MUMBAI: Shine International and Fox International Channels (Fic) have taken global telecast rights for ?The Bridge?.

?The Bridge? will air across Fic?s entertainment channel portfolio of 200 pay-TV networks to audiences in 120 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.

The show will air in the US on FX later this year.

According to the deal, Fic will get first-window pay broadcast rights globally.

Fic president, CEO Hernan Lopez said, "We can?t wait to turn ?The Bridge? into the biggest new worldwide hit".

Fic executive VP, global scripted programming, original development Sharon Tal Yguado said, "We?ve been excited and interested in ?The Bridge? since we identified the format more than a year ago. It is rare to come across a project that bucks convention by marrying provocative themes with grounded storytelling and characters. We are thrilled to be partnering with Shine International and working with Shine America and FX on this outstanding drama."

Shine International CEO Nadine Nohr said, "We are delighted to confirm FIC as the first international broadcast partner for ?The Bridge?. This distinctive series places the brilliant central conceit against the unique setting and sociopolitical context of the Mexican-US border beautifully allowing a new and extraordinary story to unfold. We are proud to represent such an ambitious and riveting drama."

MUMBAI: National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) is creating a programme commissions and content hub in the UK.

NGCI is in the process of recruiting a commissioning team who will report to Hamish Mykura and be based in the
London office. Earlier in March, NGCI had appointed Mykura as executive VP, head of international content.

The move is aimed at NGCI?s strategy of boosting international production to suit audiences across the globe.

Said NGCI CEO Hernan Lopez, "Moving our international programming to London under the leadership of Hamish Mykura is part of our continuing expansion and commitment to increasing international production of high-quality
programming that resonates with audiences across the globe".

The London office will now be the main hub for the commissioning of series and single shows, which are for broadcast primarily on National Geographic Channel (NGC) outside of the US in 172 countries and to over 335 million homes.

Mykura said, ?NGCI?s London commissioning hub is a massive vote of confidence in the UK production sector. The independent production community in the UK is a world leader in factual television and locating our commissioning and programming here is the ideal way to capitalise on it?.

Mykura?s programming vision includes a balance of topics with a combination of epic specials and strong series that leverage the strength and breadth of the brand as well as focusing on character-led series with a factual-entertainment sensibility.

?If we generate international hits they will also play on the channel in the US. We are ambitious to make bigger series and more entertaining programmes and we want producers to bring their best ideas to National Geographic Channel as the first port of call,? said Mykura.

The creation of the UK hub follows on the heels of the recent announcement by National Geographic Channels US extending development teams in New York and Los Angeles alongside Washington, DC.

The new London team will also have an important role in feeding new ideas and information back to the team in the US under both NGC US CEO David Lyle and NGC president Howard Owens.

MUMBAI: Fox International Channels and the RCN Television Group (RCN), headquartered in Colombia, jointly announced the formation of a joint venture which will launch MundoFox, a new Spanish-language television network catering to the US Hispanic market.

The network, scheduled to launch during the Fall season of 2012 in Hispanic homes nationwide, will aim to bring a similar sensibility as the Fox Network to Latino audiences.

Fox International Channels president, CEO Hernan Lopez said, "Our partnership with RCN is a key step in the launch of MundoFox. There is an increasing demand for quality Spanish-language content in the U.S. from both viewers and advertisers. FOX saw similar dynamics in play 25 years ago when it launched the Fox network, and it would be a missed opportunity not to provide an alternative for the 50+ million Latino viewers who currently have limited options in Spanish-language broadcast television. Our partnership with RCN will help us do this and we aim do it in a big way."

RCN CEO Gabriel Reyes said, "RCN has provided the main Hispanic networks in the US with much of their prime-time content for over two decades. We now plan to maximize our capabilities and bring an increasing variety of fresh and innovative productions directly to Spanish-speaking viewers. I am certain that Fox is the best partner to make this a successful network".

Fox International Channels operates 350 channels in 35 countries, and has had success with a consortium of three cable networks targeting the U.S. Hispanic consumer: FOX Deportes, Utilisima and NatGeo Mundo.

RCN is one of the largest producers and exporters of Spanish-language television in the world and operates cable channels throughout the Americas.

Content for the network will come from several sources, including:

1. RCN Television. Past successes have been the original ?Ugly Betty?, called ?Betty La Fea?, the only Spanish-Language series to have inspired a mainstream US network drama; and ?El Capo?, an action-packed prime time daily series.

2. Fox International Channels ? over the last several years, Fox has produced weekly dramas for prime time that combine US-style, character-driven story-telling and visuals with Latino sensibility. Additionally, it has produced gripping factual series and a wide array of lifestyle shows.

3. Fox Deportes ? the sports brand for the U.S. Hispanic market, with US Spanish-language rights to the UFC, as well as various soccer tournaments, including Copa Santander Libertadores, Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana, and European tournaments. Some of these events will be broadcast on MundoFox.

4. Shine Group ? a producer of unscripted and scripted programming worldwide (including formats ?The Biggest Loser?, ?MasterChef? and ?One Born Every Minute? and international dramas including ?Merlin? and ?The Hour, will be producing their first original Spanish language content for MundoFox.

5. NTN24 ? RCN?s international channel that offers Spanish-language news, analysis, opinion, sports and entertainment news programs from a uniquely Latin point of view. NTN24 also produces online, English language content with an emphasis on news from the Americas.

6. Third-party Suppliers ? Additionally, MundoFox will license and/or commission original programmes and movies from a variety of third party producers, both from the English-language world as well as Spanish.

