World Screen

BURBANK: Nicki Minaj is executive producing and appearing in a new scripted comedy for ABC Family. The half-hour, single-camera comedy is based on Minaj and her family's immigration from Trinidad in the early '90s. It will be shot in her hometown of Queens, New York. Kate Angelo (Sex Tape, Will …

BEVERLY HILLS: Starz has signed Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who is the executive producer of the original series Power, to an exclusive overall deal. The two-year pact with G Unit Film & Television will see Jackson develop new projects for the network and continue as executive producer on Power. Production …

MONTEREY: According to SNL Kagan, broadcast station M&A volume in the U.S. reached $3.04 billion in the third quarter, which saw the deal announcement of Media General's proposed acquisition of Meredith Corp. Between Q1 2013 and Q3 2014, SNL Kagan registered seven consecutive quarters with deal volumes above $1 billion, driven by large …

SEATTLE: Amazon has signed a new multiyear, multi-series agreement that makes Prime Video the exclusive subscription streaming home for three new CBS summer series through 2018.  The comic thriller Braindead is the first of the new summer series that will be available to Prime members in the U.S. for streaming just four …

NEW YORK/SANTA MONICA: Sean Atkins has been named president of MTV, joining from Discovery Communications, where he was most recently the general manager and executive VP of digital media and strategy.  Atkins will oversee all creative and business operations for MTV and its sister networks MTV2 and mtvU. He will …

NEW YORK: Jon Slusser, who currently manages Spike's sports division, has become the network's senior VP of sports and specials, adding live specials and events to his existing duties. In his newly expanded role, Slusser will continue to work under Kevin Kay, the president of Spike. He will oversee the …

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK: Blumhouse Productions, the outfit behind such horror franchises as The Purge and Insidious, has entered into a branded-content production partnership with NBCUniversal. Through the venture, Blumhouse and NBCUniversal will develop Millennial-focused video content with select advertising clients that can be scaled across platforms. In addition, Blumhouse Productions, in partnership …

NEW YORK: ABC Television Network in the U.S. has picked up a second season of 500 Questions, an event game show created by Mark Burnett and Mike Darnell. 500 Questions challenges the country’s smartest people to answer 500 extremely difficult general-knowledge questions. United Artists Media Group produces the program in …

CANNES: At MIPCOM, there will be a special screening for the Showtime drama Billions, which is being presented for international buyers by CBS Studios International (CBSSI). “Billions offers a compelling story with brilliant actors that will play really well in a premium pay environment,” says Barry Chamberlain, the company’s president …

CANNES: Vision Films is attending the market with a focus on acquiring new content, in addition to scoring sales. “Our DVD and VOD label in North America is growing and we need to feed the pipeline with new films each month,” says Lise Romanoff, the company’s managing director and CEO …