10 Global TV Stories You Should Know: 04/29/2024

Here are the global TV and streaming stories that should be on your radar for Monday, April 29th, 2024:

Netflix Unveils Polish Slate Including Directing Debut For ‘High Water’ Scribe & Bank Robbery Thriller From ‘Forgotten Love’ Team (Deadline)
Netflix has unveiled nine new movies and series from Poland including the directorial debut of High Water writer Kasper Bajon and a thriller from the team behind Forgotten Love. Project UFO leads the Poland slate, a mini-series helmed by Bajon that will transport fans of stories inspired by real events to the 1980s in order to investigate the alleged UFO landing in a remote countryside village.

New Rules For Smart Device Sellers In UK (Advanced-Television)
Smart device manufacturers now have to adhere to stricter rules if they want to sell their gadgets in the UK following a new law coming into effect. The law is designed to ensure there is enhanced security around devices such as televisions, fitness trackers and smart speakers that are linked to the internet.

‘Black Mirror,’ ‘Silo’ And ‘The Last of Us’ Among Winners At BAFTA TV Craft Awards (Variety)
“Black Mirror” Season 6 was among a handful of shows to take home two awards, with creator Charlie Brooker and writer Bisha K Ali winning in the drama writer category while the show also won best photography and lighting in fiction category for the episode “Demon 79.”

Premier Sports Secures Copa America Rights In UK And Ireland (Sportcal)
UK and Ireland pay-TV network Premier Sports has secured the rights to broadcast this year’s Copa America, the South American national teams soccer competition. As part of the deal, all 32 matches will be broadcast live exclusively on Premier Sports across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Surfer Channel Joins Samsung TV Plus In Australia And NZ (Digital TV Europe)
Independent FAST channel provider acTVe is rolling out its Surfer channel on Samsung TV Plus in Australia and New Zealand. Surfer is home to content provided by Surfer Magazine; broadcasting hundreds of hours of programming of the water sport, says acTVe.

KBS Reality Show Cast And Crew Return To Korea After Detainment In Bali (Korea Joongang Daily)
Cast and crew members from an upcoming KBS Joy reality show, including Girls’ Generation’s Hyoyeon and Apink’s Bomi, have returned to Korea after being detained in Indonesia for filming without an authorized permit.

How To Make It In Africa: What We Can Learn From Showmax’s Reinvention (IOL)
Whether Showmax will deliver on its promise to “change the game of streaming in Africa” remains to be seen, but so far the new version of the streamer, which launched in February this year, has been embraced by South Africans.

Africa’s StarTimes Picks Up Rights To LaLiga & LaLiga 2 (Digital TV Europe)
Chinese-owned pan-African pay TV operator StarTimes has secured the non-exclusive broadcasting rights for leading Spanish football leagues LaLiga and LaLiga 2 for the next five seasons. Per the multi-year agreement, StarTimes will deliver programming of the football tournament in Spain until 2028/2029 season to customers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

BBC Wildlife Presenter Caught Up In AI Scam (Deadline)
A well-known BBC wildlife presenter has been caught up in a scam that saw a fake AI-generated program mimic her voice and give permission for her face to be used in an advert. Liz Bonnin and her management team noticed last week that the presenter of Our Changing Planet and Arctic From Above was fronting a poster for insect repellent spray, which neither her nor management had signed off.

Tele Columbus Boosted By Broadband, Hit By TV law Change (Digital TV Europe)
German cable operator Tele Columbus posted revenues of €119 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, up 6.2%, wit8h adjusted EBITDA up 7.5% to €44.8 million. For the full year, the operator, which offers services under the PŸUR brand, posted revenues of €452.1 million, up 2.2%, which the company said was boosted by growth in its internet base. Tele Columbus added 25,000 internet customers in the fourth quarter, a 92% uplift on gains for the same period in 2022.