Advanced Television

Production

‘Augmented reality’ TV

Following on from the launch of its smart TV and mobile applications, as well as growing global distribution of its HDTV channel, Swiss-based iConcerts has finalised a deal with UK based 3DD Entertainment to produce the first ever live performance ‘augmented reality’ TV format which will be powered by iConcerts ViPass platform.   3DD will […]

April 3, 2012

A+E 3D for BSkyB

A+E Networks has reached an agreement to license three new 3D titles to UK satcaster BSkyB. The three specials are, Titanic: 100 Years in 3D, History of the World in Two Hours and Invisible Sku will feature Titanic: 100 Years in 3D and History of the World in Two Hours along with two other titles […]

April 2, 2012

UK tax credit for TV drama

Chancellor George Osborne has announced a  tax credit scheme for TV production and animation firms is to be introduced, in a bid to keep creative talent in Britain. Osborne said it was the government’s “determined policy” to keep Wallace and Gromit animators Aardman in Britain. Last month, Aardman bosses admitted they had been considering moving […]

March 21, 2012

Filmmaker Puttnam: “We need pan-Euro licensing and more enforcement”

Lord David Puttnam, President of the UK’s Film Distributors’ Association (FDA), has stressed the importance of continued support and public investment in UK film distribution during this Olympic year and beyond, to allow UK cinema admissions and box-office to continue to flourish. He also used his keynote speech to the UK film industry to call […]

March 20, 2012By Colin Mann

Hulu secures FremantleMedia global first look deal

Marking the first time an international distributor has signed a first look deal with an online video service, FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), a leading creator and producer of entertainment brands, and Hulu have announced an agreement for international distribution rights to the online video service’s original commission programming. The deal, which enables FME to distribute Hulu […]

March 12, 2012By Colin Mann

C4 to boost programme spend by £50m

Channel 4 is to boost its programming budget by about £50 million (€60m) in 2012, as the broadcaster struggles to address a fall of almost 10 per cent in viewing by 16- to 34- year-olds. David Abraham, the chief executive of Channel 4, is set to announce that the broadcaster intends to boost its programming […]

January 25, 2012

Five to launch production arm

Richard Desmond’s Channel 5 is to launch its own in-house production division. The new department, called Channel 5 Productions, will be the first time in the broadcaster’s 15 year history that it has made its own programmes. A new cookery format presented by Pierre White, who previously fronted ITV1’s Hell’s Kitchen, is one of a […]

January 20, 2012

Endemol settles debt restructure

Endemol has reached an agreement with a “significant majority” of its lenders, bringing to an end more than a year of talks to restructure its €2.8 billion debt. The TV production company said that it had reached an agreement in principle with more than two-thirds of its lenders to push through a restructuring of its […]

January 19, 2012

FremantleMedia UK new digital division

FremantleMedia has created a new digital division, FremantleMedia UK Interactive, combining the expertise and knowledge of the former talkbackTHAMES digital team and Screenpop, the group’s innovation and mass participation unit. The division will be headed up by Peter Cassidy, formerly Managing Director of Screenpop. Cassidy will report into Christian Grobel, FremantleMedia UK’s new Director of […]

January 17, 2012

Hulu unveils slate of original programming

Hulu has announced its original programming slate for the first half of 2012. The line-up kicks off on February 14th with the launch of Hulu’s first original scripted series, “Battleground”. On the heels of a successful season as Hulu’s first original series, Morgan Spurlock’s “A Day in the Life” will premiere its second season in […]

January 16, 2012