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LONDON: DRG has added two new executives to its team: Richard Halliwell, formerly with BBC Worldwide, and Wayne Davison, who previously worked at Shine. Halliwell was previously the commercial director for entertainment formats at BBC Worldwide. He now becomes chief operations officer at DRG, responsible for day-to-day operations. Davison comes …

LONDON: Magnolia Italy has appointed Endemol Italia's Leonardo Pasquinelli as its new managing director, while CEO Ilaria Dallatana steps down from her current post. Francesca Canetta, the company's chief content officer, is also exiting. Dallatana and Canetta helped to create Magnolia Italy in 2001. Dallatana will remain on the board …

LONDON: Georgette Schlick, formerly the CEO of SBS Broadcasting, has been tapped to lead FremantleMedia's Blue Circle entertainment label, while Willem Zijlstra, a FremantleMedia veteran, has been tapped to increase drama production through his label FourOne.Media. Zijlstra will be overseeing all drama production through FourOne.Media. He started his career as …

LONDON: CBS Chello Zone has firmed up an agreement with the Polish DTH platform nc+, formed through the merger of Cyfra+ and n, for carriage of several channels from its portfolio. The deal is for the Universe+ Package, which includes CBS Drama, CBS Reality and CBS Action, being made available …

LEEDS: Screen Yorkshire has doubled its content fund for film, TV, games and digital production in the U.K., receiving £7.5 million ($12.3 million) from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This additional money will be invested in projects that start by the end of 2015. The funding is open to …

ISTANBUL: Al Jazeera has launched in Turkey with an online portal, mobile applications and digital magazine, with a TV channel to come later. Al Jazeera Türk is available in the Turkish language. It is the latest member of the Al Jazeera Media Network, which already has channels broadcasting in Arabic, …

BEVERLY HILLS/MOSCOW: Starz Worldwide Distribution has firmed up a multiyear, multiplatform content licensing and distribution deal with Russia's Amedia regarding current and future Starz original series and other content. The agreement covers Russia, Georgia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan …

LONDON: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is now available to TalkTalk subscribers, delivering shows such as Community, The Tudors and Life on Mars.  Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks operates a bespoke version of the SET channel for the U.K., where it also features British series. Viewers can access comedies such as …

SILVER SPRING/PARIS: Discovery Communications has acquired TF1 Group's controlling interest in Eurosport International, increasing their larger partnership that was first announced in December 2012. Discovery increases its interest 20 percent to 51 percent. The flagship Eurosport network reaches 133 million homes across 54 countries. Eurosport's businesses include Eurosport 2, Eurosport …

LOS ANGELES: Attendees heading to this year's NATPE Europe, taking place for the first time in Prague, may now sign up for early bird registration and exhibition space. Discounts are being offered to delegates and exhibitors who commit before Friday, March 21. NATPE Europe is being held from June 23 to 26 …