnership with Geffen Records to jointly …

HILVERSUM, February 6: MTV in the U.S. has commissioned an additional 40 half-hour episodes of Exposed, Endemol International’s high-tech dating format. Exposed, which debuted on January 1 in the U.S. and airs Mondays through Thursdays at 6 p.m., is pulling …

NEW YORK, February 6: The N, the nighttime network for teens, has begun production this week in Makaha, Hawaii, on 14 new half-hour episodes for the third season of its hit teen surf drama Beyond the Break, scheduled to premiere …

LOS ANGELES, February 6: iToys has secured the North American lead toy license for Cookie Jar Entertainment’s hit preschool property The Doodlebops and is expected to roll out a new line of toys based on the show this fall. The …