News


FMNA appoints Shine America exec as new COO

FremantleMedia North America has appointed Shine Group’s US COO Lee Rierson to take on the same role at the American Idol producer. Rierson (left) will join FMNA on July 22, reporting to CEO Thom Beers. Under his remit falls production, business and legal affairs, communications and marketing, business development and strategic planning. FMNA is behind […]

UK indie sector worth £2.8bn, trade report reveals

UK independent production is now worth £2.8 billion (US$4.2 billion), according to prodcos trade body Pact. The figure, for 2012, is 14% higher than the previous year and was primarily attributed to domestic commissioners increasingly yearly investment by £307 million, the Independent Production Sector Financial Census and Survey found. A decade ago, UK indies scored […]

Viacom launches Asian pop culture channel

Viacom International Media Networks is launching J-ONE, an Asian pop culture-themed channel for the French market. Going live on October 4 on the Numericable and satellite operator CanalSat, the channel will broadcast exclusive Japanese manga series. It will also run programmes looking into Japanese culture, gameshows, magazine trend series and reality shows such as Shibuhara […]

A+E UK names ex-North One boss as programming chief

A+E Networks UK has named Heather Jones as VP of programming. Jones, who will take up the post later this month, will be responsible for A+E Networks UK’s programming strategy across the company’s channels – History, Crime & Investigation Network, H2, Bio and Lifetime – in the UK, central Europe, Benelux, Scandinavia, the Middle East, […]

FIC powers up with S.H.I.E.L.D. deal

Fox International Channels has acquired Disney-distributed US scripted series including the much-hyped superhero series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for its Spanish channels. Along with Marvel Television and ABC Studios-produced S.H.I.E.L.D., the deal also gives FIC Spanish broadcast rights to Josh Holloway-fronted Intelligence, Bradley Whitford comedy Trophy Wife, procedural Killer Woman, lottery winner drama Lucky 7 […]

Showtime’s Ray Donovan grows audience in second week

Showtime’s drama Ray Donovan has bucked the trend of new US scripted series dipping in their second week of broadcast by growing its audience by 15%. The uptick represents the first show in Showtime’s history to improve on its series premiere ratings. The audience went from a record breaking 1.35 million viewers last week to […]

ITV ‘tees up £90m bid’ for Scandi’s Nice

UK broadcaster ITV is reportedly set to continue its spending spree by preparing a £90 million (US$134.5 million) offer for Finland-based producer Nice Entertainment. UK newspaper the Sunday Times reported ITV is considering placing the offer for Nice, which counts Babes on the Bus and Celebrity Babysitter among its formats. FremantleMedia, Sony and Time Warner […]

Mobile, tablet TV revenues to hit $9.5bn ‘within four years’

Revenues from mobile and tablet television streaming is set to rocket to almost US$10 billion by 2017, according to a new report. Streaming and download services on mobile and tablet devices revenues will reach US$9.5 billion within four years, up from US$4.5 billion this year, according to Juniper Research. “In order to be truly successful […]

truTV expands Jokers brand

US cable channel truTV has given the greenlight to a third season of its pranks series Impractical Jokers, as well as ordering a new six-part spin-off show. The third season of the show, in which four friends dare each other to complete increasingly outrageous things in public, will comprise 15 episodes. It’s set to launch […]

Netflix extends CBS licensing deal

Netflix has extended its multi-year licensing agreement with CBS Corp. and will now offer customers streaming access to series such as L.A. Complex, 4400 and CSI: NY. The streaming service already offers CBS-distributed programming including Jericho, Medium, Flashpoint, Star Trek and Twin Peaks. Licenses on these programmes have also extended. “We are very pleased to […]