Top Stories

LONDON, June 26: The BBC’s head of comedy, Jon Plowman, will step down later this year in order to return to making shows for the broadcaster. Plowman took over responsibility for the BBC’s comedy output in the 1990s and ushered …

MAINZ, June 26: ZDF Enterprises has taken on the worldwide rights to event productions from UFA and teamWorx, as well as the German-language rights to properties from the U.K.’s Wall to Wall. The UFA production Port of Hope—The Last Voyage …

BURBANK, June 25: The Walt Disney Company is shifting away from direct-to-DVD animated sequels like The Lion King 1½, announcing a shakeup at its DisneyToon Studios (DTS). The division produces sequels like The Lion King 1½ and Lilo & Stitch …

LOS ANGELES, June 25: Program Partners has cleared the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation in more than 85 percent of the U.S. market for a fall syndication launch in September. The series has recently been added to 33 …

TORONTO, June 25: CTVglobemedia Inc. (CTVgm) has completed its acquisition of CHUM Limited after having satisfied all of the conditions for approval set out by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). All of the assets of CHUM Limited have …

TORONTO, June 25: Sara Morton has been named as the new CEO of The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT), following the resignation of Maria Topolovich, who held the position for more than 25 years. Morton will take up …

LOS ANGELES, June 25: Paris Hilton will give her first post-jail interview on Larry King Live on CNN this week. The news of the CNN appearance follows reports that both ABC and NBC had been in talks with Hilton and …

NEW YORK, June 25: ABC News will cut some 35 jobs over the next two years as part of a restructure to move more resources into digital media, according to wire reports. The AP reports that the network's news president, …

SYDNEY, June 25: Southern Star International has sold the long-running Australian medical drama All Saints to BBC One for a slot on the daytime schedule, beginning in July. Produced by Seven Network, All Saints currently airs in Australia in prime …

LONDON, June 25: Five has commissioned Feelgood Fiction to produce a second season of the award-winning series Suburban Shootout, centered on two competing gun-toting gangs of vigilante housewives. A co-commission with Paramount Comedy, Suburban Shootout garnered a Golden Nymph award …