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LOS ANGELES: Lifetime has hired a new exec to help oversee the development and production of its original movies. Tia Maggini, formerly of Josephson Entertainment, joins the network as VP of original movies. She’ll be based in Los Angeles, where she’ll report to Tanya Lopez, Lifetime’s senior VP of original …

PORT WASHINGTON: There will be some 204 million connected TV devices in use in the U.S. in 2017, twice the number of Internet households, according to market research from NPD. The 204 million includes video game consoles, streaming media players, Blu-ray Disc players and Internet-connected TV sets, NPD says in …

LOS ANGELES: From August 21 to September 1, for 24 hours a day, FXX will air nothing but The Simpsons, with 25 seasons—a whopping 552 episodes—set to air on the cable network. FXX has slated the marathon to celebrate its acquisition of the exclusive cable and authenticated non-linear VOD rights …

ATLANTA: Katz Broadcasting's over-the-air networks Escape and Grit have inked a multi-year deal with Paramount Pictures covering the broadcast rights to almost 200 feature films. Escape, targeting women 25 to 54, will be able to air titles such as The Accused, Dead Man Walking, Basic Instinct, The Hours, The Virgin …

BURBANK: Asylum Entertainment has inked an overall TV deal with the outfit set up by actress and singer Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) to produce family and young-adult content. At Blondie Girl Productions, Ashley and her sister Jennifer Tisdale, VP of development and production, will create and develop scripted and …

LOS ANGELES: PBS's upcoming programming highlights unveiled at TCA include a four-hour doc on Walt Disney, six new MAKERS specials and the broadcast of season four of BBC's Call the Midwife. Walt Disney, a two-night event, will premiere in the fall of 2015, directed and produced by Sarah Colt and …

NEW YORK: According to market researcher TNS, the number of U.S. homes that are streaming video content is on the rise, though most also still subscribe to a traditional pay-TV service. The study, which surveyed the telecommunications behavior of more than 20,000 U.S. households, found that 34 percent of homes …

LOS ANGELES: Former Alaska governor and one-time U.S. VP candidate Sarah Palin has launched her own subscription-based online video network, the Sarah Palin Channel. The network is available on the TAPP platform, which was founded by Jeff Gaspin, the former chairman of NBC Universal Television, and Jon Klein, the former …

LOS ANGELES: MarVista Entertainment has taken on distribution for two new Hallmark Channel original movies, When Sparks Fly and The Nine Lives of Christmas. When Sparks Fly is a romantic drama written by Carol Starr Schneider and directed by Gary Yeates. It stars Meghan Markle (Suits), Christopher Jacot (Beyblade: Shogun …

NEW YORK: The Comedy Central series Drunk History and Nathan for You have each been renewed for third seasons. Drunk History is based on a popular web series, featuring liquor-fueled narrations of stories from history. Nathan for You is a docu-reality comedy series featuring Nathan Fielder. These two join Comedy …