BROADCAST
BBC Studios has inked its first major factual multi-year content deal in Italy with Mediaset, the country’s top private generalist TV network. The BBC’s long-term agreement with Mediaset covers first-window exclusive pre-sales in Italy of its natural history shows including its upcoming “Frozen Planet II,” “Dynasties II” and “Planet Earth III.” The Mediaset package deal also comprises providing an additional annual 25 hours of content for Mediaset’s Focus Channel, for an unspecified number of years. Acquired titles from the BBC Studios catalogue for Mediaset’s portfolio of free-to-air channels include the second season of “Animals with Cameras” and “Mummies Unwrapped” which will air on Mediaset this Spring.
“BBC Studios and Mediaset are united in their ambition to bring premium factual shows to Italian audiences,” BBC Studios sales exec. Salim Mukaddam said in a statement. – Nick Vivarelli
LABEL
Universal Music Greater China, a division of Universal Music Group, has launched Capitol Records China as a new frontline label focused on signing and developing Chinese music talent. The group has also revealed a a new standalone International division, dedicated to supporting UMG’s global talent roster across Greater China, which will continue to operate under the Universal Music China banner. Tom Tang has been appointed as GM, Capitol Records China, and Yvonne Yuen as senior VP, marketing and head of International, Universal Music Greater China, with both divisions reporting into Sunny Chang, chairman and CEO, Universal Music Greater China.
Tang joined UMGC in 2019 as VP, head of A&R and content strategy and has supported the recent signings of UMC artists including Linong Chen and Sunnee, who were China’s most successful debut acts in 2020, Gina Alice, Dylan Xiong and Chengyu Cai.
In Aug. 2021 UMGC launched Republic Records China, EMI China, PolyGram Records China, and Universal Music China as its flagship label divisions.
APPOINTMENTS
Jane English has been appointed U.K. broadcaster Channel 4’s new head of inclusion and will work closely with the head of creative diversity and the broadcaster’s People team to champion inclusion and diversity. English is currently on maternity leave and will take up role in the fall. She joins from 4Creative and marketing where she was instrumental in campaigns including Super.Human for the 2020 Paralympics and 100 Years, which marked the centenary of women’s right to vote. Giles Barker has been appointed to the newly created role of workplace disability Lead at Channel 4 where he will work closely with English. Barker joins from BT where he was group diversity and inclusion lead.
FORMATS
Fremantle have acquired global distribution rights for Israeli broadcaster Reshet 13‘s format, “The Next Restaurant,” created by Ami Glam and Yuval Cohen. In each episode, four contestants sharing a passion of setting up his or her own restaurant present their vision to the judges in minute detail, while serving two dishes from the menu in a small studio-built prototype of their restaurant. The episode ends with a winning 2restaurant, which opens to the public the following night for an entire week.
Meanwhile, Indian streamers ALTBalaji and MX Player‘s new reality format “Lock Upp,” which began streaming Feb. 27, has notched up 15 million views within 48 hours of launch. The show features Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut as the host and has 13 controversial celebrities — Nisha Rawal, Munawar Faruqui, Poonam Pandey, Kaaranvir Bohra, Swami Chakrapani, Siddharth Sharma, Anjali Arora, Babita Phogat, Shivam Sharma, Sara Khan, Payal Rohatgi, Tehseen Poonawalla and Saisha Shinde — locked up on a jail set for 72 days and have to survive on basic amenities.