World Screen

BURBANK: The digital series Backpackers, a CW Seed original produced by Shaftesbury U.S. and Smokebomb Entertainment, is moving from online to the broadcast network The CW this summer. Backpackers will premiere with ten original half-hour episodes on The CW on a date to be announced. The first four episodes contain material …

NEW YORK: Oxygen Media is bringing seven new series to the network's schedule as part of a rebranding planned for later this year targeting modern, young women. Fix My Choir is a music-driven series that gives struggling choirs the chance to get some mentoring from the gospel superstar Deitrick Haddon …

EL SEGUNDO/ATLANTA: The Weather Channel is returning to DirecTV, having resolved a carriage spat that saw the network being dropped from the service in January. The companies have settled on a new agreement, the financial terms of which have not been disclosed. The new pact sees The Weather Channel reducing …

PASADENA: NBC has embarked on a grassroots initiative in an effort to discover fresh comedic voices, with an advisory board that features A-list talent such as Aziz Ansari, Jason Bateman, Mindy Kaling and Amy Poehler. Dubbed NBC Comedy Playground, the initiative is designed to invest in new cutting-edge comedy through …

SEATTLE: Amazon Studios has greenlit two new pilots, The Cosmopolitans with Adam Brody and Chloë Sevigny and Marc Foster's Hand of God, as part of its third pilot season debuting later this year on Amazon Instant Video. As with past pilot seasons, customers will watch the shows, provide feedback and …

NEW YORK: Alison Moore has become the general manager and executive VP of TV Everywhere for the content distribution group at NBCUniversal (NBCU). In her newly created post, Moore will be charged with overseeing NBCU’s TV Everywhere initiative. Her duties will include establishing a team to enhance consumer experience and …

NEW YORK: ReelzChannel presented three new original series at its first-ever Upfront event in New York, including the scripted miniseries The Disciples. Part of its mission to feature faith-based entertainment, the six-hour The Disciples presents the story of Jesus' 12 Apostles. Debuting in 2015, it comes from Associated Television International. The …

ATLANTA: Steve Koonin, the president of Turner Entertainment Networks, is leaving the company to take on the role of CEO of the NBA team the Atlanta Hawks. Koonin had been with Turner for 14 years, most recently overseeing programming, marketing, scheduling, strategy and operations for the networks TNT, TBS, truTV …

NEW YORK: As it awaits its time in front of the Supreme Court, Aereo is continuing to increase its distribution, with its latest launch, on Google's Chromecast, set for May 29. The cloud-based antenna and DVR technology will be Google Cast Ready next month, allowing current members and consumers residing …

SANTA MONICA/VANCOUVER: Lionsgate has forged a partnership with RocketJump Studios, a digital studio that is behind the hit web series Video Game High School, for the creation of film, TV and digital content. RocketJump was founded four years ago and has now launched a broad range of properties on YouTube …