Lionsgate has acquired television distributor Debmar-Mercury Llc., which owns the distribution rights to SOUTH PARK. Debmar-Mercury will continue to operate, still headed by principals Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, under the Debmar-Mercury banner as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
Karen Miller has been promoted to svp, worldwide television creative services, for the Warner Bros. Television Group, to manage the day-to-day operations of the creative services department and oversee the conceptualization and design of all print, digital and on-air advertising and promotional materials for the studio's worldwide television marketing, sales and publicity initiatives.
Twentieth Television has cleared Seth MacFarlanes hit Emmy Award-winning animated sitcom, FAMILY GUY, on the Tribune Broadcasting station group for a fall 2007 launch in off-net syndication.
Nate Kirtman has been named to the newly created position of vp, NBC Universal Television Group Publicity, re-joining the department in Burbank, California, following communications roles at GE's corporate headquarters and Aviation business.
"We are fortunate that Nate will be re-joining our team," said Rebecca Marks, evp, NBC Universal Television Group publicity, to whom Kirtman will report. "Nate's affable style, diverse experience and organizational acumen will be key assets as the NBC-U Television Group continues to expand its horizons."
From websites to mobile phones, iTV and more, Janet Hetherington investigates how independent animators are finding new ways to deliver interactive content over multiple platforms.
The 46th annual Monte Carlo Television Festival highlights the best in television from around the world. Highlights of the 46th Monte Carlo Festival will be the international television program competition and awards, premiere screenings, glamorous receptions and parties organized by some of the major networks and studios which all contribute to the magical atmosphere of Monaco. More than 200 journalists from around the world are present to cover this unique international television festival attended by the creative forces of the industry. For more information, visit www.tvfestival.com.
The MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE makes its Canadian television premiere on Astral Medias Family Channel during a special primetime preview on June 23, 2006, at 7:00 pm before settling into its regular Friday morning timeslot on June 30 at 10:30 am.
Founded in 1991, DISCOP is the only television content and formats market strictly targeted at Central and Eastern European marketplaces. After 15 years of operating independently, DISCOP was acquired last December by NATPE, the Los Angeles-based National Assoc. of Television Program Executives, which is a global non-profit organization dedicated to the creation, development and distribution of televised programming in all forms, across all mature and emerging media platforms.
DISCOP 06, the only television content & formats market strictly targeted at central & eastern European marketplaces, will open to record numbers in all categories this week, it was announced by Patrick Jucaud, gm, DISCOP; and Rick Feldman, president/ceo, National Assoc. of Television Program Executives (NATPE), DISCOPs joint partner.
Now in its 15th year, the market will open in Budapest on June 22 at noon in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian revolution.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006, marked the close of another exceptional Banff World Television Festival, with more than 1,450 delegates in attendance, and a combined 1,700 delegates taking in both the television festival and its sister-event, nextMEDIAThe Future of Digital Content. With jam-packed panel and session rooms and a whirl of special events, the festival generated the signing and greenlighting of new deals, as well as the opportunity for delegates to turn their project ideas into reality.
Timed to coincide with the upcoming release of SUPERMAN RETURNS (in theatres June 28), Warner Bros. and AOL have launched a special Superman Channel on In2TV (www.aol.com/in2tv) to celebrate the Man of Steel. In2TV is the largest offering of popular television series available online for free and the destination for watching full TV episodes. The Superman Channel is available now through the end of July 2006.
On June 12, 2006, the Banff World Televison Festival announced the winners of the 27th annual Banff World Television Awards. Winning in the Animation Program category was JANE AND THE DRAGON Shall We Dance, produced by WETA Prods. Ltd. New Zealand and Nelvana Ltd.
The Banff World Television Awards are part of the annual Banff World Television Festival (June 1114) at the Fairmont Banff Springs in Banff, Alberta. For more information on BANFF 2006, visit www.banff2006.com.
The four-day Banff World Television Festival combines a prestigious international program competition, the Banff World Television Awards, with a comprehensive conference agenda. Within this festival, production deals are secured and advanced, new business relationships are formed and future trends in the industry are identified and examined. BANFF is committed to delivering excellence in television and, as a result, is the world
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has promoted Tom Davidson to vp, International Networks, where he will play a key role in developing SPTI's television networks business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with a focus on increasing distribution for its global channel brands AXN, Animax and Sony Ent. Television on both traditional pay-tv platforms and increasingly into the broadband and mobile worlds.
Ubisoft announced a long-term worldwide licensing agreement with Touchstone Television to develop and publish a videogame based on the Emmy Award-winning television series LOST. Developed by Ubisoft's Montreal studio and scheduled to hit retail shelves worldwide in 2007, the game will be offered for home and portable consoles as well as PCs.
The 32nd Annual Saturn Awards were presented at a gala affair in Universal City, California on May 2, 2006. The event attracted many of the top producers, directors and actors working in genre entertainment. BATMAN BEGINS and KING KONG each received three Saturn Awards while STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH, SIN CITY and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE each received two Saturn Awards.
The Banff World Television Festival announced the nominees for its PLAYBACK-sponsored Best Canadian Award. As finalists, the 18 Canadian nominees not only stand to win in their own genre categories, but are also vying for the Best Canadian Program title. Nominees will be screened by an independent jury of Canadian television professionals with the winner announced at the 2006 Banff World Television Festival.
23D Films, an animation design studio, and Weller/Grossman Prods., an award-winning television production company, will jointly produce live-action/animated PALOOZAVILLE, a 20-part signature series staring its creator, John Lithgow. The program will broadcast on Mag Racks Kids Club video on-demand presentations.
A palooza is an invitation to a creative adventure, an activity that keeps kids from uttering those terrifying words, Im bored! according to creator John Lithgow.
Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) and Korean satellite TV broadcaster SkyLife will launch their joint venture channel Animax in Korea on April 29, 2006. Animax in Korea is a 24-hour local program provider carrying animation programming carried exclusively on SkyLifes DTH platform, which has a subscriber base of about 1.9 million in Korea.
Special coverage of the College Television Awards Gala, awarded by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and a sample of the winning works are now available via mtvU.com. To watch, go to www.mtvu.com/on_mtvu/college_television_awards. This is the fist time the ceremony has ever been televised or the films been made available for viewing online.
Actor, writer, comedian John Henson (WATCH THIS) will host the 33rd Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 22, 2006, at Hollywood and Highland's Grand Ballroom. The non-televised award show honors excellence and achievement in animation and many program categories as well as all technical areas of daytime television. Red Carpet arrivals begin at 4:00 pm and the awards presentation is from 5:00-6:30 pm.
For the 10th year, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is calling for entries in the television commercial category for the Emmy Awards. Production companies and ad agencies nationwide are eligible to enter commercials that originally aired on television nationally during the current eligibility year (June 1, 2005 through May 31, 2006) during any national primetime period (6:00 pm - 2:00 am).
New York Television Festival 2006New York, New York, USASeptember 12-17, 2006Deadline: July 7, 2006
The New York Television Festival is the first creative festival for the medium, pioneering the movement of Independent Television and constructing a new path for program development. Writers, directors, and producers will be selected from a national and international grassroots search and given the unprecedented opportunity to showcase their originally produced pilots directly to network and cable executives in a festival competition.
The Scriptwriters Showcase is designed as a forum for serious and professional writers in feature film, television and interactive media to study strategies for success in their craft and business. Presented by Final Draft Inc. and SCR(I)PT MAGAZINE, the event give fledgling screenwriters a chance to sharpen their skills with the pros.
