Top Stories

CANNES: There is an increased level of interest from global broadcasters for the content coming out of Russia, according to Julia Matiash, the director of SOVTELEEXPORT, the distribution company of Russia Television and Radio. The company is offering The Spy, centered on a German espionage agent living in the early …

ENGLEWOOD: Liberty Global has acquired 25.3 million shares in Ziggo, taking a 12.65-percent stake in the Dutch cable operator for approximately 632.5 million euros ($810.3 million). Liberty Global purchased the shares from Barclays Capital Securities for around 25 euros per share. The acquisition will be funded through a non-recourse margin …

MUNICH: Thomas Ebeling is to remain as the CEO of ProSiebenSat.1 Media until 2017, extending his current contract. Ebeling has held the post since March 1, 2009. Gotz Mauser, the chairman of the ProSiebenSat.1 Supervisory Board, said: “Under the leadership of Thomas Ebeling, the ProSiebenSat.1 Group achieved a record result …

LONDON: On the heels of the company’s most successful year, UKTV has enhanced its commissioning team by hiring Iain Coyle and Hilary Rosen. Both Coyle and Rosen will report to senior commissioning editor Richard Watsham and will work across the company’s entertainment catalogue. A former executive producer at Endemol, Coyle helped …

LONDON: Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, produced by ITV Studios, has been reordered by ITV, where it is slated to return in 2014. The hit show watches as hosts Ant (Anthony McPartlin) and Dec (Declan Donnelly) spring surprises on audience members and viewers in the U.K. It also includes …

CANNES: There are companies of all sizes and profiles housed under the Audiovisual from Spain banner. “Under the umbrella you can find executives and products from the major broadcasters of Spain such as Antena 3, La Sexta and Mediaset España as well as the strongest independent production companies such as …

CANNES: The big-budget disaster movie Heroes features a star-studded German cast. It comes from Dreamtool Entertainment, which is also behind the successful treasure-hunters trilogy that includes The Charlemagne Code, The Spear of Destiny and The Hunt for the Amber Room. Heroes will be on offer from Global Screen at MIPTV, …

CANNES: For more than 30 years, Daro Film Distribution has been supplying blockbuster theatrical films, action series, TV movies and more to the global market. At MIPTV the company is focusing on the new launches Sinkhole and Secret Liaison. Sinkhole follows the events that unfold after a massive sinkhole swallows …

MOSCOW: The event organizer Reed MIDEM, behind MIPTV and MIPCOM, among others, is teaming up with Digital October for the first MIPAcademy Moscow, to be held May 13. This new full-day event will target Russian TV industry and digital content creators by providing them with a number of masterclass sessions and …

PARIS: Thandie Newton, Famke Janssen, Gene Simmons, Eli Roth and Max Irons are among the stars heading to Cannes for this year’s MIPTV. Thandie Newton (Crash, Mission: Impossible II) will be promoting Entertainment One’s Rogue. The show’s creator, writer and supervising producer, Matthew Parkhill (The Caller), and its executive producer and …