Lacqua gets Bloomberg morning show 2 Sep 2010
NEWS BRIEF: Bloomberg Television, the global business and finance network of the news organisation, has handed anchor Francine Lacqua her own morning show.
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Asian women get some TLC 2 Sep 2010
Discovery Networks International has launched female-skewing channel TLC across the Asia Pacific region.
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Hostage stand-off rocks Discovery 2 Sep 2010
A gunman who took a hostage at the headquarters of Discovery Communications in the US was shot dead by police marksmen yesterday.
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Food Network cooks up Euro expansion 1 Sep 2010
Scripps Networks Interactive and Chello Zone's European joint venture Food Network is expanding in Europe, after inking carriage deals in Holland, Cyprus and Bulgaria.
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TVF inks int'l deals, promotes exec 1 Sep 2010
UK doc distributor TVF International has struck package deals with networks in Sweden, Thailand and the Middle East, and has also promoted its head of acquisitions.
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Rivers to open Sheffield Doc/Fest 1 Sep 2010
Sheffield Doc/Fest has named Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work as the opening film for its forthcoming November event, with the comedian set to appear at the festival.
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eOne signs Silver first-look deal 1 Sep 2010
The senior VP of factual programming at Entertainment One has left to form his own prodco and has signed a first-look deal with his former employer.
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CTV to add Discovery Science 1 Sep 2010
CTV will add a new channel to its ranks with Discovery Science, a digital service that the Canadian broadcasting conglomerate will debut on September 27.
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ITV unveils factual focus 31 Aug 2010
UK commercial network ITV1 is getting a new factual strand, with a series of docs on issues ranging from street crime to the history pre-Raphaelite art commissioned.
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HGTV Canada fancies a bit of gardening 27 Aug 2010
A lack of options on the international market has HGTV Canada looking to the domestic front to fill out the 'garden' half of the 'Home & Garden' in its brand.
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Horse whisperer to help US Iraq war vets 27 Aug 2010
Discovery's Military Channel is bringing together the original 'horse whisperer' with three returning Iraq war veterans for a unique documentary tackling post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Nat Geo to help nurture Chinese doc makers 27 Aug 2010
National Geographic Channel has collaborated with China International Television Corporation to foster a new documentary filmmaking initiative in the country.
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G4 lines up 'real-life Hurt Locker' 26 Aug 2010
Comcast-owned US cablenet G4 has commissioned a series that it's billing as the real-life version of The Hurt Locker, following US bomb disposal experts in Afghanistan.
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Auction Hunters in store for Spike 26 Aug 2010
Male-skewing US cable network Spike TV has commissioned an unscripted series exploring the apparently "cutthroat" world of storage unit auctions.
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Cream expands development team 26 Aug 2010
Cream Productions has hired a co-director of development, tasking the former Pilgrim TV exec with broadening the Toronto firm's reach in the US and its search for more character-driven reality series.
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Target ships 150 hours into Benelux, Scandi 25 Aug 2010
Northern European broadcasters have stocked up on UK and US factual and entertainment programming, picking up 150 hours from Metrodome-owned vendor Target Entertainment.
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Breakthrough scales Pyramid 24 Aug 2010
Canadian distributor Breakthrough Entertainment has picked up over 200 hours of lifestyle, factual and documentary programming from compatriot Pyramid Productions.
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Discovery's 'can-do' attitude spreads 24 Aug 2010
Discovery has picked up I Could Do That!, a factual entertainment series about heavy machinery, for its Turbo channel in the UK and flagship network across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
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US, French nets liberate C18th slave ship 23 Aug 2010
An 18th century slave ship that sank off the coast of South Africa is the subject of a new documentary that unites broadcasters in the US and France and a UK-based production house.
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Pawn Stars head for Oz 17 Aug 2010
Australian network Seven is getting its own version of History channel reality doc series Pawn Stars, after picking up the format rights from AETN International.
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Taste of Portfolio shows for Karamel TV 17 Aug 2010
Canada's Portfolio Entertainment has sold more than 100 hours of lifestyle programming to Ares Media for Turkish channel Karamel TV.