Although distribution is currently being established, MundoFox has plans to be carried on stations covering 75 per cent of US households. The network currently has several affiliate deals being finalised in top Hispanic markets across the US.

MUMBAI: National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) has appointed Hamish Mykura as EVP, head of international content effective early 2012.

The announcement was made by NGCI, Fox International Channels CEO Hernan Lopez. Mykura will also serve as the London Head of Global Development for National Geographic Channel.

Mykura will oversee all editorial development and production for NGCI, working closely with local programming teams and reporting to Lopez. He will also help spearhead NGCI?s success across the globe in 165 countries and provide supervision for its portfolio of networks: NGC, NGC HD, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Wild HD, and Nat Geo Adventure.

As London Head of Global Development, he will be responsible for bringing projects from UK-based production houses to NGC?s global commissioning team in Washington, DC, and in respect to this role he will report toNGC US EVP of content Michael Cascio.

Lopez said, "With more than 20 years of experience in the television industry, Hamish brings outstanding insight and vision to NGCI. Working closely with NGCI regional programmers and UK-based production houses, Hamish will build upon a solid foundation to bring new viewers to the National Geographic brand."

National Geographic Channels US and Global Programming CEO David Lyle said, "Expanding our development presence in the UK is key to our strategy of reaching out to the production community globally and forming more partnerships to produce the best programming for our channels. Hamish is the perfect person to be leading this charge for us in the UK."

MUMBAI: National Geographic Channels International (NGCI) has announced the acquisition of National Geographic Television International?s (NGTI) sales and distribution operations and related programming rights in a move that allows it to extend and control exclusivity windows for partners carrying its networks worldwide in 163 countries.

NGCI has obtained global television and certain digital rights to NGTI?s extensive programming catalogue ? representing more than 1,000 hours of programming.

NGCI will also control broadcast, VOD, SVOD and related digital rights for all present inventory and future National Geographic Channel produced programming while National Geographic Ventures (NGV) will continue to retain home entertainment, theatrical rights, short form video and other affiliated digital rights.

Fox International Channels and National Geographic Channels International president and CEO Hernan Lopez said, ?Secondary windows of National Geographic programming on other platforms have been an important concern for our channel partners. NGCI can now offer our operators full assurance of exclusivity while at the same time expanding our resources to increase the overall programming budget ? significant milestones as the network continues to evolve, approaching 15 years of continued success in the pay-TV sphere.?

Extending premiere windows offers a two-fold advantage: protecting the investment value for NGCI business partners ? especially network operators and advertisers ? through exclusive access to National Geographic programming while also offering audiences a signature broadcast destination for the National Geographic viewing experience.

National Geographic Global Media COO Ted Prince, Jr. said, ?National Geographic Channels? success as a major player in the nonfiction TV programming and distribution arena is driving us to take a strategic view of our global broadcast distribution business. By putting broadcast distribution and sales under the same worldwide umbrella, we?re creating a distribution synergy that will optimize global initiatives, and allow NGV to continue to expand worldwide home entertainment and digital streaming businesses.?

As NGCI takes on the NGTI portfolio, it will fulfill all of NGTI?s existing obligations, and the teams will operate in tandem during this transition. Both entities will continue to share the National Geographic booth at next month?s television trade event Mipcom in Cannes, France.

MUMBAI: Peter Hutton, former chief operating officer of Taj Television, will head the new sports division set up by Fox International Channels (FIC) and Fox Sports Media Group.

Effective immediately, the new venture will have Hutton join as FIC Sports senior VP.

FIC Sports now manages the syndication of Fox Sports content worldwide. Its mission is to centralise Fox‘s wide-array of international sports interests under one group in an effort to increase revenues through syndication and to support News Corp‘s sports activities and worldwide strategies.

Hutton reports to FIC president and CEO Hernan Lopez, and is supported by sales executive Zoe Duffelen.

Lopez said, ?As FIC enters the sports syndication business, we are thrilled that an executive of Peter?s caliber has joined the company. Combining his extensive experience in dealing with international sports television rights and the creative eye of a television producer, Peter is uniquely qualified to lead this new endeavour.?

Most recently Hutton was a partner and director at roadreach Media, a consultancy firm that advised clients such as FIC, Sportsband Media Group and Willow Cricket.

 
Hutton was part of the team that launched Taj Television in Dubai. Rising to the role of COO in 2009, he played an instrumental role in acquiring key rights for the broadcast territory such as the 2002 World Cup, UEFA Champions League, U.S. Open tennis, international cricket, and world hockey rights.

Ten Sports, the channel owned by Taj Television, is available in more than 60 million homes.

Before moving into television management, Hutton spent most of his career on the production and creative side of the business. From 1988 to 1993, he was a television commentator for Sky Television, ITV, and the BBC in the UK where he covered sports news and other sports programming, including the first years of the English Premiership football and live Bundesliga football.

In 1993,. Hutton joined Trans World International as the first producer of the magazine show ‘Futbol Mundial‘. He also bought, produced and distributed soccer content worldwide, eventually running the company?s office in India which produced and directed a variety of shows from Indian cricket to the Bollywood awards.

Hutton began his entertainment career as a radio reporter in 1982, and at the time, was the youngest reporter to have a lead story on the national news and the youngest sports editor in British radio at Radio Aire in Leeds.

In addition to Hutton and Duffelen, two US based executives contribute to the FIC Sports team. Peter Marco, VP of business & legal affairs, oversees the division?s business, legal and strategy needs, while Josh Oakley, director of acquisitions, manages rights acquisitions and coordinates operational needs.