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Lagardere profit plummets 11 Mar 2010
French media conglomerate Lagardere's net profit dropped dramatically by 77% in 2009, despite its revenue falling by just 3.9%.
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Zeiler: no plans to turn Five pay 11 Mar 2010 
RTL Group has said it has no current plans to expand into digital pay channels in the UK, despite the poor advertising market and after doing so in Germany, the Netherlands and France.
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FremantleMedia revenues hold steady 11 Mar 2010
 RTL Group's production arm FremantleMedia has posted resilient annual results for 2009, with pre-tax earnings flat and revenue down only slightly, amid a tough financial environment.
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SVT buys British 11 Mar 2010
Swedish public broadcaster SVT has picked up more than 160 hours of UK programming, including the BBC's new adaptation of Sherlock Holmes.
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Nerds join forces for new UK start-up 11 Mar 2010
Two British indie TV producers formerly of Raw Television and Tiger Aspect have hooked up to form a new production outfit, which will specialise in documentary, entertainment and scripted formats.
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Rete 4 fights back with fact ent positioning 11 Mar 2010
HOTSLOTS: Mediaset's older-skewing generalist channel Rete 4 is looking for a new slate of original local and acquired fact-ent shows to help it create a distinctive role in Italy's rapidly expanding digital TV market.
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Dori vampire tale sinks teeth into Asia 11 Mar 2010
One of the biggest broadcasters in the Philippines has acquired teen vampire drama Split from Israel's Dori Media Group, marking the show's debut in Asia.
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US genealogy show spreads roots 11 Mar 2010
Australia's Nine Network and New Zealand's Prime are among eight broadcasters that have acquired the US version of Shed Media genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are?
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Pye to take JGM into formats 11 Mar 2010
NEWS BRIEF: Former William Morris agent Holly Pye has resurfaced as the head of the new TV formats and rights division of UK talent management company James Grant Media.
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BBC4 orders Born Free, nautical docs 11 Mar 2010
 UK diginet BBC4 has commissioned a three-part series following actor and novice sailor Timothy Spall, and a one-off documentary examining Joy Adamson's 1960 book Born Free.
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Jason onboard Five am-dram doc 11 Mar 2010
British actor Sir David Jason (Only Fools & Horses) is to front an hour-long documentary for UK terrestrial Five that will see him mentoring an amateur dramatic company.
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BBC America accepts dual challenge 11 Mar 2010
US cable network BBC America will become a dual-feed channel from April 26, meaning both the Eastern and Pacific feeds will run simultaneously.
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ITV joins Hallmark Hall of Fame 11 Mar 2010
NEWS BRIEF: The UK's ITV Studios Global Entertainment has picked up distribution rights to the Hallmark Hall of Fame made-for-TV movie portfolio.
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Ex-Bebo production chief returns to AOL 11 Mar 2010
 Bebo's former head of original production Kelly Sweeney has returned to its parent company AOL as director of video for its European operations.
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Picture Box scores new sales 11 Mar 2010
 Canada's Picture Box Distribution has sold a number of shows into Asia and Australasia.
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German, US nets look to the Future 10 Mar 2010
Cameras are rolling on The Lost Future, a US$7m telefilm starring Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, Troy) and Sam Claflin (The Pillars of the Earth) and uniting networks in Germany and the US.
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Discovery names new global content chief 10 Mar 2010
The senior VP of content for Discovery Networks Latin America/US Hispanic is to fill the new role of international head of content for Discovery Networks International and its new TLC channel.
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CableReady Speeds into original production 10 Mar 2010
Racing-themed US cable channel Speed has commissioned a 13-part series from CableReady, allowing the Connecticut-based distributor to move into original production for the first time in its 18-year history.
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Talpa adds Portugal to the list of JVs 10 Mar 2010
First it was the US, France and Spain; now John de Mol's Talpa Media has inked a joint-venture production deal in Portugal, holding all the company's format rights in that market and Angola.
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Banijay sets sights on US, distribution 10 Mar 2010
Stephane Courbit's international production outfit Banijay Entertainment is looking at acquisition opportunities in the US, following the firm's expansion into 10 countries since its launch in 2008.
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IMG looks to Hollywood 10 Mar 2010
Sports media company IMG has hired one of the former ITV executives who helped the company set up in France and Spain to oversee its production activities.
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Time Warner calls for FCC review 10 Mar 2010
Cable giant Time Warner is petitioning US regulators to introduce a new framework to deal with carriage fee negotiations, in a bid to prevent viewers from being "caught in the middle" during disagreements
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Blur doc gets UK broadcast 10 Mar 2010
A major UK terrestrial channel has picked up No Distance Left To Run, UK indie Pulse Films' feature-length documentary about iconic British band Blur.
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Drop Dead Diva finds UK home 10 Mar 2010
Sony Pictures Television has completed a deal to sell US cable network Lifetime's comedy-drama series Drop Dead Diva (13x60') into the UK.