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Tricon adds a little Spice 18 Aug 2010
Canadian distributor Tricon Films & Television has closed deals with three production houses, including Halifax-based Ocean Entertainment, for 13x30' cooking show Spice Goddess.
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Making short work of poverty 20 Aug 2010
The BBC this week commissioned UK indie Mosaic Films to oversee a trio of short documentaries for its Why Poverty? project. Mosaic producers Kerry McLeod and Andy Glynne talk to Adam Benzine.
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Discovery preps Indian channels 19 Aug 2010
Discovery Networks Asia Pacific is set to launch five new pay-TV networks in India, including Discovery 3D and Investigation Discovery.
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Chello Zone goes missing with RDF 19 Aug 2010
Acquisitive Liberty Global cabsat broadcaster Chello Zone has picked up a raft of new shows from Zodiak Entertainment's RDF Rights.
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C4 enters Hawking's Universe 19 Aug 2010
NEWS BRIEF: UK terrestrial Channel 4 has acquired Discovery Channel series Stephen Hawking's Universe, which it is to re-version and air later this year.
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Cineflix poaches CableReady exec 19 Aug 2010
Factual specialist Cineflix International Distribution has hired the VP of sales and marketing at US distributor CableReady as its new VP for Latin America and Iberia sales and acquisitions.
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Rapper turns to reno on DIY 19 Aug 2010
Vanilla Ice has found a second career on DIY Network in the US, which has added the former rap star's home renovation series to its fall schedule.
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ID investigates Bin Laden 18 Aug 2010
US cable network Investigation Discovery will use this year's anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center to ask 'Why is Bin Laden Alive?'
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Mosaic, Doc/Fest join Poverty copro 17 Aug 2010
BBC factual strand Storyville has appointed UK indie Mosaic Films to produce a range of documentary shorts as part of its forthcoming Why Poverty? project, which has expanded in scope and linked up with Sheffield Doc/Fest.
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Deadliest Warrior fights another day 17 Aug 2010
US cablenet Spike TV has renewed imaginary battle series Deadliest Warrior for a third season.
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ABC Oz ups factual execs 17 Aug 2010
Australian broadcaster ABC TV has made two senior factual appointments as part of a restructure, including promoting Jennifer Collins to head of factual.
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Discovery pumps extra $89m into OWN 16 Aug 2010
Discovery Communications has agreed to nearly double its investment in OWN, its joint-venture channel with Oprah Winfrey, putting an extra US$89m into the yet-to-launch network.
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Catching up with online doc rights 16 Aug 2010
Managing online and video-on-demand rights to documentaries is becoming an increasingly dicey area for distributors and filmmakers alike. Amy Nelson, head of acquisitions at UK distributor TVF International, talks Adam Benzine through the key issues.
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Bridezillas socialise with Miso 13 Aug 2010
US women's cable network WE TV has partnered with 'TV check-in' start-up Miso to introduce a social media element to its long-running series Bridezillas.
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Teachers TV goes online only 13 Aug 2010
Teachers TV, the Ten Alps-owned digital and online channel that provides resources for UK teachers, will become a web-only channel from the end of this month.
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Smithsonian gets in on the app 13 Aug 2010
NEWS BRIEF: US factual cablenet Smithsonian Channel is launching its first iPhone app, featuring full-length episodes of its shows and hundreds of video clips.
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Bravo takes on hoodies 13 Aug 2010
UK broadcaster Bravo has commissioned a factual entertainment series about so-called teen 'hoodie' culture, as the networks looks to boost its original content output.
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HGTV Canada gives property show a home 13 Aug 2010
Canada's HGTV has added another four titles to its schedule, all from its US counterpart, and an original property series from the makers of hit sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie.
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All3 savours $60m Optomen deal 13 Aug 2010
All3Media has completed its takeover of UK indie Optomen Television, its US production arm and its Gordon Ramsay joint venture subsidiary One Potato Two Potato.
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Bloomberg taps MCA for Asia 12 Aug 2010
NEWS BRIEF: Bloomberg Television is looking to expand its presence in Asia, appointing an agent in the region to oversee the effort.
