Nelvana


Henson hires kids TV veteran Maizes

The Jim Henson Company has hired Sarah Maizes as vice president of children’s entertainment. In the newly-created role at the kids producer and distributor she will focus on the production of preschool and older kids content. She joins Henson having been a producer on Dot., the kids show Randi Zuckerberg created and produced for TV […]

Breton’s Federation adds distribution exec

France-based producer and distributor Federation Entertainment has hired Leyla Formoso to head up its drama sales efforts in Latin America. The French-Venezuelan sales exec will be in situ ahead of the MIPCancun, which starts tomorrow, and be shopping Federation’s dramas to local buyers. The Federation slate includes Canal+ series The Bureau, Netflix French original Marseille, […]

Rainmaker buys Frederator, EH to form WOW!

Canada’s Rainmaker Entertainment has acquired kids companies Frederator Networks and Ezrin Hirsh Entertainment, paying a total of C$22.2 million (US$16.2 million) to create a combined company. Once the ‘arms-length’ mergers are complete, the combined Rainmaker, Frederator and EH will become WOW! Unlimited Media. This Toronto-based firm will have a newly formed board and a reorganised […]

Kids TV veterans launch Bento Box unit

A trio of veteran children’s television executives have partnered with Bob’s Burgers prodco Bento Box Entertainment to create a new kids and family production and licensing firm. In the Night Garden creator and Teletubbies co-creator Andrew Davenport (right) and senior ex-Nelvana execs Irene Weibel and Andrew Kerr will work together on Sutikki, the new Bento […]

Corus moves Teletoon originals exec to Nelvana

Canada’s Corus Entertainment has moved an original programming boss at its kids network Teletoon to production arm Nelvana. Athena Georgaklis has been named head of development, and will lead rights acquisition and original content development for the studio. She takes up her post immediately, reporting to Nelvana president Scott Dyer, and working closely with the […]

Disney Channel buys Nelvana, Sony toon

Disney Channels Worldwide has acquired Hotel Transylvania: The Television Series, which comes from Canada’s Nelvana and Sony Pictures Animation in the US. The 26x22mins series is based on the film franchise, which has grossed more than US$820 million at the worldwide box office. It will air on Disney Channel in the US, Europe (excluding Germany), […]

Corus to put Shaw deal to the vote

Canada’s Corus Entertainment has convened a special meeting at which shareholders will vote on its proposed C$2.65 billion (US$1.91 billion) acquisition of Shaw Communications’ media assets. Toronto-listed Corus announced its intention to buy Shaw Media in January, but the deal still need the thumbs up from shareholders. Announcing the special meeting, Corus urged stockholders to […]

Corus in ‘game-changing’ C$2.7bn Shaw deal

Toronto-listed Corus Entertainment is to pay C$2.65 billion (US$1.86 billion) to buy rival Shaw Media. This marks the latest round of top-level consolidation in the Canadian television and telecommunications market, coming under three years after Corus rival Bell Media bought Astral Media for C$3.4billion and during the emergence of DHX Media as a new major […]

Bento Box, Nelvana launch Canuck studio

Bob’s Burgers and Bordertown prodco Bento Box Entertainment is expanding out of LA after striking an agreement to launch a studio in Canada in collaboration with Corus Entertainment-owned Nelvana. Bento Box Canada will look to make primetime animation for the Canadian 18-34 demographic, representing Bento Box’s first international move and Nelvana’s maiden voyage into adult-skewing animation. […]

Nelvana, Sony making Hotel Transylvania series

Nelvana is making a series based on the animated feature film franchise Hotel Transylvania. The original movie, from Sony Pictures Animation, was released in 2012 and the second instalment comes out later this year. It follows Dracula and the hotel he runs for monsters seeking a vacation. Canadian prodco Nelvana, part of Canadian media giant […]