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LONDON: Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) and BET International have revealed that BET will launch a 24-hour channel and multiscreen service in France next month. The channel will offer a window into "U.S. Black Culture" inspired by urban culture, music, fashion and society. It is slated to begin broadcasting on …

MONACO: This year’s edition of SPORTELMonaco welcomed 994 companies from 75 countries, registering a 24-percent increase in new participating companies. The annual convention, which kicked off on October 12 and wraps up tonight, saw a total of 2,786 attendees, according to SPORTEL general manager Amparo Di Fede. Next year’s event …

LONDON: UKTV has partnered with Creative Skillset to host an Open Doors event for young people seeking to learn about the television industry. Set to take place on November 18, the event is part of UKTV’s efforts to offer industry access for young people. It provides individuals aged 16 to …

MAINZ: Alexander Coridass has extended his contract as president and CEO and spokesman of the management board at ZDF Enterprises to 2020. Coridass has helmed the company since 1998. He said, “There is a clear direction for the years to come: we will continue to develop German and international projects for both …

LONDON: Stuart Murphy, Sky’s director of entertainment channels, has announced his departure from the role in order to pursue other creative opportunities. Murphy has been with Sky for six and a half years. During that time, he has overseen the expansion of the Sky entertainment channels, Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, …

LONDON: ITV has agreed to acquire 100 percent of UTV, which owns the television assets of UTV Media, for £100 million ($155 million). When the acquisition is complete, ITV will own 13 of the 15 regional licenses for the Channel 3 network; the combined business will benefit from ITV’s continued …

LONDON: Ofcom is bringing the regulation of U.K. VOD program services in-house, taking over for co-regulator Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD) starting January 1. The decision follows an Ofcom review, which found that acting as sole regulator for VOD programs would be a more effective model for the future than …

PARIS: The French OTT platform Molotov, which was created by Jean-David Blanc and Pierre Lescure, has secured deals with more than 80 channels ahead of its launch. The platform was announced in June by Blanc, the founder of French cinema entertainment service AlloCiné, and Lescure, founder of CANAL+. Ahead of …

PARIS: Roku is delivering its streaming players in France, offering channels such as Netflix, YouTube and France 24. Other channels available in France are Google Play, Spotify, YouTube and Daily Motion, as well as the soon-to-be-added from LA VOD videofutur, Deezer, ARTE and others. Roku is rolling out three streaming …

LONDON: UKTV has rolled out its on-demand service UKTV Play for Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. The service provides catch-up and on-demand access to programs from UKTV’s free-to-air channels Dave, Yesterday, Really and Drama. The UKTV Play app on Amazon Fire TV devices includes a new feature that …