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Bio Canada picks Segal, Shatner shows 12 Aug 2010
Canadian cablenet The Biography Channel has unveiled a raft of acquisitions, including Steven Segal Law Man and William Shatner's Raw Nerve, which will launch this fall as part of its 2010/11 line-up.
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HGTV tries Selling New York in Canada 11 Aug 2010
Canada's HGTV has followed the lead of its US cousin and added Selling New York to its fall schedule.
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Beekman returns to Planet Green 10 Aug 2010
Discovery-owned US cable network Planet Green has ordered a second season of The Fabulous Beekman Boys and plans to put the doc series back on air early next year.
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Scripps gets its Q2 revenue to rise 10 Aug 2010
Scripps Networks Interactive, home of US cablenets Food Network and HGTV, has posted healthy second-quarter results, with revenue from its Lifestyle Media division up 36% as the global ad market recovered.
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Sky1 Gatwick doc set for take-off 10 Aug 2010
UK pay-TV network Sky1 is lining up Gatwick, a major eight-part documentary series looking at London's second busiest international airport.
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Chello explores Outright's genes 10 Aug 2010
Liberty Global cabsat subsidiary Chello Zone has bought the latest season of Who Do You Think You Are? from soon-to-be-acquired Shed Media sales arm Outright Distribution.
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BET preps first music doc 10 Aug 2010
Viacom-owned US cable network BET is lining up its first original music documentary special, which will shine a light on the history of female MCs and rappers.
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All3 confirms Optomen takeover 9 Aug 2010
Skins producer All3Media has confirmed it is in "advanced" and "exclusive" talks to acquire Kitchen Nightmares prodco Optomen Television, as first revealed by C21 last week.
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Outdoor Living sticks with Stroud 10 Aug 2010
Canada's Outdoor Living Network has picked up Beyond Survival with Les Stroud, and will air the new adventure series by the star of Survivorman this fall.
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Endemol takes slice of Cakes prodco 10 Aug 2010
Endemol has acquired a majority stake in US factual and reality producer Authentic Entertainment, the firm behind Ace of Cakes, Flipping Out! and The Best Thing I Ever Ate.
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Liman probes paranormal on A&E 9 Aug 2010
Bourne Identity director Doug Liman is making his first move into non-scripted television with a pilot documentary for A&E Network.
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History Oz orders Saint Mary doc 9 Aug 2010
Australian cable network The History Channel has commissioned an hour-long documentary to mark the canonisation of Mary MacKillop in Rome on October 17.
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Czech net on safari with Janson 9 Aug 2010
NEWS BRIEF: Czech public broadcaster Ceska Televize has acquired a travel documentary series about Africa from US distributor Janson Media.
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Optomen timing? 6 Aug 2010
With an ever-dwindling pool of independent mid-sized prodcos left in the UK, culinary-focused Optomen Television may have chosen a smart time to put itself up for sale. Adam Benzine reports.
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TLC orders Food Sculptors special 6 Aug 2010
Discovery-owned US lifestyle net TLC has commissioned Extreme Food Sculptors, an hour-long special looking at culinary artists who work with different foods.
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Herzog's 3D doc for Tiff 6 Aug 2010
The documentary line-up for the Toronto International Film Festival will be headlined by Cave of Forgotten Dreams, a 3D film from acclaimed director Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man).
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All3 closes in on Optomen takeover 5 Aug 2010
Optomen Television, the UK prodco behind Gordon Ramsay's The F Word and Kitchen Nightmares, has been put up for sale and is close to being acquired by All3Media, C21 understands.
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ID uncovers Hard Cover 5 Aug 2010
US cablenet Investigation Discovery has unveiled its slate of new fall shows, including Hard Cover Mysteries, an eight-part series featuring some of America's most popular writers of thrillers.
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Gibney, Lee front HBO doc slate 5 Aug 2010
HBO has unveiled its slate of documentaries for the second half of 2010, fronted by new efforts from Alex Gibney and Spike Lee, and featuring Teenage Paparazzo, the film from Entourage's Adrian Genier.
