Top Stories

LONDON: HBO has picked up Content Television’s crime thriller series Thorne, based on the bestselling novels by Mark Billingham, for broadcast throughout Asia in 2012. HBO picked up Thorne: Sleepyhead and Thorne: Scaredy Cat, which star David Morrissey (State of Play), Natascha McElhone (Californication) and Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy). Thorne ...

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SINGAPORE: Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan’s AXN Mystery Channel are collaborating with the Hong Kong-based media company Charis Entertainment on the new series Cyril’s Family Vacation. The six-episode series, filmed exclusively in Hawaii, features Japan’s top magician Cyril Takayama, who performs in real-life situations while ...

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PREMIUM: GMA Worldwide’s Roxanne Barcelona will be seeking out animation, Korean drama, natural-history titles and movies at the ATF, as well as current-affairs docs.   What have been some of your most successful acquisitions recently? For GMA-7, the main channel, we have acquired top-rating Korean dramas such as Baker King ...

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MUMBAI: Viacom 18 has announced plans to launch its fifth channel in India, Sonic, which bills itself as the "Sci-fi platform for the Wi-Fi Generation." Launching this month, Sonic will target viewers 10 to 17, aiming to bridge the gap between kids and teens. The service will be available in ...

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NEW YORK: Ahead of the Asia TV Forum, World Screen caught up with Zee Group’s Subhash Chandra, FIC’s Ward Platt and BBC Worldwide’s Jana Bennett about how they are building on their businesses in Asia.   brightcove.createExperiences(); This special video report features interviews with Subhash Chandra, the chairman of Zee ...

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PREMIUM: The format market in Korea is “gradually growing,” says Seung Ae Sohn, the head of acquisitions at the broadcasting division of CJ E&M, who buys for a portfolio of 18 channels and recently snapped up Got Talent and Top Gear. What have been some of your most successful acquisitions ...

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BURBANK: Robert Gilby is taking on the newly created role of managing director for The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia, in addition to his current responsibilities as the managing director of Disney Media Distribution Asia Pacific. With his new responsibilities, Gilby is tasked with driving the company’s strategy, coordinating and ...

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HONG KONG: CASBAA is staging its inaugural TV Upfront: The Singapore Screenings, a half-day networking and preview event, to take place on December 13 at the Goodwood Park Hotel in Singapore. Led by the Asia TV Advertising Coalition (ATAC), the invitation-only presentations will focus on pay TV as an effective promotional ...

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SYDNEY/LONDON: ITV Studios Global Entertainment has named Dan Edwards, a former sales director for Asia at Endemol, the senior sales executive for Australia and Japan. Edwards is to report to Augustus Dulgaro, the senior VP of Asia Pacific at ITV Studios Global Entertainment. Edwards will be based at the Australian ...

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PREMIUM: Yan-Jong Wong at Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia is charged with finding high-quality shows for a diverse bouquet of pan-regional pay-TV channels, among them AXN and SET. Yan-Jong Wong, Vice President, Programming, English Content, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia   What kinds of things are you looking for to ...

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