Lifestyle twosome for Portfolio's portfolio 17 Sep 2009
NEWS BRIEF: Toronto distributor Portfolio Entertainment has acquired two new titles for Mipcom, both unscripted lifestyle series from Ottawa-based independent Mountain Road Productions.
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A&E, Spike quick to air Swayze tributes 16 Sep 2009
US cable networks Spike TV and A&E have both lined-up tributes to actor Patrick Swayze, who died on Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
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Tricon inks factual deals in Europe 16 Sep 2009
Canadian factual producer-distributor Tricon Films & Television has completed a number of worldwide sales, selling titles to territories such as France, Poland and Germany.
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Discovery UK poaches Turner topper 16 Sep 2009
Discovery Networks International has poached Turner Broadcasting Europe topper Dee Forbes to be the new MD and exec VP of Discovery Networks UK.
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Nordisk agrees Titan deal 15 Sep 2009
Swedish indie Titan's catalogue of formats and finished programming is on its way to Cannes, following an exclusive representation deal with Scandinavian distributor, Nordisk Film TV World.
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Zodiak exec launches Scorpion TV 15 Sep 2009
Former Zodiak Entertainment exec David Cornwall has set up Scorpion TV, a specialist content distribution outfit, which he will launch at next month's Mipcom market in Cannes.
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TVF sets up Castle in Australia 14 Sep 2009
UK-based factual distributor TVF International has sold one-off arts doc James Castle: Portrait Of An Artist (1x53') into Australia, with other titles sold into Asia, France and Hungary.
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Orange County Fire blazes onto Fox 11 Sep 2009
Fox Reality is to premiere a reality series following the firefighters who battled the recent wildfires in Southern California.
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Zaslav inks new deal, bags raise 11 Sep 2009
Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav has extended his contract with the cable programming giant through to early 2015, in a move that saw him net a higher salary.
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More4 picks up Dominick Dunne doc 11 Sep 2009
Channel 4-owned UK diginet More4 has picked up Dominick Dunne: After The Party, a 2008 documentary looking at the titular social commentator, who passed away last month.
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Curiosity lures Hendricks back to Discovery 10 Sep 2009
Discovery Communications founder John Hendricks is returning to the channel to oversee a landmark multimillion-dollar 60-episode, five-year series exploring the essence of human knowledge.
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Discovery makes senior London hires 10 Sep 2009
Discovery Communications has hired Screen Opus founder and co-president Nicolas Bonard as senior VP of its international enterprises division to replace Caleb Weinstein, who has been promoted.
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RDFR seals deal for Ronachan docs 10 Sep 2009
RDF Rights has secured a deal to distribute a raft of factual programming from Ronachan Films, the indie set up by former Channel 4 docs chief Angus Macqueen.
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Cineflix hires rights chief 10 Sep 2009
Factual producer distributor Cineflix has appointed Canadian media veteran Stephen Tapp to head up its rights business out of Toronto.
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Optomen Eats into deals for BBC2 show 10 Sep 2009
Optomen International, the distribution arm of UK indie producer Optomen Television, has signed off on a slew of broadcast deals for BBC2's food series What To Eat Now.
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Discovery IDs StoryCentric founder 10 Sep 2009
US cablenet Investigation Discovery has appointed former Court TV exec and StoryCentric founder Ed Hersh to the newly-created position of senior VP of strategic planning.
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Off The Fence opens NY office 9 Sep 2009
Anglo-Dutch indie Off The Fence is opening a North American office in New York, and has hired an exec from Canada's Summerhill Entertainment to run it.
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Passion turns on Christmas Lights 9 Sep 2009
NEWS BRIEF: UK indie Passion Distribution has picked up Hotchkiss Industries' Invasion of The Christmas Lights (1x60'), a documentary looking at Christmas enthusiasts.
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End Of The Line for Banderas 8 Sep 2009
The producers behind controversial fishing documentary The End Of The Line have secured actor Antonio Banderas (Desperado, Zorro) to narrate a Spanish-language version of the documentary.
