World Screen

LONDON: Syco Entertainment has appointed Ben Todd to the role of head of media for the U.K., effective April 10. Todd will be responsible for Syco Entertainment’s public relations and media-related activity in the U.K. for Syco’s music and television properties, including The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Red or …

PARIS: Reed MIDEM’s Laurine Garaude highlights the new pre-MIPTV event MIPCube, which aims to spotlight innovation in digital media.   One of MIPTV’s accelerator events, taking place alongside MIPDoc and MIPFormats on the Friday and Saturday before the market, MIPCube is being billed as "the innovation lab for the future …

MUNICH: A number of series from ABC Studios, including Desperate Housewives, Cougar Town and Castle, are being made available through LOVEFiLM’s online video library in Germany. The agreement sees new complete seasons of ABC Studios shows added each month. Titles include Lost, Scrubs, Private Practice, The Ghost Whisperer and Legend …

NEW YORK: Liberty Global has broadened its relationship with AMC/Sundance Channel Global, resulting in extended carriage across Europe. Sundance Channel will make its debut in Romania on Focus Sat, while the channel’s distribution gets expanded in Hungary with a launch on Liberty Global’s UPC cable system. An expanded carriage deal …

TORONTO/LONDON: Charlotte van Weede has been appointed to the newly created role of head of sales for Entertainment One’s (eOne) international film division, based in the company’s London office. Van Weede will report to Sally Caplan, the managing director, and they will work closely with Charlotte Mickie and her Canadian-based …

LUXEMBOURG: Net profit at RTL Group was up 8.9 percent last year, while revenue grew 4.2 percent to 5.765 billion euros ($7.6 billion). Full-year profit reached 795 million euros ($1 billion). EBITDA was relatively flat at 1.134 billion euros ($1.46 billion). Much of the growth is attributed to strengths at FremantleMedia …

PARIS: Roma Khanna, the president of the television group and digital at MGM, is the recipient of the inaugural MIPCube 2012 Media Architect of the Future Award, to be presented during a Visionary talk on March 31. The award recognizes an industry figure who has helped define the new TV landscape, …

LONDON: BBC Two has commissioned Hebburn, a comedy based on comedian Jason Cook’s upbringing in North East England. Cook, who is writing the show along with Graham Duff, will play the lovable yet rogue Ramsey, inspired by Chris Ramsey. The character version of Jason leaves his small town for Manchester …

LONDON: Total advertising revenue for television in the U.K. was up 2.2 percent in 2011, reaching a new record high of £4.36 billion ($6.85 billion), according to Thinkbox. The total U.K. ad market rose approximately 1.5 percent, which means that linear TV’s share of total advertising has increased for the …

LOS ANGELES/PARIS: The second edition of DISCOP Istanbul had a 25-percent increase in attendance over last year’s inaugural edition. A total of 337 companies from 51 countries and 628 delegates attended the event, with 128 international exhibiting companies. This is an increase of 33 exhibiting companies compared to last year. …