News


Fifth of BBC budget ‘to go in licence fee plan’

UK pubcaster the BBC could see around a fifth of its budget wiped away when the Conservative government announces its latest Budget. It emerged over the weekend a plan to make the BBC pay for the licence fees of people over the age of 75 was being revived. This is estimated to cost the Corporation […]

Channel 5 made £12.9m loss before Viacom deal

Channel 5 made a £12.9 million (US$20.1 million) loss in its final financial results before Viacom acquired the UK broadcaster for £450 million last year. The network’s accounts for the nine months to September 30, 2014, revealed the operating loss, which compared with a £32.4 million operating profit in full-year 2013. US giant Viacom acquired […]

Aussie SVOD platform adds BBC docs

Australian on-demand platform Presto has acquired several documentaries from BBC Worldwide’s local Australasian arm. The 100-hour agreement with BBCWW Australia & New Zealand includes Brazil with Michael Palin, Michael Palin’s New Europe, Stephen Fry and the Great American Oil Spill, Fry’s Planet World and 18 Louis Theroux titles such as The Most Hated Family in […]

Liberty’s UPC buys TV3 for €80m

Liberty Global subsidiary UPC Ireland has agreed to buy Irish commercial broadcaster TV3 for a purchase price of €80 million (US$88.4 million). UPC Ireland agreed the deal with the privately owned channel’s parent company, Doughty Hanson, and said it will substantially fund the deal through “existing liquidity”. TV3 operates two free-to-air channels – flagship network […]

UTH Russia makes $200m CTC Media bid

Russian broadcast group UTH Russia has made a formal offer to buy 75% of CTC Media for US$200 million, ahead of changes to Russian law that will limit foreign ownership of media companies. If approved, the deal will see CTC will fall in line with new legislation that will require media companies in Russia to […]

BBC kids boss issues license fee rallying call

The new head of the children’s services at the BBC has called upon the wider industry to rally behind the UK pubcaster in the run up to Charter Renewal. Alice Webb, director of BBC Children’s, also said that her division will look at making content for older kids now that fellow PSB Channel 4 has […]

Reed MIDEM plots MIPCancun expansion

Event organiser Reed MIDEM is planning on an expanded second edition of Latin American-focused market MIPCancun. Following the Cancun, Mexico-based event’s launch last year, the 2015 edition will be held on November 18-20, with what Reed MIDEM describes as an “expanded” line-up. Fifty-one buyers from 16 countries such as Brazil, Canada and the US are […]

NBC continues to Do That

US broadcast network NBC has commissioned a second season of Israeli-created celebrity talent show I Can Do That. The second run will comprise eight episodes after the first (pictured) scored an average 1.7 rating and a strong share of the 18-49 demographic. “This series thrust our celebrities out of their comfort zones and into exciting, […]

Univision confirms IPO plan

US Hispanic broadcaster Univision is going public after filing for an IPO. The plan, which has been in the works for months, will see Univision Communications offer an unspecified number of Class A common stock on a currently unannounced stock exchange. Pricing of the IPO has not been revealed either, though the company posted full-year […]

France 2 to remake UK home format

France 2 has commissioned a local version of Fill Your House For Free, a British interior design format. The show was among UK broadcaster Channel 4’s top five rated lifestyle shows in 2013, and now makes its international debut. BBC Worldwide France will produce the show, which will be known locally as Atelier Deco and […]