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Electric Sky picks up Muslim docs 8 Sep 2009
UK-based specialist factual distributor Electric Sky has secured international rights for six new titles, including Channel 4 documentary Muslim and Looking For Love (1x60').
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Living, Cineflix ink 30-hour deal 8 Sep 2009
Virgin Media Television-owned entertainment channel Living has signed a UK exclusive rights package deal with Cineflix International, securing more than 30 hours of programming.
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Oz Grand Designs gets final touch 7 Sep 2009
Australian pay-TV channel LifeStyle has found the answer to Kevin McCloud for its upcoming local production of Grand Designs.
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Woolfe: 'Five committed to high-end docs' 7 Sep 2009
PROGRAMMING THE FUTURE: Five controller Richard Woolfe has told C21 that the UK terrestrial remains committed to serious, high-end documentaries, despite the recent exits of several factual commissioners.
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VH1's Radio Star heads to UK 4 Sep 2009
London-based indie 3DD Group has sold six-part music series Video Killed the Radio Star, which it makes for VH1 USA, to a UK satellite channel.
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Hawking leads Discovery science week 4 Sep 2009
Discovery Channel Canada's Daily Planet magazine series is launching a themed week of science programming, featuring an interview with theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.
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Oliver protégé gets UKTV bow 3 Sep 2009
Rude Boy Food, a new series that sees Jamie Oliver's star pupil strike out on his own, is among a trio of commissions from UK diginet Good Food.
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Sundance Channel rises in France 3 Sep 2009
Rainbow Media Holdings has signed up a European operator to launch Sundance Channel in France.
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Nat Geo opens borders to US series 3 Sep 2009
National Geographic Channel UK has acquired a US factual series that follows the US Department of Homeland Security as it guards the country's borders.
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BBC2 unveils Restaurant side orders 3 Sep 2009
UK pubcaster BBC2 has ordered two spin-off shows from factual entertainment series The Restaurant.
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Discovery poaches ITV Global director 3 Sep 2009
Discovery Networks International has tapped ITV Global Entertainment's business and legal affairs director to head its UK and EMEA acquisitions team.
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Ten Alps, BBCWW sign pact 3 Sep 2009
Hot on the heels of its expansion into Asia, Bob Geldof-backed Ten Alps has inked a three-year distribution deal with BBC Worldwide, which will provide the UK factual indie with development funding too.
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NGTI unveils acquisitions for Mipcom 2 Sep 2009
National Geographic Television International has unveiled a range of acquisitions from new independent producer partners, as part of a Mipcom slate featuring more than 90 hours of new content.
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TVF sends Conditions to Middle East 2 Sep 2009
Factual distributor TVF International has sold controversial documentary The 10 Conditions Of Love, about exiled Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer, to broadcasters in Israel and the Middle East.
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CNBC marks downturn anniversary 2 Sep 2009
US news network CNBC is marking the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the global financial crisis with a season of programming reflecting on the recession.
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BET shows line up for fall 1 Sep 2009
African American-skewing BET Networks is offering a diverse raft of original programming this fall, including a late-night talkshow, a reality series following LA firefighters and one-off specials.
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Nat Geo, NHNZ dig up Jurassic CSI 1 Sep 2009
National Geographic Channel has commissioned New Zealand production house NHNZ to produce Jurassic CSI, a six-part series that claims to "bring the prehistoric world to life."
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Haber sells Jacko special 1 Sep 2009
New Jersey-based Alfred Haber Distribution has closed a number of international deals for the 2001 two-hour CBS special Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, The Solo Years.
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Opportunity knocks after Big Brother eviction 28 Aug 2009
EDINBURGH NEWS: Simon Dickson, Channel 4's deputy head of documentaries, is looking for "bigger, longer" documentaries to fill some of the gaps left by Big Brother's demise, he tells Adam Benzine.
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Finnish cable bow for History 28 Aug 2009
NEWS BRIEF: A&E Television Networks' History channel and its HD equivalent are making their debut on cable in Finland following a deal with local operator Welho.
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Bondi Rescue surfs around the globe 28 Aug 2009
All3Media International has sold the fourth season of Australian series Bondi Rescue into Scandinavia, New Zealand and Europe.
