World Screen

SEOUL: Later this summer, the CJ E&M entertainment channel tvN is slated to begin airing Friends Over Flowers, a new variety show that follows on the success of Grandpas Over Flowers and Sisters Over Flowers. Friends Over Flowers will watch as one group of middle-aged Korean musicians travel to Peru, …

This interview originally appeared in the MIPTV 2014 issue of TV AsiaPac. In the fast-developing media markets of Southeast Asia, Astro has become, particularly over the last few years, the company to watch. Reaching 52 percent of the Malaysian population, Astro is making sure its customers can access content the …

SYDNEY: ABC Television in Australia is refreshing the branding of its main channel, which is being renamed from ABC1 to ABC. The channel will get a new on-air look, described as "bold, simple, raw and real" by ABC. The new tagline will be #ourABC, with the hashtag meant to encourage audiences …

HONG KONG: FOX International Channels (FIC) is bringing a slew of shows to its key channels in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia within hours or days of their original premiere, including The Walking Dead and Da Vinci's Demons. In all, there are more than 25 shows that FIC has slashed …

BEIJING: Yu Dong, the founder, chairman and CEO of Bona Film Group, has purchased 21st Century Fox's entire 19.3 percent stake in the company for $71.4 million. The sale is subject to customary closing conditions. An affiliate of 21st Century Fox acquired the ownership interest in Bona in May 2012. …

HANGZHOU/SANTA MONICA: Lionsgate has teamed up with Alibaba Group to form Lionsgate Entertainment World (LGEW), a subscription streaming service for mainland China. The service will be available exclusively through Alibaba's latest generation of set-top box. It will deliver instant access to Hollywood blockbusters from the Lionsgate catalogue such as the …

LUXEMBOURG: RTL Group has terminated its joint-venture agreement with the Indian media company Reliance Broadcast Network through which the companies operated the male-skewed action channel BIG RTL Thrill. The JV between RTL and Reliance Broadcast Network was formed in May 2011 and operated the BIG RTL Thrill channel, which launched …

SYDNEY: The latest Australian Multi-Screen Report finds that Australians are watching more broadcast TV year-on-year and their take-up of new connected devices is also increasing. The majority of Australians still watch TV at home and watch it live. In Q1 2014, Aussies watched an average of 93 hours and 16 …

MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide Productions in India has received commissions for two new youth-skewing daily dramas to air on the local feed of MTV. The shows will air on MTV India from Monday to Friday, reaching some 35 million homes, in the 6 p.m. slot. MTV Fanaah—An Impossible Love Story is …

HONG KONG: WarnerTV in Asia will premiere the new FOX series Gotham, repped by Warner Bros. International Television, across the region shortly after its U.S. debut. The show will be "fast-tracked to Asian screens exclusively on WarnerTV," the pan-regional channel announced today. The Warner Bros. Television-produced show tells the origin …