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NEWS & FEATURES

  • Sky Italia reshapes for formats focus
    Sky Italia has created a new, consolidated programming unit and promoted one of its existing execs to take charge of putting greater focus on formats.
  • HBO, ESPN land on Apple TV
    Apple has added programming from HBO, ESPN and Sky to the line-up of its Apple TV set-top boxes as of today.
  • Leading the charge
    It’s no secret that Turkish drama is popular in the Middle East. But how are local producers responding to this growth in cultural imports, asks Ed Waller.
  • CBBC returns to Dani's Castle
    CBBC in the UK has commissioned a second season of children's live-action comedy Dani's Castle.
  • Wigs adds drama to Hulu
    YouTube scripted channel Wigs has added its most popular drama series to video streaming service Hulu.
  • Oxygen disguises celebs
    US female-skewing cable channel Oxygen has greenlit a celebrity format from T Group Productions.
  • ITV completes drama team
    UK commercial broadcaster ITV has completed the restructure of its drama commissioning team with two new appointments, from Kudos Film & Television and Company Pictures.
  • GetGlue appoints Shazam exec
    US social TV start-up GetGlue has hired a former exec from fellow second-screen specialist Shazam as its president.
  • ABC TV loses key kids exec
    Tim Brooke-Hunt will step down in September as Australian pubcaster ABC Television’s controller of children’s content and plans to return to the independent sector.
  • Gold rolls with Two Ronnies doc
    A UK comedy channel has commissioned a trio of documentaries exploring the lives of long-running double act the Two Ronnies.
  • MGM signs BermanBraun
    Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has signed a multi-year development deal with US independent production company BermanBraun.
  • Tree Fu Tom swings into Oz
    Broadcasters in Australia and New Zealand have picked up BBC preschool show Tree Fu Tom.
  • Scripps adds to UK carriage
    US channels operator Scripps Networks Interactive has expanded the carriage of its Food Network and Travel Channel networks in the UK.
  • Netherlands gets Netflix nod
    US video-on-demand platform Netflix will launch its service in the Netherlands by the end of the year.
  • Metronome names interim Finn MDs
    Shine Group has moved swiftly to fill the vacant spot at the top of its Metronome Film & Television division in Finland.
  • A+E content acquired out east
    Czech Television and Polish channel TTV have picked up multiple series from A+E Networks ahead of next week's Natpe Budapest market.
  • Bushell moves up at Sky Italia
    NEWS BRIEF: Sky Italia has promoted its chief strategy and initiatives officer Delia Bushell to chief operating officer.
  • Metronome Finland MD heads to Yellow
    The MD of Metronome Film & Television in Finland is leaving the company after eight years to join rival Scandi producer Yellow Film & TV.
  • ITV buys Hatfields & McCoys maker
    UK broadcaster ITV is paying US$30m for a controlling stake in Thinkfactory Media, the US producer of series including the Emmy award-winning Hatfields & McCoys.
  • Thai network takes Flim Flam
    Thailand’s Modernine TV has picked up a children's quizshow format from German distributor Global Screen.
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EDITOR'S CHOICE

  • Vice squad goes global Vice has grown from a Canadian hipster fanzine into a global publishing phenomenon, with a multimillion-viewer following on YouTube. Julian Blake reports.
  • The feelgood factor German distributor Global Screen has its sights set on the formats market and is hoping to score with its focus on light entertainment.
  • Sideways glance Matt Heiman of Diagonal View tells Jonathan Webdale why the company doesn’t only focus on YouTube videos and why the site’s original channels were absolutely needed.
  • Along different lines Marie Jacobson, executive VP of programming and production at Sony Pictures TV Networks, tells Clive Whittingham how she avoided a 'Europudding' with forthcoming series Crossing Lines.
  • Super! charging De Agostini’s fledgling DTT channel is going for growth in Italy’s cutthroat kids’ TV market. Gün Akyuz reports.
  • Looking beyond Transparent James Burstall of UK production group Argonon talks to Andrew Dickens about global strategy following the company's acquisition of factual prodco Transparent TV.
  • No crazy fool Ricky Gervais’s revival of David Brent may have helped launch YouTube’s Comedy Week but Ash Atalla, producer of The Office, is sticking with traditional TV, he tells Jonathan Webdale.
  • Go east, young man An increasing number of US showrunners are heading to Europe to fund their latest dramas. Ed Waller asks one of them why.
  • Agent provocateurs Producers now see talent agents as vital when it comes to accessing the US networks. Clive Whittingham finds out about their changing role.
  • Starting from a fresh base Bolstered by investment from The Chernin Group and having won pitches for a string of YouTube original channels, Base79's Ashley MacKenzie tells Jonathan Webdale what’s next.