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Bennett to make ITV4 'less visceral' 28 Aug 2009
UK digital channel ITV4 is looking to commission a talkshow for next year - a move channel controller Zai Bennett hopes will "bring some faces" to the male-skewing, free-to-air network.
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PBS series Now flies to Cannes 28 Aug 2009
Emmy-winning PBS news magazine show Now is to be presented to the international market, after the JumpStart Productions series secured a distributor for its Mipcom debut.
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Bio orders Blank Canvas 27 Aug 2009
Foxtel-owned Australian factual channel Bio has commissioned Vast Productions to produce Blank Canvas, a documentary going behind the scenes at Sydney Dance Company.
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BBC4 to walk again with Skyworks 27 Aug 2009
NEWS BRIEF: UK diginet BBC4 has commissioned local HD aerial filming specialist Skyworks to produce three new travelogue series.
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Living signs up Goody's ex 27 Aug 2009
Virgin Media-owned UK network Living has commissioned a factual entertainment broadcast pilot called Superdaddy, featuring reality star Jade Goody's ex-partner Jeff Brazier.
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A&E lines up Jackson reality series 26 Aug 2009
US cable channel A&E is expanding its documentary special about the Jackson brothers, production on which wrapped just before Michael's untimely death, into a reality series.
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OTF Irons out German commission 26 Aug 2009
Anglo-Dutch indie Off The Fence Productions has won a German commission for a wildlife series exploring the route of the old Iron Curtain between East and West Germany.
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Portfolio cooks up fresh batch of sales 26 Aug 2009
Canadian distributor Portfolio Entertainment has made a raft of sales for cooking titles Everyday Exotic, Chef Abroad, French Food at Home, Chef At Home, Chef At Large, It's Just Food and Mountain Magic.
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Ten Alps sets up shop in Singapore 26 Aug 2009
UK factual indie production group Ten Alps has made good on plans to expand into Asia by acquiring a Singaporean prodco and putting a former BBC and Channel 4 producer in charge.
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Schleiff names ID development head 25 Aug 2009
NEWS BRIEF: Henry Schleiff, named president and general manager of Investigation Discovery earlier this month, has made his first executive appointment.
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Sky1 bags Bailey for Bird Watching 24 Aug 2009
After sending Ross Kemp to Afghanistan, UK satcaster Sky1 is heading for somewhat tamer territory, and has signed up comedian Bill Bailey to front a gameshow/nature series about bird watching.
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UK fall out 24 Aug 2009
Digital channels BBC4 and More4, the two best outlets for getting international docs on UK TV screens, have announced details of their forthcoming fall seasons. Adam Benzine reports.
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London pitch event line-up unveiled 21 Aug 2009
Factual organisations Britdoc and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program have unveiled the inaugural line-up for the first London Good Pitch, a Dragons' Den-style pitching event.
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Shine to peddle cycling doc 21 Aug 2009
Freshly repainted Shine International has landed several new distribution deals with US producers, for shows that have aired on cable channels Sundance and Showtime, and pubcaster PBS.
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BBC1 wheels out bike experiment 21 Aug 2009
UK terrestrial BBC1 has commissioned a Shine Group-owned indie to set up a large-scale science experiment involving cyclists, which will be filmed for a documentary to air this autumn.
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Beyond packs Big Coat for Cannes 20 Aug 2009
Some 60 hours of unscripted programming from Toronto indie Big Coat Productions are making their way to Mipcom, after a representation deal was forged with Australian firm Beyond Distribution.
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BBC4 lines up Nobel winners 20 Aug 2009
UK diginet BBC4 has secured access to three of Britain's most influential scientists, including two Nobel Prize winners, for a series set to air later this year.
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Five's last factual commissioner joins Tigress 20 Aug 2009
The last remaining factual commissioning editor at UK broadcaster Five has left to join recently restructured IMG Media-owned Tigress Productions.
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ITN Source grows ITV archive 20 Aug 2009
UK archive house ITN Source has sealed a clip representation deal with ITV Global Entertainment for tens of thousands of hours of content.
