World Screen

LONDON: Broadcast Text International (BTI) has acquired Chello Zone’s operational studio business in Eastern Europe. The long-term versioning agreement will see the majority of all localization needs within Chello Zone’s channel portfolio provided by BTI. “As leaders in their field, Broadcast Text International are well placed to take over our …

LONDON/BEIJING: China Central Television (CCTV) is using Vision IPTV’s Internet broadcast playout service to deliver a trio of Chinese-language channels on FreeviewHD. Through FreeviewHD channel 111, using an Internet-connected TV or set-top box, customers can access three free-to-watch channels of live 24-hour broadcast. CCTV Channel 9 features films and dramas; CCTV Channel …

LUXEMBOURG/ATHENS: RTL Group is exiting the Greek broadcasting market, selling its 70-percent majority shareholding in Alpha Media Group to entrepreneur Dimitris Contominas. Subject to approval by the Greek Competition Commission, the deal is expected to close in the first quarter of this year. Contominas currently owns a 30-percent share in …

LONDON: Shine Group has acquired the online broadcaster and original content producer ChannelFlip, which specializes in short-form video. ChannelFlip, founded in 2008 by Justin Gayner and Wil Harris, is among the largest creators of quality short-form online video programming in the U.K. Its original in-house productions include David Mitchell’s Soapbox, …

LONDON: Both ITV and BBC Worldwide have signed deals with LOVEFiLM, bringing to the service titles such as Prime Suspect, Doctor Who and Planet Earth. The SVOD agreement with ITV brings LOVEFiLM recent hits such as Marchlands and Above Suspicion, as well as classic crime series, including Inspector Morse, and British …

LONDON: Elisabeth Murdoch, the chairman of Shine Group, has signed on to deliver the keynote address at this year’s MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival. Murdoch will be the first woman to deliver the lecture since Janet Street-Porter in 1995. She is only the fourth woman since its inception in 1976. …

LOS GATOS: Netflix has made its official debut in the U.K. and Ireland, available for a monthly fee of £5.99 following a one month free trial. Neil Hunt, the chief product officer at Netflix, announced the launch yesterday. "I’m proud to have led the product team that brings Netflix to …

STOCKHOLM: Modern Times Group (MTG) has signed an agreement to acquire Latvijas NeatkarÄ«gā TelevÄ«zija (LNT), the second largest free-TV operator in Latvia. LNT broadcasts national channel LNT, the Russian-language channel TV5 and entertainment channel LMK. This adds to MTG’s existing free-TV operations in Latvia, TV3, 3+ and TV6 channels. The …

LONDON: Sky has purchased a 10-percent stake in the zeebox social media service, with plans to integrate the technology into its own mobile apps to create an "augmented TV" experience. The functionality will allow Sky consumers to connect with friends around TV shows, find information about what’s on TV and …

LONDON: ITV has extended its broadcast rights deal for live coverage and highlights of the Tour de France until 2015. In a new agreement with the Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.), ITV4 will continue to broadcast live daily coverage throughout the Tour, as well as daily evening highlights. ITV will also …