Geographical Region: South America

Fox has removed Saban Entertainment's SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED, the futuristicSpider-Man series, and Columbia/TriStar Television's BIG GUY AND RUSTY THEBOY ROBOT, which was based on the Frank Miller/Geoff Darrow comic bookabout a little Astro Boy-like robot and his Gigantor-like pal, from the FOXKids line-up. Both series debuted in September. They have been replaced bySaban Entertainment's THE AVENGERS, and additional time slots for BKN(Bohbot Kids Network)'s MONSTER RANCHER and Toei Animation Co.'s DIGIMON:DIGITAL MONSTERS.

British Columbia-based CDIS, a media arts college, is sponsoringEnvironment.Com: Generating Community Stewardship and Sustainability forOur Environment Through New Media. The event takes place October 24, 1999,11 am - 4 pm at CDIS which is located at 3264 Beta Ave. in Burnaby, BritishColumbia, Canada. CDIS's sponsorship includes the use of its 20,000 sq. ft.campus in Burnaby, complete with high-speed Internet connections, and thepresentation of free seminars on New Media technologies. For more

Columbia TriStar Home Video is releasing Ray Harryhausen's first color andindependently produced feature, 1958's THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, on DVD inthe US on November 30, 1999. Extras include a documentary called THE RAYHARRYHAUSEN CHRONICLES; THIS IS DYNAMATION, a documentary about RayHarryhausen's animation techniques; A LOOK BEHIND THE VOYAGE and JASON ANDTHE ARGONAUTS, two interviews; and textual supplements on the cast andcrew, including Harryhausen, director Nathan Juran, Kerwin Matthews

Paris, France-based Salsa Distribution has acquired the Latin Americantelevision distribution rights to the half-hour television special GOGWANA.Produced by London-based AARGH! Animation Ltd. for S4C, and directed byDeiniol Morris, GOGWANA is based on THE GOGS, the Stone Age family depictedin the claymation television series. In the special, after an earthquakedestroys the Gogs' cave, the family goes in search of a new home, and,along the way, encounters pygmies, dinosaur air-balloons, and pygmy-piloted

Sony Pictures Entertainmenthas formalized the name of its newest business unit, Sony Pictures FamilyEntertainment Group (SPFE), and appointed Gary Hirsch as senior vicepresident and general manager of the division. Reporting to SanderSchwartz, president of the relatively new division, Hirsch will oversee newbusiness development opportunities for the division and its day-to-dayoperations, including business affairs, human resources, studio operations,production and marketing. Hirsch comes to Sony's SPFE from Columbia

Los Angeles-based DNA Studio has named David Badagliacca as its Head ofSales, Marketing & New Business Development, and Jane Greenstein, as afull-time producer. Previously, Badagliacca supervised the launch ofMaverick Records' Clio Award-winning Web site while at the label. He alsooversaw efforts for other popular, unconventional sites, including a newsite for recording artist Alanis Morissette and a music video madeexclusively for the Web. Jane Greenstein will produce original content for

The Walt Disney Company has named four executives to new positions. ETIENNE DE VILLIERS has been named president and managing director, Walt Disney International Europe; MICHAEL O. JOHNSON has been named president and managing director, Walt Disney International Asia; DIEGO LERNER has been named president and managing director, Walt Disney International Latin America; and PAUL SALEH has been named senior vice president and chief financial officer, Walt Disney International.

Rob Davies, a 1999 Emmy nominee for his work on STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTS:PINKY, ELMYRA AND THE BRAIN, has recently returned from Warner Bros. T.V.Animation in L.A. to his native British Columbia, Canada to start up a newanimation studio, Atomic Cartoons Inc. Joining Davies is former REN ANDSTIMPY animator and Universal Cartoons director Mauro Casalese, directorTrevor Bentley (Nickelodeon's CAT DOG, Nelvana's NED'S NEWT), and directorOlaf Miller (Sony's LITTLE WITCH). "Our main focus is to assist companies

Don Spielvogel, President of VirtualMagic Animation, Inc., and JeffreyHarrison, Chairman/CEO of ImagineAsia Studio, announce the formation ofVirtualMagic ASIA, a new digital ink, paint and compositing service in thePhilippines that will operate as a subsidiary of VirtualMagic Animation,Inc. headquartered in North Hollywood, California. VirtualMagic ASIA is acorporate venture between two animation and digital service studios,VirtualMagic Animation, Inc. and ImagineAsia Studio, of Manila.

The Film Department of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will present two programs of films by Frank Tashlin and Ub Iwerks. On Friday, May 7, at 7:30 pm A Taste of Tashlin: Early Hollywood Cartoons will present the cartoons Frank Tashlin made before turning to live-action and going on to direct several of Jerry Lewis' best films.