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Nat Geo to air 9/11 conspiracy doc 20 Aug 2009
US cable channel National Geographic is set to air a special that investigates conspiracy theories around the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
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3DD signs Peace deal in France 19 Aug 2009
London based producer-distributor 3DD Group has struck a deal with a French pay-TV service to screen this year's Peace Day concert.
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Nine loses factual head, shuffles management 19 Aug 2009
The head of factual programming at Nine Network in Australia has resigned after 18 years with the broadcaster, prompting a management shuffle.
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Stone rolls to TV with Showtime 19 Aug 2009
Hollywood producer Oliver Stone (JFK, W) is creating and executive producing a new 10x60' documentary series for US cable network Showtime.
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NHNZ enters Korea 19 Aug 2009
Kiwi production house NHNZ is continuing its ongoing expansion into Asia with its first Korean coproduction deal.
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BBC preps Lehman Bros drama, crunch season 18 Aug 2009
UK pubcaster BBC2 is lining up a "24-style" drama looking at the weekend that banking giant Lehman Brothers collapsed, as part of an autumn season reflecting on the credit crunch, C21 can reveal.
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Foxtel picks up Loose Change 18 Aug 2009
Australian pay-TV network Foxtel has picked up a controversial documentary that claims the World Trade Center attacks were a US government conspiracy.
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Passion lines up returners 18 Aug 2009
UK indie Passion Distribution has unveiled details of the returning series it has added to its catalogue, including factual-entertainment series Diet Tribe.
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Discovery's Kozak moves to Emerging Networks 18 Aug 2009
Discovery Emerging Networks has tapped a former BBC Productions USA producer to head its original programming drive.
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Food mag cooks up PBS travel series 18 Aug 2009
US magazine Gourmet is teaming up with Boston public broadcast station WGBH for a new PBS food travel series hosted by its editor, Ruth Reichl.
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BBC Lifestyle plans Boys Weekend 18 Aug 2009
Australian distributor Short Attention has sold culinary lifestyle series Boys Weekend to BBC Worldwide Channels, which will air the show across Scandinavia, Africa and the Middle East.
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Beatlemania hits BBC2, BBC4 17 Aug 2009
A documentary featuring unreleased Beatles conversations and rare studio footage will form the centrepiece of a joint BBC2 and BBC4 season of programming focusing on the band.
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Benzine takes over C21 Factual 17 Aug 2009
Adam Benzine has been promoted to editor of C21 Factual, with responsibility for developing daily, weekly and magazine content around the factual programming genre.
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Fox leaps on Octomom distributor 17 Aug 2009
US network Fox is wasting no time trying to dominate the 'Octomom' documentary niche, appointing an exclusive international distributor for its film about Nadya Suleman days before its debut.
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DSP lands fast doc on pirate attack 14 Aug 2009
UK factual producer Darlow Smithson Productions has won a commission from a US cable network to make a quick-turnaround doc about the crew of a container ship that fought off Somali pirates in April.
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Doc/Fest, JTD launch online venture 14 Aug 2009
The Sheffield International Documentary Festival is partnering with online documentary website Joining The Docs to make films from this year's festival available online, on a pay-per-view basis.
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Animal Planet fetches new series 14 Aug 2009
Discovery-owned cable network Animal Planet has commissioned a new dog-training series from US factual indie Powderhouse Productions.
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Thorp named MD of Nat Geo UK 13 Aug 2009
Jason Thorp, MD of Fox International Channels UK, has been appointed head of National Geographic Channel UK, taking over from current topper George Jeffrey, C21 can reveal.
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BBC4 doc reveals war hero children 13 Aug 2009
UK pubcaster BBC4 is marking the 70th anniversary of the start of the Second World War with a single documentary about three schoolchildren who fought the Nazis.
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Flemish launch for Discovery Channel 13 Aug 2009
Discovery Networks EMEA will launch Discovery Channel in the Flemish analogue market in October.
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Fremantle discovers India MD 12 Aug 2009
FremantleMedia has hired Discovery Asia's former Singapore-based VP to be its MD for India, with a brief to create a new local production company.
