Entertainment
Disney to test free TV scheme in Spain
The Disney Channel, which has launched franchises from Hannah Montana to Camp Rock, will be available free-to-air for the first time under an experiment in Spain that could herald a new business model for the Walt Disney property.
Disney has attributed much of the rapid international growth of its core television franchise to an earlier decision to turn it from a premium channel into part of basic cable and satellite subscription services across Europe, expanding its reach.
May 28, 2008, 14:11

Entertainment : Motion Picture
Deal could bring 3-D movies to 10,000 screens
Access Integrated Technologies Inc. said it had reached agreements with four studios -- Disney, News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox, Viacom Inc.'s Paramount, and Universal Pictures, which is owned by General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal -- to finance and equip the screens in the U.S. and Canada during the next three years. The conversion will cost as much as $700 million, said Bud Mayo, chief executive of Access Integrated Technologies, which completed a first tranche of 3,700 digital conversions in October.
Mar 11, 2008, 18:33

Entertainment
"Bee Movie," "Family Guy" Among Elan Winners
Family Guy received the Electronic Art's Award for Best International Animated Production, and Edgar & Ellen received the Seven Group Award for Best Animated Production (Television Series). Edgar & Ellen also was recognized for Best Production Design or Art Direction.
Feb 18, 2008, 16:31

Entertainment
Lat Am, Irish sales for Edgar & Ellen
Toon Edgar & Ellen, from Chicago's Star Farm Productions, has been picked up by a pan-regional Latin American satellite channel under a deal secured by Pi Distribution. As well as Cartoon Network in Latin America, TG4 in Ireland has licensed the show from the UK's Cake Distribution. The series is coproduced with Bardel Entertainment and YTV, and airs on Nicktoons US and Nickelodeon UK.
Feb 12, 2008, 16:40

Entertainment
Disney adds fantasy lands
Disney and other entertainment companies are rushing to capitalize on the latest Internet phenomenon: the rise of virtual worlds for kids. Online haunts for grown-ups, such as Second Life, grab the attention of corporate marketers. But digital playgrounds for the juice-box set -- such as Disney's Club Penguin and Ganz Inc.'s Webkinz -- are drawing bigger crowds. As many as 20 million children and teens will visit virtual worlds by 2011, up from 8.2 million in 2007, according to research firm EMarketer Inc.
Jan 28, 2008, 11:13