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Speed Channel Inks Formula One Deal

The Speed channel reached a multiyear deal to continue coverage of the Formula One circuit, Multichannel News reports. Terms weren’t disclosed. In 2010, Speed’s coverage will again include live qualifying and practice sessions and 15 of 19 races, beginning March…

Starz Renews ‘Spartacus’ Before It Launches

Starz renewed its upcoming action-drama "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" even before its Jan. 22 launch, reports The Hollywood Reporter. The pay cable network called the renewal a “bold vote of confidence" for the first season. The second season will have…

Congress Extends Satellite Home Viewer Act

The Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act (SHVERA) was scheduled to come to an end Dec. 31, but Congress voted Saturday to extend the act by 60 days, reports Multichannel News. The act allows for satellite providers to bring in out-of-market network…

NFL Network Scores Big With Saturday Game

What do you get when you broadcast a National Football League game between America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys, and an undefeated New Orleans Saints squad? The NFL Network’s most-watched cable telecast of all time, reports Multichannel News. The Dec. 19 primetime…

Disney XD Orders Up ‘Pair of Kings’

Disney XD gave a series order for a live-action comedy, “Pair of Kings," that will premiere next fall, reports The Hollywood Reporter. The series stars Mitchel Musso ("Hannah Montana") and Doc Show ("House of Payne") as fraternal twins being raised…

Syfy Plans Unusual Rollout for ‘Caprica’ Series

Syfy wants to build interest in its upcoming series “Caprica” with an unusual Web rollout, Multichannel News reports. Sci-fi oriented Web sites will be allowed to stream the entire two-hour pilot of the series, which is a prequel to “Battlestar…

Actress Brittany Murphy Dies of Cardiac Arrest at Age 32

Actress Brittany Murphy has died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles at age 32, according to multiple media reports. The death was first reported by the website TMZ.com According to the TMZ report, "Sources tell TMZ Brittany Murphy’s mom discovered…

Report: Bravo Preparing to Share With Homeland Security Committee Unaired Footage of White House Party Crashers

Bravo is preparing to share unaired footage of Michaele and Tareq Salahi–best known as the couple that crashed the White House State Dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November–with members of the Homeland Security Committee, the Washington Post reports. That information was part…

USA Renews ‘White Collar’

USA Network renewed its new “White Collar” for a second season, reports The Hollywood Reporter. The news broke Friday evening when it was twittered by the show’s creator and executive producer Jeff Eastin, who wrote, "Congratulations to the best cast…

PR Vet Shirley Powell Leaving Turner

Shirley Powell is leaving her job as Turner Broadcasting’s senior VP of corporate communications after the first of the year, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Powell has been at the company for 15 years, first at the Cartoon Network and since…