News

Fox Look, a new unit of Fox Networks Group that specializes in unscripted projects, has inked distribution deals with four Emmy-winning U.S.-based format producers: Craig Piligian, Andrew Glassman, Scott Sternberg and Scott Satin. Under the agreements, Fox Look will rep selected formats on the international market, beginning with the upcoming Mipcom trade show in Cannes.

Piligian helped transform reality TV as executive producer of CBS' "Survivor" and went on to produce "Dirty Jobs," which has aired on Discovery for five seasons; "The Ultimate Fighter," now heading into season 12 on Spike TV; and the paranormal franchise "Ghost Hunters," now in its sixth season on Syfy.

Glassman's showreel includes NBC's "Average Joe," which attracted 25 million viewers to its first season finale, and "Three Wishes," named "the most family friendly show on broadcast television."

Since 1991, Sternberg has produced a slew of game, reality and talk show formats, including "Raw Nerve With William Shatner,...

Los Angeles, April 1, 2010—Fox Networks Group (Fng) has established Fox Look, a new business unit specializing in the international licensing and production of unscripted programming from Fox Broadcasting Company and Fox Cable Networks, it was announced today by Fng Chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra. Veteran Fox executive David Lyle will serve as President of Fox Look and report to Vinciquerra. Lyle will also work closely with Marion Edwards, President of International Television. “There is a strong demand for this type of content internationally and Fox Look was created to maximize our footprint in this ever-growing category,” said Vinciquerra. “David Lyle [...]...

Berlin -- As in previous years, this year's Mediencongress -- part of Germany's traditional Medienwoche and technology confab Ifa -- focused on the digital frontier: how to handle it, adjust to it, maximize its profits and, of course, how to split the dough in the end.

The latter subject was at the fore of the panel "New Terms of Trade," in which representatives from Germany's new producer's association Allianz Deutscher Produzenten argued for a better split in digital ancillary rights. The subject is a tough one, considering that German TV producers are still fighting to retain foreign rights and escape the full buyout deals common here.

The discussion turned out, in the words of several participants, to be "rather cuddly," but this could be because both parties are still in closed-door negotiations.

The state of digital cinema also was a recurring theme, with digital screens being added worldwide and 3-D...

ABC Studios on Friday denied that the memo by exec vp Howard Davine encourages producers to copy international formats rather than licensing and paying for them.

"The intention of the memo has been greatly misconstrued and misread," the studio said in a statement. "ABC Studios has been and continues to be committed to the protection of intellectual property and rights holders as our standards and business practices have demonstrated."

ABC Studio's first official comment on the memo since it found its way to the blog Deadline Hollywood Daily July 10 came a day after international format protection body Frapa called on ABC Studios to renounce the contents of the memo.

Frapa committee member and Fox Reality Channel president David Lyle warned that ABC Studios owner Disney risked having its own formats stolen if it didn't act on the matter.

"If ABC and Disney refuse to repudiate the contents of the Davine memo, then producers in both the U.S. and around the world might note their silence and help themselves to the 'underlying premise' of 'Hannah Montana,' " he said.

By Mimi Turner

London -- International format protection body Frapa has called on ABC Studios to repudiate the contents of an alleged memo from exec vp Howard Davine that has been interpreted as advising producers to look at ways of copying international formats rather than licensing and paying for them.

In an unusually forceful warning, Frapa committee member and Fox Reality Channel president David Lyle said that ABC Studios owner Disney risked having its own formats stolen if it didn't act on the matter.

"If ABC and Disney refuse to repudiate the contents of the Davine memo, then producers in both the U.S. and around the world might note their silence and help themselves to the 'underlying premise' of 'Hannah Montana,' " he said.

In the copy of the memo originally published by the blog Deadline Hollywood Daily, Devine asks producers to "carefully scrutinize" whether licensing successful foreign formats "is necessary or appropriate."

"Between format rights fees and executive producer fees there are significant costs added to your production budget that will impact what you can put on the screen ... a large chunk of the back end will go to the rights holder," the memo states.