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Darlow doc examines Underwear Bomber 10 Mar 2010
The UK's Darlow Smithson Productions has been commissioned to produce a one-hour documentary for a US cable network investigating the alleged Christmas Day plot to blow up a US plane.
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TV5Monde launches New Orleans VoD net 10 Mar 2010
French-language international TV network TV5Monde has entered its first video-on-demand market and launched a locally themed channel on the Cox cable operator in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Nickelodeon greenlights comedy pilots 10 Mar 2010
Nickelodeon has picked up two comedy pilots: the single-camera Supah Ninja and multicamera Everyday Kid, with writers from The Simpsons and Samantha Who? attached.
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Battlestar Galactica gets MMO 10 Mar 2010
NBC Universal is lining up a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game based on sci-fi drama series Battlestar Galactica - the first fruit of its investment in German games firm Bigpoint.
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La Sexta, WBITD ink volume deal 10 Mar 2010
Spanish television channel La Sexta and Warner Bros International Television Distribution have signed a volume deal to include movies such as The Hangover as well as new TV series.
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Venevision lines up next telenovela 10 Mar 2010
Cameras are rolling on Sacrificio de Mujer (aka A Woman's Sacrifice), the latest telenovela from Miami-based Venevision Productions and distributor Venevision International.
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Microsoft rolls out UK VoD service 10 Mar 2010
Software giant Microsoft will tomorrow launch MSN Video Player, the video-on-demand player that it has been testing since last summer, across the UK.
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E1, Kiss hook up for kids' show 10 Mar 2010
NEWS BRIEF: North American indie E1 Entertainment has completed a production and development deal with the glam rock band Kiss to produce a half-hour children's television series.
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CBS takes more Undercover Boss 10 Mar 2010
NEWS BRIEF: US network CBS has ordered a second helping of Undercover Boss, the Studio Lambert-produced reality show that sees chief executives assume rank-and-file roles in their organisations.
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Sheen set for Two & a Half Men return 10 Mar 2010
NEWS BRIEF: Filming on the seventh season of CBS sitcom Two & a Half Men is set to resume, with star Charlie Sheen ready to return to the set after his stint in rehab.
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Scripps confirms Latin American plans 9 Mar 2010
Scripps Networks' acquisition of a controlling stake in India's NDTV Lifestyle is nearing completion, the firm's president has told C21, while also revealing he is eyeing Latin America for his next joint venture.
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RTL5 looks to keep it local 9 Mar 2010
HOTSLOTS: Dutch network RTL5 hopes to build on a successful fall season fuelled by local factual entertainment and reality productions by scheduling more of the same.
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Kabel Deutschland begins $950m IPO 9 Mar 2010
The IPO of German cable TV operator Kabel Deutschland is underway, with a sales prospectus revealing its owners are looking to raise about €700m (US$951.5m) on an equity valuation of €2.5bn.
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Prisa results bolstered by stake sale 9 Mar 2010
Spanish media group Promotora de Informaciones (Prisa) said its plans to sell 50% of its shares to a US investor group will see it reduce debts and allow its net profit to recover this year and next.
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TiVo losses widen 9 Mar 2010
US time-shifted TV specialist TiVo has reported a lower-than-anticipated fourth quarter loss, but still almost three times higher than for the same period last year.
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MGM sets bids deadline 9 Mar 2010
Debt-laden MGM Studios has set a deadline of March 19 for all bidders to submit their second-round offers for the company.
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Google, Dish 'testing TV search service' 9 Mar 2010
Internet search giant Google is teaming up with Dish Network, America's second-biggest satellite TV platform, to secretly test a television programming search service.
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Univision reshapes management 9 Mar 2010
US Spanish-language broadcaster Univision has promoted Luis Fernandez to the newly created position of president of entertainment as part of a management restructure.
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Discovery's seven-net strategy for Life 9 Mar 2010
Discovery Communications is to premiere the first episode of blue-chip natural history series Life across seven of its channels, in a bid to draw as much attention to the programme as it can.
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Syfy updates Little Red Riding Hood 9 Mar 2010
US cablenet Syfy is re-imagining another classic fairy tale with the commission of a telefilm that has Felicia Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) playing a werewolf-hunting descendant of Little Red Riding Hood.
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Pure Evil unfolds in Winnipeg 9 Mar 2010
Cameras are rolling in Winnipeg, Canada on a new production for pay-TV, titled Todd & The Book of Pure Evil (13x30') and described by its producers as "a supernatural comedy".
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Euro toon deals for MTVNI 9 Mar 2010
NEWS BRIEF: MTV Networks International has closed several toons deals in Europe, selling Catdog to TV3 Catalunya in Spain; Ni Hao Kai-Lan to TSR for Switzerland; and Ren & Stimpy to SBS in Holland.
