Top Stories

NORWALK, June 20: Hubbard Broadcasting’s ReelzChannel has acquired all seven seasons of CABLEready’s The Directors in advance of its September 27 U.S. rollout. The series, first launched on Starz Encore, profiles Hollywood’s top filmmakers, among them Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, …

LOS ANGELES, June 20: TV Guide Channel continues its new focus on original content by announcing Trapped in TV Guide, a weekly one-hour hidden-camera series hosted by Growing Pains alum Tracey Gold. Trapped TV Guide puts unsuspecting fans in the …

MALIBU/NEW YORK, June 20: Jakks Pacific has signed a multi-year, multi-product licensing agreement with HIT Entertainment to develop a range of merchandise based on Barney. Categories will include learning toys and plush, with product slated to begin hitting retail stores …

LONDON/MADRID, June 20: Granada International and Zinkia Entertainment’s preschool series Pocoyo has secured free- and pay-TV slots in Spain with TVE and Boomerang, and has sold to RTP in Portugal. The 3-D animated series, re-commissioned for a second season by …

NEW YORK, June 20, 2006: Taffy Entertainment will announce a major product launch for Cartoon Network’s hit animated program Code Lyoko at Licensing Show this week. A new toy line, created by Marvel Toys, will be available exclusively at Toy …

HILVERSUM, June 19: Endemol International has acquired the select worldwide rights to produce local versions of the music talent format Singalong. Endemol has a one-year-option on the show, developed by Sweden’s Friday TV. The deal for worldwide rights excludes the …

LONDON, June 19: Granada International’s Dancing on Ice format has been sold to the Slovakian commercial network TV JOJ. The channel will produce 14 episodes of its own version of the show for launch later this year. The format, first …

LONDON, June 19: Celador International has acquired the worldwide television rights to the game show format Mr & Mrs, which ran on ITV in the 1970s and 1980s. Celador International has acquired the rights from Derek Batey Enterprises and the …

LONDON, June 19: British independent Flashback Television has appointed Channel 4 International as the worldwide distributor for the period drama Beau Brummell—This Charming Man, produced for BBC Four. This is the first BBC drama project to be acquired for international …

PALISADES PARK, June 19: Alfred Haber Inc. (AHI) is to continue distributing the Annual Grammy Awards, via a new deal with The Recording Academy. The deal for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in 2007 marks AHI’s 18th consecutive year of …