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More4, Dawkins examine faith schools 4 Aug 2010
UK diginet More4 is lining up series of programmes from renowned atheist author Richard Dawkins, with a documentary about faith schools as the centrepiece.
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Discovery 3D heading to the UK 4 Aug 2010
Factual giant Discovery Communications has been granted a broadcast licence for Discovery 3D and is drawing up plans to launch the channel in the UK, C21 has learnt.
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BBC2 doc unearths Roman mass grave 4 Aug 2010
UK indie 360Production has completed production on a new four-part archaeology series for the BBC that uncovered an unusual Roman mass grave in the midst of filming.
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AETN forms Indian channels JV 4 Aug 2010
Factual channels History, Bio and other A&E Television Networks brands will launch in India, under a joint-venture the New York-based firm has created with a local partner.
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Discovery Q2 revenue approaches $1bn 3 Aug 2010
Discovery Communications has unveiled healthy second quarter results with revenues of US$963m, up 11% (US$98m) on the same quarter a year ago.
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ABC sells Poh's Kitchen across Asia 3 Aug 2010
NEWS BRIEF: Australian cookery series Poh's Kitchen is set to air across central and south-east Asia, following a licence deal sealed by ABC Commercial.
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Polish net sets sail with Janson doc 3 Aug 2010
NEWS BRIEF: Polish broadcaster Canal+ Cyfrowy has picked up a two-part documentary about the history of naval warships from US distributor Janson Media.
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Fox8's gawn fishin' 3 Aug 2010
The TV trend for tough men in dangerous jobs is continuing down under as Australian pay-TV channel Fox8 gets onboard a new doc about long-line tuna fishermen.
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Aussie rocketman flies to Discovery 3 Aug 2010
An Australian jet pilot's ambitious attempts to build his own jet pack is the subject of a new documentary being produced for pay-TV network Discovery Networks Asia.
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Euro pubcasters back Eurovision doc 2 Aug 2010
Broadcasters in 10 countries and BBC Worldwide are onboard a documentary series that promises to expose the 'secret history' of the Eurovision Song Contest.
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UK, Aussie nets profile 'the father of Australia' 2 Aug 2010
UK and Australian broadcasters are teaming on a doc about the 19th century British military officer who turned Sydney from a penal colony into a free settlement.
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ID to reveal marriage secrets 30 Jul 2010
US cablenet Investigation Discovery has commissioned Who The (Bleep) Did I Marry?, an original series looking at people whose worlds fall apart when they discover shocking secrets about their spouses.
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NHNZ, Nat Geo dig Terracotta special 29 Jul 2010
Kiwi prodco NHNZ has gained exclusive access to the Terracotta Warrior Museum Conservation Lab in Xian, China, for a new documentary coproduced with National Geographic Channels International.
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Nat Geo to explore Egypt, Britain 29 Jul 2010
National Geographic Channel has commissioned two coproduction specials - a factual heist comedy set in ancient Egypt and a Tony Robinson-fronted history special about the formation of Britain.
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Sundance hands out doc funding 28 Jul 2010
The Sundance Institute has unveiled 11 factual projects to benefit from The Cinereach Project, a US$1.5m, three-year initiative for the development and production of documentaries and features.
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Shed, Bravo get healthy with Jackie 28 Jul 2010
US cablenet Bravo has commissioned Shed Media US to make a documentary series following fitness expert Jackie Warner's mission to change lives through healthy habits.
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Electric Sky trafficks BBC docs 28 Jul 2010
UK-based factual distributor Electric Sky has a picked international rights to several BBC documentaries, including one investigating the unscrupulous world of people traffickers.
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Nat Geo, Rai 2 plot course for Voyager 28 Jul 2010
Italian network Rai 2 and factual distributor National Geographic Television International have agreed a partnership to coproduce three specials for the channel's primetime doc slot Voyager.
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Bartlett resurfaces at Discovery 27 Jul 2010
Former ITV Studios MD Lee Bartlett has landed a new role at Discovery Communications, joining the factual firm as exec VP of global production management, business and legal affairs, based in LA.
