Thursday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Blue Ant completes Thunderbird takeover

Canada’s Blue Ant Media Corporation has completed its C$89m (£48m) deal to acquire Kim’s Convenience and Highway Thru Hell firm Thunderbird Entertainment.

Thunderbird shareholders will receive £1.77 for each share held, a 28% premium to the trading price a day prior to the deal being unveiled in November. Thunderbird shares will be removed from the Toronto Stock Exchange on 30 January.

Blue Ant said it was “on track” to find annual cost synergies of around C$7m from the acquistion, which sees Thunderbird chief exec Jennifer Twiner McCarron joining the Michael MacMillan-led company to oversee its kids, animation and young adult unit.

The deal follows Blue Ant’s reverse takeover (RTO) of Boat Rocker Media earlier this year, after which MacMillan told Broadcast International he was looking at more M&A activity to “turbocharge” the business. The company subsequently acquired factual streamer MagellanTV in October.

Prospero preps UKTV true crime show

Australian production company Prospero Productions is returning to the tragic murder case of Peter Falconio 25 years ago.

Commissioned by UKTV with Screenwest and Screen Australia, the two-part documentary Outback Terror: The Falconio Murder will re-examine the outback encounter that led to Falconio’s murder and Joanne Lee’s dramatic escape from Bradley John Murdoch in 2001.

A single gunshot ended Falconio’s life and sent Lee running for her own, until hours later she was picked up by a passing truck on a remote stretch of highway. However, Falconio’s body was never recovered and Lee’s account met with doubt, triggering immense media scrutiny.

The two-part doc will be available on U and will air on U&W, with international distribution by Sphere Abacus. Its Australian broadcast will be announced later this year.