Advanced Television

Production

ViacomCBS launches VIS Social Impact studio

ViacomCBS International Studios has announced the launch of VIS Social Impact. The new studio division will develop social impact-driven content addressing climate, equity, and health for the ViacomCBS portfolio of brands, including Paramount+, as well as for third-party partners. VIS Social Impact is part of ‘Content for Change’, a global ViacomCBS initiative that aims to […]

October 12, 2021

Netflix output ‘back on track’ after Covid

Netflix says it is on track to deliver a “steady pace” of programming up to the end of 2022, after pandemic production delays left the company short on new content. Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s global head of television, said: “We are on a steady pace for the next couple of years […] unless something happens [with […]

October 11, 2021

Study: MENA video needs “more edgy content”

A White Paper from Comcast Technology Solutions, released ahead of Dubai’s CabSat, says that the MENA region offers “a thriving and dynamic market in which to operate for content, streaming providers, and distributors”. But the broadcast market cannot stand still, warns the study. It quotes Luis Duran, the former CCO at MBC’s Shahid and now […]

October 7, 2021By Chris Forrester

Report: European broadcasters ramp up commissioning

A report by Ampere Analysis shows that Europe’s public service and commercial broadcasting groups have accelerated their commissioning activity as they emerge from pandemic into a rapidly shifting landscape. Many broadcasters are in a challenging position, having been damaged by the effects of Covid-19 on advertiser confidence, experiencing gradually declining audience figures and facing down […]

October 6, 2021

EBU forges pan-European networks for co-production

The EBU is establishing new alliances and networks to foster collaboration between European public service broadcasters. Recent meetings in Munich and Paris saw broadcasters explore ways to work together on the production of both young adult drama and documentary series. “Collaboration between Members has always been at the heart of the EBU’s mission,” stated Jean […]

October 6, 2021

BBC, NBCUniversal order The Traitors

BBC and NBCUniversal have announced the order of a British and a US version of the hit Dutch psychological adventure format The Traitors. The UK series has been ordered by Kate Phillips, Director of BBC Entertainment for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Jenny Groom, EVP, Entertainment Unscripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming has ordered the […]

October 6, 2021

MPA chief: ‘Piracy our single greatest threat’

Charlie Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of The Motion Picture Association (MPA), has declared that piracy is the single greatest threat to the global audiovisual community. In a keynote address at Cine Europe Barcelona, Rivkin saluted the economic power of this sector, and the resiliency it had shown in weathering one of the toughest challenges in […]

October 5, 2021By Colin Mann

Fremantle completes NENT prodcos acquisition

Fremantle has confirmed the completion of the acquisition of 12 production labels in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark from Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT Group). The purchase, first announced in July, will see the distinct labels, across the three content pillars of Entertainment, Drama & Film and Documentaries, plus branded content and event management, come under […]

October 1, 2021

Call It! app combats bullying in TV & film industry

New app Call It! aims to help the TV & film industry stamp out bullying, harassment, and all forms of discrimination in the workplace. Designed to engender collective and individual accountability, Call It! seeks to empower everyone working in the film and TV industry to record incidents quickly and anonymously, providing easy access to companies […]

October 1, 2021

Analyst: C4 sale threatens UK production sector

The UK government has reaffirmed its intention to review the ownership model and remit of Channel 4 (C4), but the proposed privatisation of the publicly-owned broadcaster would significantly impact the UK’s independent production sector, suggests Ampere Analysis’s Neil Anderson. In an Insight post, the analyst notes that the UK’s television industry’s international success is widely […]

September 30, 2021By Colin Mann