Top Stories

LONDON, August 17: British independent Seven Stones Media has been asked by BBC Two to create a 10×30-minute prime-time version of its daytime series Return to Tuscany. The show will run in a 7 p.m. slot, beginning this fall. Sold …

LONDON, August 17: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has announced several new appointments as it looks to boost its home entertainment and archive sales businesses. David Bealing has been appointed to the newly created position of commercial director, home entertainment. In this …

JERSEY CITY, August 16: Monarch Films has sold the documentary America Rebuilds II: Return to Ground Zero to NHK in Japan and Taiwan’s Public Television Service, with other sales pending. The one-hour documentary will air on PBS stations in the …

BRIGHTON, August 16: Electric Sky has acquired the worldwide distribution rights to titles from Blakeway Productions, Prospect Pictures, Michael Hoff Productions and Freeform, ranging from timely documentaries to lifestyle series. Included in the acquisitions is Blakeway’s Clash of Worlds, a …

LONDON, August 16: In conjunction with the expansion of the companies’ advertiser-funded activities, Flextech and UKTV have announced the promotion of Claire Heys to controller of commercial partnerships and the appointment of Sally Quick as the head of commercial partnerships. …

EMERYVILLE, August 16: MobiTV has appointed Kay Johansson as chief technology officer for the company, which provides television and digital radio services for cellular, WiFi and broadband-enabled devices and personal computers. Johansson will oversee the creation, development and deployment of …

STAMFORD, August 16: Global paid product placement spending in TV, film and other media is expected to climb 38.8 percent to $3.07 billion in 2006, according to a study released today by the Connecticut-based research firm PQ Media. Global paid …

HAMILTON, August 16: Central European Media Enterprises (CME) will appeal a Ukrainian court ruling issued today that says that local businessman Igor Kolomoisky is entitled to a 70-percent stake in Studio 1+1, in which CME currently holds a 30-percent stake. …

LONDON, August 16: The reality series The Race, The Big Idea and Cirque de Celebrité and a HD concert with Robbie Williams headline Sky One’s fall slate. Cirque de Celebrité will run over a ten-week period and will be hosted …

NEW YORK, August 16: Juniper Partners Acquisition has signed a deal to acquire Firestone Communications, the Texas-based company that owns and operates ¡Sorpresa!, the Hispanic kids’ network, in an all-stock transaction. Once the deal closes in the fourth quarter of …