Luc Besson launches Blue

Film News: Company to produce 'advertainment' -- Helmer-producer Luc Besson is teaming up with advertising exec Christophe Lambert to launch Blue, Gaul’s first shingle devoted to “advertainment” — a blend of entertainment and advertising.

Dwight Caines upped at Sony

Film News: Exec now oversees all digital marketing -- Dwight Caines has been upped to prexy of worldwide digital marketing at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Entertainment One gets credit

Business News: Company to receive $150 million -- Despite a global credit squeeze, Canada's Entertainment One has just received a four-year $150 million senior credit facility with a group of financial institutions led by JP Morgan. The facility leaves the Toronto-based distrib and producer poised for further growth. The other banks in the syndicate include Bank of America, Barclays and Toronto Dominion Bank.

Summit taps Kirkpatrick for post

Business News: Exec named president of worldwide marketing -- Summit Entertainment has tapped veteran exec Nancy Kirkpatrick prexy of worldwide marketing.

Peace stands behind 'The Line'

Business News: Group acquires rights to Canadian TV drama -- Peace Arch Entertainment Group has acquired distribution rights to upcoming TV series "The Line."

Schulman retiring as WB counsel

Business News: Legal guru had been with studio for 25 years -- John Schulman, Warner Bros. Entertainment general counsel and the reigning dean of studio legal eagles, is retiring after a 25-year career at the studio.

Entertainment League enters game

Business News: Former NBA exec start sports production unit -- The ranks of companies in Los Angeles focusing on sports production and marketing have added another player: Entertainment League Prods.

ITV's Paul Jackson exits

Business News: Exec returning to role as tube producer -- ITV director of entertainment Paul Jackson, former head of Granada America, is ankling at the end of the year to return to making programs.

ITV's Jackson exits

Business News: Exec returning to role as tube producer -- ITV director of entertainment Paul Jackson, former head of Granada America, is ankling at the end of the year to return to making programs.

PorchLight on for Sparky/Grimply piic

Film News: Companies team up for CGI 'Brothers' -- Singapore's Sparky Animation has pacted with Santa Monica-based PorchLight Entertainment and Scotland's Grimply Films to co-produce $22 million, CGI movie "The Grimpley Brothers."

Cheech Marin flies with 'Angel'

Film News: Actor to direct and star in comedy for HighRoad -- Cheech Marin will direct and star in the dramedy "Angel of Oxnard" for HighRoad Entertainment.

Women set Democratic fund-raiser

Business News: Voices taps David, Short, Garner to perform -- More then 50 women in the entertainment industry have organized an event to raise money for eight Democratic U.S. Senate candidates on Sept. 27, with a lineup of performances by Martin Short, Jennifer Garner and Larry David, among others.

Obama organizers campaign for cash

Business News: Hollywood donors race to raise money -- With the presidential race in a dead heat, Hollywood donors feverishly made last-minute calls to raise money for what could be Barack Obama’s final entertainment industry fund-raiser before the general election.

Susan Lyne named Gilt Groupe CEO

Business News: Former Martha Stewart chief to run online retailer -- Susan Lyne, former chief of ABC Entertainment and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, is bailing on the media sector in favor of running an online luxury goods retailer.

Vivendi off to 'Tennessee'

Film News: Film unit grabs rights to Aaron Woodley film -- Vivendi Entertainment has grabbed all U.S. rights to "Tennessee, " the latest pic from "Monster's Ball" producer Lee Daniels.

Reliance nabs major stake in Willow

Business News: Online business specializes in cricket -- In a further sign of its global ambitions, Indian media conglom Reliance Big Entertainment has acquired a majority stake in California-based Willow TV, which claims to be the world’s leading website for live streaming of cricket events.

ER tussles with U. S. distributor

Business News: U.K. company claims unpaid fees -- Struggling U.K. tyke specialist Entertainment Rights, whose properties include “Postman Pat” and “The Lone Ranger, ” is taking legal action against its primary U.S. DVD distributor, Genius Products, over alleged unpaid fees.

Berlusconi immunity threatened

Business News: Opposition wants to strip away protection -- Silvio Berlusconi’s year has had a somewhat inauspicious start. Momentum is gathering behind an opposition move to lift the immunity from prosecution that shields the Italo media mogul and premier from his legal woes.

Banijay returns El Terrat to sender

Business News: Buenafuente buys back company -- In a surprise about-face, Gaul's Banijay Entertainment has sold Spanish production company El Terrat back to its original owner, prexy Andreu Buenafuente, just three months after announcing its purchase.

Obama urges for digital switch delay

Business News: Officials concerned that people are unprepared -- Don't flip the switch just yet -- that's what the incoming Obama administration urged Congress on Thursday regarding the long-planned Feb. 17 transition to all-digital broadcasting.

Blu-Ray warms tech expo

Business News: Sony pushes online products in Vegas -- Blu-ray sales could triple or even quintuple in 2009.

Jermaine Dupri out at Island Records

Business News: Rapper-producer-mogul exits music unit -- Jermaine Dupri is out as president of Island Records Urban Music division, a unit he ran for almost two years.

First Look ups Marie O'Reilly-Thein

Business News: Exec will manage retail and rental accounts -- First Look Studios has upped Marie O'Reilly-Thein to senior veep of sales for home entertainment.

Sides more vocal in SAG strike talks

Business News: Meeting next week to decide referendum's fate -- The sides in SAG's strike authorization vote battle are becoming more vocal in advance of the guild's emergency national board meeting next week to determine the fate of the proposed referendum.

Blu-Ray warms tech expo

Film News: Sony pushes online products in Vegas -- Blu-ray sales could triple or even quintuple in 2009.

Fashion kicks off with Golden Globes

Film News: For TV divas, the red carpet is their big moment -- It's fashion kickoff time. First up: the Golden Globes, next the Academy Awards. While the Oscars is as intense as the Super Bowl, the more relaxed Globes pits the smallscreen against the bigscreen: On one team we have the TV clotheshorses; on the other, their big sisters, the movie stars.