TLC programming chief quits     14 May 2008     Subscriber content
 TLC's recently appointed senior VP of programming Brant Pinvidic is exiting the LA-based cabler after just 10 months to set up his own production company.
SPTI promotes global ad sales VP     14 May 2008
NEWS BRIEF: Sony Pictures Television International has promoted Jamie Weissenborn from VP of global advertising sales to senior VP of digital media and global advertising sales for SPTI's international networks.
ABC unveils new schedule     13 May 2008
ABC has taken the wraps off its fall season schedule, with a US version of Brit format Life on Mars filling the Thursday 22.00 slot and Ashton Kutcher's quizzer Opportunity Knocks on at 20.00 on Tuesdays.
UK formats among CBS series orders     13 May 2008
FormatsLab archive US network CBS has ordered six new series ahead of its 2008 Upfront presentation in New York tomorrow, including two based on scripted formats from UK broadcasters ITV and the BBC.
Fox picks up Secret Millionaire     13 May 2008     Subscriber content
 US network Fox is to make an American version of RDF Media's UK reality series Secret Millionaire, it has confirmed ahead of its Upfront announcement in New York on Thursday.
KidsCo debuts in Hong Kong     13 May 2008
 NEWS BRIEF: Now TV, Hong Kong's biggest pay-TV service, has added the KidsCo channel to its IPTV platform, which already carries Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network services.
Distraction scores German sales     13 May 2008
FormatsLab archive Distraction's decision to set up a German base earlier this year is paying off, with three significant deals in the country for formats The Next Great Leader, Trade Up and DNA.
Televisa takes Taffy toons     13 May 2008     Subscriber content
 Hola Entertainment, the Latin American sales agent for LA-based animation distributor Taffy Entertainment, has brokered Mexican sales deals for two top toons.
Mullally onboard ABC's Handbook     13 May 2008
Will & Grace stalwart Megan Mullally has been tapped to star opposite Alicia Silverstone in ABC comedy project Bad Mother's Handbook, while casting has also been announced for drama Finnegan.
CCTV left holding BabyTV     13 May 2008
 Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has sealed a programming deal with US-owned tots TV channel BabyTV for child development content dubbed into the local language.
Wild sales for Nelvana     13 May 2008
 Canadian cartoon distributor Nelvana Enterprises has closed a suite of sales deals following last month's MipTV, with shows sold in Spain, Belgium and Latin America.
Mun2 in production push     13 May 2008
Mun2, the bilingual, youth-skewing affiliate of US Latin channel Telemundo, has greenlit several new original productions for its 2008/09 schedule.
Endemol, 2way link up for gamer format     13 May 2008     Subscriber content
FormatsLab archive Holland's 2waytraffic International and Endemol International have signed a multi-territory deal for Ba Ba Boom, 2way's new questionless gameshow format.
NBC gives advertisers new Experience     13 May 2008
"I apologise for the terrible weather," outgoing Late Night host Conan O'Brien quipped at the NBC Universal Experience in New York's wet Rockefeller Plaza yesterday, "but it's just something else that NBC imported from Britain."
Cameras roll on La Plante miniseries     13 May 2008
Filming has begun on three-part miniseries The Commander (3x60'), the fifth in the crime franchise commissioned by UK terrestrial ITV1 and produced by La Plante Productions.
Cartoon looks to next two decades     13 May 2008     Subscriber content
 2008 marks European animation association Cartoon's 20th birthday. Its secretary-general Marc Vandeweyer reflects on two decades in the business and future challenges ahead for the industry.
BKN catches up with Speed Racer     13 May 2008
 NEWS BRIEF: BKN International has signed a deal with Speed Racer Enterprises for L&M rights for the company's eponymous kids series in certain territories around the world.
Erky Perky finds US, Scandi buyers     13 May 2008
 NEWS BRIEF: Toronto distributor CCI Entertainment has sold Erky Perky, its 3D animated children's copro with Sydney-based Ambience Entertainment, into Denmark, the US, Canada and Asia.
CW aims to clean up with Filthy series     13 May 2008
FormatsLab archive NEWS BRIEF: US terrestrial The CW has taken its pilot How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls to series under the title Surviving the Filthy Rich, ahead of its Upfront presentation later today.
CBBC orders NHU wildlife series     13 May 2008
 NEWS BRIEF: CBBC has commissioned what it's calling its most ambitious presenter-led natural history series ever, from the award-winning BBC Natural History Unit (Planet Earth, Blue Planet).
Sesame charges up Electric Co     13 May 2008
 NEWS BRIEF: Sesame Workshop has confirmed that production on the long-planned revival of classic kids show The Electric Company (26x30') will start today in New York City and New Jersey.
Tata Sky hits two-million mark     13 May 2008
NEWS BRIEF: Indian DTH satellite pay-TV platform Tata Sky has clocked up its two-millionth subscriber, just 20 months since the joint venture between Tata Group and Star TV was launched.