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C4 bags Beeny for renovation series 12 Aug 2009
UK terrestrial Channel 4 has commissioned indie Red House to produce a six-part home makeover show fronted by Property Ladder's Sarah Beeny, C21 has learned.
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TVO slates science docs 12 Aug 2009
NEWS BRIEF: Ontario pubcaster TVO will launch a science documentary strand on Tuesdays this fall, calling it "a brain-busting exploration of science in all its micro and macro forms."
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Brazilian producers get doc copro training 12 Aug 2009
Industry body Brazilian TV Producers is launching a training programme to help the country's producers to successfully pitch documentary coproductions to international broadcasters.
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Euro nets look down under for skin doc 12 Aug 2009
Franco-German network Arte is teaming up with European and Australian broadcasters on a number of new documentary coproductions, including one looking into how humans evolved differing skin colours.
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HBO follows Afghan Star 11 Aug 2009
NEWS BRIEF: HBO has acquired US television rights to double Sundance winner Afghan Star. The documentary, following contestants through a reality TV series, will air on the US channel in 2010.
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Discovery identifies next ID launch 11 Aug 2009
NEWS BRIEF: Discovery Networks EMEA is continuing the roll-out of its 24-hour crime and forensics channel Investigation Discovery in the Baltics by launching it in Estonia.
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Euro nets venture into Rift Valley doc 11 Aug 2009
Several European broadcasters are jointly exploring Africa's Rift Valley, in a 3x50' documentary series entitled The Great Rift that will be launched on the global market at Mipcom this autumn.
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Octomom on Fox's Radar 11 Aug 2009
US network Fox has commissioned its own fast-turnaround documentary about 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman, weeks after Eyeworks UK placed its own doc about her with Channel 4.
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NHNZ shakes up China copro 10 Aug 2009
New Zealand-based factual production company NHNZ is expanding its activities in China, teaming up with a local outfit for a documentary about the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
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Discovery's Quest for success 7 Aug 2009
Discovery Communications has been in the headlines for a variety of reasons this week, not least for its sterling second-quarter performance. Adam Benzine reports.
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C4 to go back inside nature's giants 7 Aug 2009
NEWS BRIEF: UK broadcaster Channel 4 has commissioned a second series of animal autopsy series Inside Nature's Giants.
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Scandi double for Southern Star 7 Aug 2009
One of Scandinavia's biggest broadcast groups has acquired Australian documentary series RPA and police drama Water Rats from Endemol-owned Southern Star International.
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C4 orders 9/11 doc from Darlow Smithson 6 Aug 2009
UK terrestrial Channel 4 has commissioned IMG Media-owned Darlow Smithson Productions to make a 90-minute documentary to mark the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
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CCI secures lifestyle shows 6 Aug 2009
NEWS BRIEF: Canada's CCI Entertainment has linked up with General Purpose Pictures to distribute a trio of the indie's lifestyle titles.
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C4 axes Noon, More4 news bulletins 6 Aug 2009
UK terrestrial Channel 4 is scrapping its News at Noon and More4 news bulletins, in a bid to preserve its primetime news coverage amid the economic downturn.
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New Zealand nets BBCWW nature trio 6 Aug 2009
International distributor BBC Worldwide has licensed a suite of cross-genre programmes to networks in New Zealand.
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Beyond ropes in sport doc 6 Aug 2009
NEWS BRIEF: Sydney-based Beyond Distribution has acquired international sales rights to UK-produced single documentary Jump!, which it will launch at Mipcom.
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BBC3 gets Tough with fact-ent show 5 Aug 2009
BBC3 has greenlit a new adventure series that sees five young boys cope with jobs that would "loosen the sphincter" of 99% of young Brits in seconds.
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September start for Discovery's Quest 5 Aug 2009
Discovery Networks UK has set a date of September 30 to launch its free-to-air factual channel Quest on the UK's Freeview platform.
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Discovery profits soar 5 Aug 2009
US cable group Discovery Communications saw its second quarter profits quadruple on the back of increased US ratings, a growing global subscriber base and the sale of half its kids division.
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