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UNTERFÖHRING: Sky Deutschland and HBO have extended their existing exclusive contract, through which the German outfit remains the home of HBO through the end of the decade. Sky will continue to exhibit HBO's programming to the end of 2019. All premium productions will continue to premiere exclusively on Sky in …

STOCKHOLM: Hanna Stjärne has been named CEO of the Swedish public broadcaster SVT. Stjärne currently serves as editor-in-chief and CEO at the publishing group UNT. She will take up her new position as SVT’s CEO within six months. Stjärne has had several executive positions in the public service radio company …

LONDON: Natasha Mitchell is joining Zodiak Media as VP of group strategy, coming from a strategy role at NBCUniversal. Mitchell will be working alongside a new executive management team to further build out Zodiak Media's global footprint. She will be responsible for the development of the group's corporate strategy, identifying …

STOCKHOLM: In ramping up its focus on digital, Sweden's TV4 Group has tapped Anna Rastner for the role of head of digital programs. Rastner is currently the head of editorial business development at Mittmedia. She will now take on responsibility for the enhancement and development of TV4 Group's television provision …

UNTERFÖHRING: The management board and supervisory board of Sky Deutschland have advised minority shareholders not to accept an offer from BSkyB, saying that the current bid undervalues the pay-TV operator. In July, BSkyB agreed to buy the 57-percent stake in Sky Deutschland that is owned by 21st Century Fox for …

PREMIUM: Anke Schäferkordt, co-CEO of RTL Group, outlines the ways the company is serving advertisers and viewers in today’s multichannel, multiscreen world. TV EUROPE: This year marks the 30th anniversary of RTL Television. What did RTL offer viewers that they couldn’t get from the public broadcasters ARD or ZDF? SCHÄFERKORDT: RTL …

LONDON: Michael Vine is stepping down as director of Objective Productions, the light-entertainment indie he co-founded in 1996 with Andrew O’Connor. Vine will continue to manage talent through his agency, Michael Vine Associates. He will also pursue TV and movie projects. Objective is known for such Derren Brown specials and series …

LONDON: UKTV has commissioned the scripted comedy Undercover for its channel Dave, due out next year. The 6×40-minue series follows an undercover police officer who finds himself out of his depth when he infiltrates an Armenian crime family. The show is shot on location in Newcastle and stars Daniel Rigby …

LONDON: Channel 4 has commissioned a new drama-doc, Cyber Bully (working title), which stars Maisie Williams of Game of Thrones fame. In the new commission, Williams plays a teenage girl battling with her anonymous cyber-stalker in a real-time thriller, which comes from the makers of Blackout. The plot is inspired …

BRUSSELS: Today marks the launch of Netflix in Belgium and Luxembourg, capping off a week that saw the service introduced in France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. More than 63 million broadband households in these six European countries can now subscribe to Netflix and instantly access exclusive Netflix original programming and …