Signs of the Zodiak     13 May 2008     Subscriber content
FormatsLab archive Zodiak's Patrick Svensk is boldly going into markets where most European production houses have yet to sell a format. He gives Ed Waller a snapshot of what the Scandinavian company is up to next.
Life on ABC for Mars format     12 May 2008
FormatsLab archive UK scripted format Life on Mars and Aston Kutcher-produced quizshow Opportunity Knocks both look set to make it into ABC's fall schedule, ahead of the network's Upfront tomorrow afternoon.
NBCU tracks down Fox exec     12 May 2008
The executive who oversaw the growth of the Fox International channels in France has been poached to run programming out of London for NBC Universal's global networks division.
NBCU linked to All3Media takeover bid     12 May 2008
US studio NBC Universal has approached UK-based global production house All3Media, parent company of producers including Lion Television and Lime Pictures, about a possible takeover.
RDF conjures up Comedy Demon     12 May 2008     Subscriber content
 UK superindie RDF Media will launch its long-touted online comedy portal this summer, dropping the working title Rough Cuts and going live as Comedy Demon, initially offering 1,000 hours of content.
Axe looms over Fox duo     12 May 2008
Industry insiders have suggested that Fox is about to pull the plug on drama New Amsterdam and comedy Back to You, while the US network is expected to save most of its new series until mid-season.
Microsoft unveils Messenger TV     12 May 2008
 Microsoft is today launching Messenger TV, a new offering on its MSN instant messaging service, across Europe, and has unveiled a range of content deals with providers such as the UK's Channel 4.
MRC to programme CW's Sunday night     12 May 2008
US broadcaster The CW has outsourced its 2008/09 Sunday night line-up to stateside indie Media Rights Capital.
Fox, 20th hatch out Inkubator     12 May 2008
 Fox Broadcasting and 20th Century Fox TV have launched an animation project, called Fox Inkubator, and poached the exec VP from South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker's company to head it.
Bebo, Endemol prepare for Gap Year     12 May 2008
 Social media network Bebo has confirmed May 21 as the date it will launch The Gap Year!, its round-the-world reality web series, developed in partnership with Endemol.
NBC lines up Late Night host, reality series     12 May 2008
Saturday Night Live comedian Jimmy Fallon is expected to be named as Conan O'Brien's Late Night With… successor at the NBC Upfront-that-isn't later today.
Hit bags DVD rights to Bear and Beeps     12 May 2008
 Global children's rights owner and studio Hit Entertainment has signed up to represent Southern Star preschool shows Bear Behaving Badly and The Beeps in the UK DVD market.
Japan format big in Scandinavia     12 May 2008     Subscriber content
FormatsLab archive Scandinavian distributor Zodiak Television World has become the latest company to come on board Danish format Big in Japan, snapping up format rights for Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.
Roberts quits GSN to set up LA indie     12 May 2008
Former Sky One commissioning editor Jamie Roberts has resigned as head of programming at US network GSN and intends to set up his own production indie.
Darlow wins Nat Geo four-parter     12 May 2008
 NEWS BRIEF: National Geographic Channels International has commissioned a series from IMG Media-owned Darlow Smithson Productions, to be hosted by Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond.
ITV2 seeks Fashion Project followers     12 May 2008
 UK diginet ITV2 has commissioned Shine-owned Princess Productions to make The Fashion Project, a new fashion-focused weekly entertainment format.
MTV picks up The Phone     12 May 2008
FormatsLab archive NEWS BRIEF: Dutch gameshow format The Phone has been greenlit for US production, with American Idol prodco FremantleMedia North America and Justin Timberlake producing the series.
Telemundo, TV Globo to clone novela     12 May 2008
FormatsLab archive NBC-owned network Telemundo is set to adapt Brazilian telenovela El Clon (The Clone) for the Spanish-speaking US Hispanic market.
Bright Sparks     12 May 2008     Subscriber content
FormatsLab archive Representing 20 indie production companies in 50 countries, global formats exchange Sparks Network is the latest major player to take a suite at C21screenings. However, the organisation sees itself a little differently from those it sits alongside, reports Adam Benzine.
Buck Productions finds key to success     12 May 2008     Subscriber content
 Last week's most-viewed format on C21Screenings was dating-show-with-a-twist Keys to the VIP. Emily Brookes speaks to its producer and distributor.
BBC to air charity cash apology     9 May 2008
The UK's call-TV debacle ground on today, after an independent audit into the BBC found that over £100,000 intended for charity was retained by the arm of BBC Worldwide behind its premium-rate services.
Tinopolis receives £44.7m takeover bid     9 May 2008
Venture capital consortium Red Dragon Acquisitions has moved to acquire Welsh production company Tinopolis for £44.7m (US$87.4m).
CTV heats up summer slate     9 May 2008     Subscriber content
Canada's CTV has unveiled its summer schedule, lining up 15 series including US reality and gameshows plus drama Flashpoint – perhaps the most highly anticipated Canadian scripted series ever produced.