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NEW YORK: ESPN International has picked up distribution in the Caribbean for the UEFA European Football Championship 2012 and 2016. The rights are part of ESPN’s broad agreement with the UEFA for the European Football Championships until 2017. The 2012 tournament will air on ESPN Caribbean and ESPN2 Caribbean networks …

NEW YORK: Bravo Media has appointed Andrew Wang to the newly created role of VP of scripted development and production.   The move comes as Bravo expands into scripted programming. Wang will be based in Los Angeles and will report to Eli Lehrer, the VP of development and original programming. …

LONDON: ZenithOptimedia has revised its ad-spending forecast for the U.S. slightly upward, predicting a 3.6-percent bump. The forecast is that overall spending on major media will reach nearly $160 billion. The new figure is a tenth of a percentage higher than ZenithOptimedia predicted in December, when it first issued its …

SANTA MONICA/VANCOUVER: Lionsgate is teaming up with founder and former chairman Frank Giustra and his Thunderbird Films outfit for a new venture, Sea to Sky Entertainment. The television partnership is aimed at producing programming for broadcast and cable networks. Sea to Sky Entertainment will focus on generating a broad range …

NEW YORK: HISTORY has ordered its first scripted drama series, Vikings, from Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) Studios. The network has given the show a full-season commitment. Vikings will chronicle the world of the mighty Norsemen, who raided, traded and explored during medieval times. The series will premiere in 2013. Filming …

HOLLYWOOD: Mance Media has formed a partnership with Bennett Productions, in a deal that includes exclusive worldwide distribution rights for Bennett’s TV library. The library consists of lifestyle and action sports series such as HDNET’s Bikini Destinations and ION Television’s The MEN7 Show. Under the agreement, Mance Media and Bennett …

LOS ANGELES: TV5MONDE USA is launching a new monthly journalism series, to premiere tonight, which features news reports produced by United Nations Television. The series, 21st Century, presents subjects on global issues such as human rights violations, conflicts, poverty, the environment and climate change, among others. Journalist Charlotte Le Grix …

NEW YORK: Sony Pictures Television has licensed the off-network rights for the NBC comedy Community to Comedy Central. The comedy returns to NBC with all-new episodes tonight at 8 p.m. The show heads to Comedy Central in fall 2013, with all three seasons set to air. "Within the chaos of …

NEW YORK: CBS has picked up 18 returning series for the 2012-2013 broadcast season, including How I Met Your Mother, Person of Interest and 2 Broke Girls. The renewals include four comedies: How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls and Mike & Molly; nine dramas: …

SANTA MONICA: Miramax has added Marna Grantham, the senior VP of domestic and Latin America sales, and Gloria Lee, the director of digital sales, to its international sales team today. Grantham will be based in Santa Monica and report to Joe Patrick, the head of worldwide sales. She will oversee …