Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide has announced at MIPCOM licensing deals covering fourteen different broadcasters across Central and Eastern Europe including their first HD sale to Russia (First HDTV).

Heike Renner, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide's Territory Manager for Central and Eastern Europe, said: "A combination of package and output deals will see over 750 hours of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide's content shown in more than a dozen countries throughout the territory. We're really excited to be working with such a variety of different broadcasters and having our programming viewed by audiences throughout the breadth and width of Central and Eastern Europe."

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide's first HD sale to Russia is to cable & satellite broadcaster First HDTV for 55 hours of content including Cranford and Gavin & Stacey S1. Another first for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔW in Russia is their deal with Channel One Worldwide Telecafe which covers all of Eastern Europe and the content will be either dubbed or lectored into Russian. Lastly, Russia MTV has bought the entire series of Ab Fab and Scallywagga S1 & 2 plus a selection of Science and Horizon titles for a new documentary slot.

TVP2 in Poland have renewed a long-standing news and current affairs output deal with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔW. Meanwhile cable & satellite Canal+ channels Domo have acquired over 50 hours of home and gardening programming and Kuchnia has licensed 50 hours of cookery titles such as The Restaurant S1 and The Hairy Bikers.

Romania's terrestrial channels TVR 1 & 2 have bought a 250 hour mixed package (Doctor Who S4, Father & Son, Primeval S2 & 3) and TVR Cultural Channel has acquired over 160 hours of back catalogue including all 92 episodes of All Creatures Great & Small.

ETV Estonia and B92 in Serbia have bought mixed packages including Life and Moonshot while Viasat in Lithuania has licensed Hotel Babylon S1-3 for TV3 and TV6 channels. HRT Croatia has renewed their current affairs output deal with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔW totalling 24 hours and moving further east, Georgian Public Broadcaster has bought WWII: Behind Closed Doors.

Rounding up most of Central & Eastern Europe is Being Erica S1 & 2, the drama produced by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide's Canadian production partners Temple Street, which has been licensed by the Hallmark Channel. The drama, currently in production for Series 2, will be seen in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, Russia, CIS & Baltic States, Hungary (which includes Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Slovakia, Serbia & Montenegro, Hungary and the Czech Republic) and Africa.

Lee Leschasin