ITV

Tag: Jetix Europe

  • Benoit Runel appointed MD of BKN New Media

    Benoit Runel appointed MD of BKN New Media

    MUMBAI: Global animation company BKN International AG, involved in distribution and marketing of animated children’s television programmes and related consumer products, has appointed Benoit Runel as managing director of the company’s largest operating subsidiary, BKN New Media Ltd in Great Britain.

    Runel will oversee all sales and marketing for the company in the UK, Germany, Benelux, Scandinavia, North America and emerging markets such as Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
    He is further charged with overseeing all development and pre-production activities in the London – based studio as well as with securing and managing all co-productions with international partners.

    With over 16 years experience in the television and children industry, Runel joins BKN from Jetix Europe where, as part of the senior management team he oversaw all programming and related on-air strategies for the group’s 12 channels. He brought content and new Intellectual Properties to Jetix Europe and US through a number of successful co-productions and acquisition deals.

    Prior to joining Jetix, Runel served seven years at TF1, the French free-TV giant where he built a library of 2000 hours of kids’ programming.

    “We are really pleased to have the contributions of such a talented individual as Benoit. His track record in children’s programming acquisitions, productions and sales both at Jetix Europe and TF1 in France over 15 years makes him a perfect candidate to lead this division,” said BKN group chief executive officer Allen Bohbot.

    “BKN is in a very exciting development stage. The products including Legend of the Dragon, Dork Hunters from Outer Space, Zorro: Generation Z and the new classic collection including Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, A Christmas Carol and Robin Hood, to name a few, for direct-to-DVD release are really strong and I look forward to expanding on these activities. This is a very exciting opportunity for me,” added Runel.

  • KTK Kazakhstan, BVITV ink deal for ‘Desperate Housewives’

    KTK Kazakhstan, BVITV ink deal for ‘Desperate Housewives’

    MUMBAI: KTK and Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) have announced major multi-year agreements to bring a range of features, network series, kids series and TV movies to its channels KTK and Euroasia across Kazakhstan.

    This was announced by BVITV EMEA senior vice president sales and portfolio development Philippe Maigret and KTK general producer Igor Syrtsov.

    The agreements were prepared and made with participation of Intra Communications,Inc. (ICI) being an authorized agent of KTK.

    KTK and Euroasia have licensed the second season of the award-winning US network series Desperate Housewives, following the success of the first season on the channel.

    With these agreements, KTK has picked up a number of first run features from BVITV’s portfolio including Signs and Gone in 60 Seconds. Viewers will also be able to enjoy the international smash hits 10 Things I Hate About You, both Father of the Bride films and madcap comedy Spy Hard. The broadcaster has picked up first runs of hit features including Coyote Ugly, High Fidelity, Summer of Sam, and Good Morning Vietnam.

    For KTK’s younger viewers, the channel has also picked up a selection of Disney animated content for its successful weekly Disney branded block, Disney Club.

    In a separate agreement introduced by BVITV, KTK has also licensed action-packed Jetix Europe programming for the launch of its first Jetix branded block. Younger viewers will be able to enjoy a selection of popular animated series including Gadget and the Gadgetinis, Sonic X and The Secret Files of the Spydogs.

    Maigret said, “These agreements are our biggest to date in Kazakhstan, and are part of significant growth overall in our business across Central and Eastern Europe. We are pleased to be working closely with KTK in expanding our breath of content on air, from network series to kids programming blocks.”

    Syrtsov said, “We are excited to be licensing this broad range of hit series, movies, and kids entertainment, which we are sure will be very successful for our channels.”

  • BVITV ties up with European & Asian broadcasters

    BVITV ties up with European & Asian broadcasters

    CANNES: Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) has announced a range of deals with broadcasters in Europe and Asia snapping up the company’s slate of kids’ shows, dramas and formats, on the first day of MipTV.

    The format for Extreme Makeover has been licensed to ICTV in Ukraine. ICTV also took the British version of Extreme Makeover, the ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy as well as slate of features, among them Dick Tracy, The Waterboy and Honey I Shrunk the Kids.

    Also in Ukraine, New Channel has licensed the first three series of the hit comedy According to Jim plus the features Three Men and a Baby, Arachnophobia and Born Yesterday. In a separate deal, New Channel has also licensed Jetix Europe programming like W.I.T.C.H.

    Ukraine broadcaster STB also picked up a series of titles, among them The Color of Money, The Three Musketeers, Turner and Hooch and the reality series Miracle Workers.

    TV Nova in the Czech Republic has taken a raft of features, series, kids’ programming and TV movies. The network is set to launch Lost, which has been licensed to more than 210 markets, features like Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Seabiscuit; and library features including Pretty Woman and Sister Act. On the kids front, TV Nova will launch a new Disney-branded kids’ block, Disney Club, running weekly for two hours, and has licensed a selection of Jetix Europe shows.

    In Thailand, BBTV has renewed its multiyear agreement with BVITV-AP for live-action series, current features and Disney animation, and has signed a new package deal for animated features from Disney’s Classic Treasures, which will air for the first time on Thai terrestrial television.

    Under the multi-year agreement, kids in Thailand will continue to have access to top Disney shows on the Disney Club block that runs every Saturday morning from 6:50 am. to 8:30 am. Also, terrestrial audiences will have access to a slate of international box office hits including Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Seabiscuit.