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Miller time for Mip keynote 9 Mar 2010
News Corp chief digital officer Jonathan Miller is to deliver the Mip Digital keynote at MipTV in Cannes on April 13.
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Parthenon takes telemovie to MipTV 9 Mar 2010
NEWS BRIEF: UK-based distributor Parthenon Entertainment is taking a telemovie version of its series coproduction Dex Hamilton to the international market in Cannes in April.
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NBC opts to stay beautiful 9 Mar 2010
US network NBC will produce and air the Miss Universe contest for another three years, starting from 2011, after extending its deal with the event's owner Donald Trump and the Miss Universe Organisation.
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Dailymotion tunes up Warner Music 9 Mar 2010
NEWS BRIEF: Online video service Dailymotion has struck a deal with Warner Music Group, giving its users access to thousands of music videos, concerts and interviews.
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A&E releases fugitive series 9 Mar 2010
US cablenet A&E Network ha set the air date for a drama documentary series telling real-life criminal escape stories through reconstructions, archive footage and taped interviews.
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ABC Family on the Blind Side 9 Mar 2010
NEWS BRIEF: The Blind Side, the feature film starring Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock, will have its US network television premiere on ABC Family, after a deal with Warner Bros Domestic Television Distribution.
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Fox moves MENA channels to Abu Dhabi 8 Mar 2010
Abu Dhabi's government-backed media initiative Twofour54 has signed up a major News Corp division, including channel operations and a documentary production arm, to set up shop in the Gulf state.
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Spartacus fights his way to UK pay-TV 8 Mar 2010
Spartacus: Blood & Sand (13x30'), the epic swords 'n' sandals drama series from US cable channel Starz Entertainment, is heading into the UK pay-TV market, following a sale by distributor Starz Media.
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New presales division for Arte 8 Mar 2010
The international distribution arm of French cultural channel Arte has opened a new department dedicated to presales, in order to help French producers to complete financial set-ups.
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Taylor made for BBC entertainment job 8 Mar 2010
BBC Vision Productions, the Beeb's inhouse production arm, has appointed Katie Taylor as its head of entertainment and events, replacing Jon Beazley who quit last month.
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New SVP of digital at MTVNI 8 Mar 2010
Viacom has promoted internally to fill the post of senior VP of digital media for MTV Networks International, following the departure of Gideon Bierer.
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Fine Living Network hits EMEA 8 Mar 2010
US lifestyle channel Fine Living Network is to launch in more than 60 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa from next month.
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MipFormats set to define programming agenda 8 Mar 2010
MipFormats has announced its agenda, in which major studios, leading format creators and veteran sales execs come together to define the value, trends and future direction of the global formats business.
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RDFR takes Rude Tube across Europe 8 Mar 2010
Rude Tube, the internet clip show format that UK indie October Films makes for Channel 4, has been picked up by networks across Europe, its distributor RDF Rights (RDFR) has announced.
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Weekday docs fit the bill at Ned 2 8 Mar 2010
HOTSLOTS: Factual-skewing Dutch pubcaster Nederland 2 needs documentaries to fill new late primetime weekday slots.
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New Asian sales post at FME 8 Mar 2010
FremantleMedia Enterprises has appointed a former senior executive at Singapore's Media Development Authority to fill the newly created post of director of sales, Asia.
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Oscar glory for The Cove 8 Mar 2010
The Cove, Louie Psihoyos's acclaimed documentary about the slaughter of dolphins in a rural Japanese village, has won the Academy Award for best documentary feature.
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DQE raises $5m in pre-IPO placement 8 Mar 2010
Indian children's animation producer-distributor DQ Entertainment has set the price band for its flotation on the Bombay Stock Exchange, raising an initial £3.3m (US$5m) in its first stage.
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Moonscoop inks Indian volume deal 8 Mar 2010
An Indian children's channel has acquired over 700 episodes of animation from Paris-based kids entertainment firm Moonscoop, including new toons Geronimo Stilton, Gasp, Dive Olly Dive and Ava Riko Teo.
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Super Soccer Star scores in India 8 Mar 2010
UK-based kids IP company Galleon Holdings has struck a deal with Disney and News Corp's ESPN-Star joint venture to launch multi-platform series Super Soccer Star in India.
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More Thursday re-ups for NBC 8 Mar 2010
NEWS BRIEF: US network NBC has renewed three more of its Thursday night comedies for the 2010/11 season, Angela Bromstad, president of primetime and Universal Media Studios has confirmed.
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MTG ups two 8 Mar 2010
Sweden's Modern Times Group has made a pair of promotions for its free- and pay-TV operations in its Nordic and emerging markets divisions.
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Virgin territory for Film4 HD 8 Mar 2010
UK cable company Virgin Media has secured an exclusive carriage deal for Channel 4's high definition movie channel Film4 HD.
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