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MILAN: Mediaset has agreed to sell its debt in Endemol, officially exiting the investment.  The transaction is about 6 percent of the senior debt on the market, which is the remainder of its holdings. The deal is valued at approximately $96 million. The Italian commercial broadcasters purchased 33 percent of …

CANNES: The 90-minute doc special Saving the Titanic, the two-part drama Titanic and Werner Herzog’s Death Row were among the ZDF Enterprises properties that notched up deals at MIPTV this week.   Saving the Titanic was picked up by Canada’s CBC, France’s Planète, and Slovakia’s STV, which, along with Croatia’s …

CANNES: Turner Broadcasting has acquired 135 hours of programming from FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) for its new TNT channel in the Benelux. The deal covers drama, comedy and entertainment content for the new channel, launching April 10. On the drama front there’s Exile, The Crimson Petal & The White, Laconia and Holy …

LONDON: The online movie service blinkbox has signed a deal with Disney U.K. and Ireland to allow its customers to buy or rent the latest titles instantly on multiple devices, many day-and-date with their DVD release. Under the agreement, certain movies, such as War Horse from DreamWorks Films, and Disney’s The …

LONDON: Chellomedia’s Bosnian free-to-air joint-venture channel OBN has scored the broadcast rights for the UEFA Champions League for the next three seasons. The deal, which begins with the 2012-13 season, allows OBN the exclusive first pick of the Wednesday night UEFA matches, as well as the highlights, semi-finals and final. …

MUNICH: SevenOne International has sold the dramedy Lilyhammer, which stars American musician and actor Steven Van Zandt, to AB Groupe in France. Lilyhammer features Van Zandt as a New York mobster who enters the Witness Protection Program and hides out in Norway. The series has already aired on Netflix in …

LONDON: Alex Connock has been appointed to the newly created role of director of new business at Shine Group’s U.K. operation, assisting its British producers in identifying and driving new opportunities. Connock will report to joint chairmen of Shine UK, Henrietta Conrad and Jane Featherstone. He will work with the …

MUNICH: Sky Deutschland is to launch the Sky Atlantic HD channel, which exclusively presents content from HBO, on May 23. Sky Atlantic HD will premiere the second season of the hit series Game of Thrones, airing for the first time in Germany and Austria. Additional programming highlights at the launch …

LONDON: Just Spee, who has been serving as chief financial officer at Endemol, is being elevated to CEO, following the departure of Marco Bassetti.  Bassetti joined Endemol in 1997, when the Italian production outfit Aran was acquired by the group. He became chief operating officer in October 2007, then becoming …

MODENA/LONDON: Panini Media has agreed to an exclusive two-year output deal with Turkey’s SinemaTV, covering pay- and free-TV rights for fiction series, including Metal Hurlant Chronicles and Signs.  The deal is for 2012 to 2013, and also covers new production of 2013. SinemaTV is a premium pay film channel group …