London – Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) announced today that it has successfully acquired control of the Dutch entertainment company, 2waytraffic. The acquisition gives SPE new capabilities in the global light entertainment market, which includes games, variety and reality shows, and gives SPE one of the largest gameshow portfolios in the world. All the conditions of the public offer for 2waytraffic announced on March 13, 2008 have been satisfied or waived, and 2waytraffic has made … [Read more...] about SPE completes 2waytraffic acquisition
Sellers' Forum
Disney-ABC’s Army Wives march into Asia
Hong Kong – Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific), the international TV distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company, has announced licensing deals for Army Wives with 6 broadcasters including the pan-regional Hallmark Channel, Australia’s Network Ten, Fiji TV, Zee Cafe in India, TV2 in New Zealand and Story On channel in Korea. Army Wives is an ensemble drama series based on the book Under the Saber: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives, and is produced by The Mark Gordon … [Read more...] about Disney-ABC’s Army Wives march into Asia
AMAZIA set for axe
Speculation is mounting that REED MIDEM's cross-platform content show AMAZIA is to be cancelled. Scheduled for 17-20 November 2008, at the HKCEC in Hong Kong, many exhibitors were confused at AMAZIA's timing so soon after MIPCOM, just before the CASBAA Conference, and in apparent competition with Reed Exhibitions' Singapore-based Asia TV Forum, happening 9-12 December 2008. AMAZIA was touted as the first business-to-business exhibition and international conference dedicated to the creation and … [Read more...] about AMAZIA set for axe
The Weinstein Company and STAR ink output deal
Cannes, France & Hong Kong –The Weinstein Company has signed an exclusive five year pan Asia pay-TV output deal with STAR. STAR movies has picked up titles including 1408, Sicko, Rob Zombie’s Halloween, The Reader, Crossing Over and Superhero Movie. Announcement furthers The Weinstein Company’s commitment to the Asian market. In addition to the films produced and distribution throughout the world, TWC formed a US$285 million Asian Film Fund and the fund’s inaugural major … [Read more...] about The Weinstein Company and STAR ink output deal
MediaCorp’s Caldecott Productions International ramps up HD production
Singapore/Cannes – MediaCorp’s HD division, Caldecott Productions International is ramping up HD content production – targeting 60 hours this year and 100 hours the next. Managing director Ong Hee Yah told Television Asia Plus that the subsequent years will see a “steady stream of HD productions, not just about Asia, but about telling good stories.” Ong was also at MIPDOC, held April 5-6 2008, where winners of The Asian Pitch co-production initiative, held for the … [Read more...] about MediaCorp’s Caldecott Productions International ramps up HD production
KBS wraps US$4.5million sales at MIPTV
Cannes – By the end of this year’s MIPTV market, KBS will have secured US$4.5million in sales, according to Oh Suk Kwon, head of global strategy at KBS. Kwon told Television Asia Plus that over US$3million of KBS’ trademark epic dramas have been sold to Pony Canyon Japan. By the end of MIPTV, being held 7-11 April 2008 at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, Kwon expects to have exceeded the company’s market target of US$4million in sales by hitting the US$4.5million mark. … [Read more...] about KBS wraps US$4.5million sales at MIPTV