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OWN bags star-backed docs 27 Jul 2010
Oprah Winfrey and Discovery's cablenet OWN has unveiled five original documentaries for its doc film club strand, backed by actors including Julia Roberts, Forest Whitaker, Gabriel Byrne and Goldie Hawn.
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DRG nabs acquisitions exec 26 Jul 2010
UK-based distributor Digital Rights Group has poached the head of acquisitions from rival factual distributor Cineflix International, C21 has learnt.
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PBS sets up $20m diversity fund 26 Jul 2010
US pubcaster PBS has launched a US$20m Diversity and Innovation Fund and will today begin accepting proposals for a new weekly primetime series.
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Passion parades Beauty Queens overseas 26 Jul 2010
UK indie Passion Distribution has signed a host of deals for Baby Beauty Queens, selling the soon-to-air BBC3 doc series into Finland, Israel, Australia and Belgium.
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Espresso deals pour in 26 Jul 2010
UK factual distributor Espresso TV has sold a range of doc series and factual one-offs into territories including the US, Australia and the Middle East.
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Cineflix taps Wayne for scripted arm 20 Jul 2010
Transatlantic producer-distributor Cineflix has hired a senior executive from US cable channel AMC to head up Cineflix Studios, its newly founded scripted programming division.
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Nets develop taste for Portfolio food shows 21 Jul 2010
Network groups in Israel, South-east Asia and the UK have acquired factual and food programming from Canadian distributor Portfolio International.
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A&E lines up September specials 21 Jul 2010
US cable network A&E has commissioned two one-hour specials from DCD Media-owned September Films, one of them based on reality series Billy the Exterminator.
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HandMade, Nat Geo venture collapses 21 Jul 2010
National Geographic and HandMade Films' kids' production company joint venture appears to have collapsed, following the latter's acquisition by Almorah Services, C21 understands.
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BBC names features, formats commissioner 20 Jul 2010
The BBC has appointed a new commissioning editor for factual features and formats, moving over the exec producer behind factual series The Delicious Miss Dahl and High Street Dreams.
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Holler onboard C4's Notting Hill 21 Jul 2010
London-based digital agency Holler has come onboard Notting Hill, the ambitious new fly-on-the-wall series being made for UK terrestrial Channel 4.
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Canwest-Hot Docs unveil doc grants 23 Jul 2010
US network Canwest Global and the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival have unveiled 12 documentary projects set to receive backing from the Canwest-Hot Docs Documentary Funds.
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Marwencol lands US network 23 Jul 2010
Marwencol, Jeff Malmberg's award-winning documentary about an artist's recovery from a brutal attack, has found a home on US TV after wowing viewers on the festival circuit.
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Pilot gets cooking with Scripps 23 Jul 2010
Pilot Productions, the UK travel, cookery and adventure prodco, has struck distribution deals with Scripps Networks, On-Demand Management and a raft of Asian channels.
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Melman out at AETN 22 Jul 2010
Richard Melman, channels director at UK factual network AETN, has left the broadcaster after eight years.
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Docs to spearhead new-look C4 22 Jul 2010
UK terrestrial Channel 4 is undertaking a major reshuffle that will put documentary at the heart of the channel, with docs head Hamish Mykura being handed responsibility for a range of new slots post Big Brother, C21 can reveal.
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C4 rustles up fast food series 22 Jul 2010
UK indie Fresh One Productions has won a 40-part commission for Jamie's Thirty Minute Meals, a new series fronted by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, from Channel 4.
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AOL closes pact with ITN Productions 22 Jul 2010
NEWS BRIEF: AOL UK has tapped ITN Productions to provide it with a range of video content to run across its portal each day.
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Discovery EMEA chief out 21 Jul 2010
Arthur Bastings, Discovery Networks' MD for EMEA, is leaving the broadcaster after six years.
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BBC explores Planet Word with Fry 20 Jul 2010
NEWS BRIEF: Writer and broadcaster Stephen Fry is set to present a new BBC series investigating the origins of language and its variations.
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Snagfilms signs VoD doc deals 20 Jul 2010
Documentary website SnagFilms has signed new partnerships to tie-in with its second anniversary, including VoD deals with Comcast and Verizon's FiOS that will bring the brand to TV sets.
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