All the latest news from the global content industry on Thursday, 23 April

 

Netflix’s Jinny Howe to keynote Banff

Netflix’s head of US and Canada scripted series, Jinny Howe, has been confirmed as the first keynote for the Banff World Media Festival in June.

Howe joined Netflix in 2018 and has been behind shows including Beef, Bridgerton, MAID and Inventing Anna.

She will appear as part of the Banff Summit Series, which launched in 2019 and has previously featured Chuck Lorre, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Pearlena Igbokwe, Bela Bajaria, and Ted Sarandos, among others.

The 47th annual Banff World Media Festival, which has named Spain as this year’s country of honour, will take place June 14–17 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Canada.

 

Nordic broadcaster makes record investment with Love Island

VGTV in Norway has become the latest broadcaster to order a local version of ITV Studios’ reality dating format Love Island.

ITVS Norway is producing the show for VGTV, which will also house the UK, All Stars, US and Australian shows from 2027.

The deal is the biggest investment in VGTV’s history, ITVS said, with casting underway on the local remake. Filming is planned for Autumn 2026 and a premiere in 2027.

 

ZDFS lands Lord Howe Island doc

Germany’s ZDF Studios has picked up global sales rights to Florian Guthknecht’s 60-minute special Lord Howe Island: Reset of Paradise.

The film takes viewers to the remote island in the Pacific Ocean, which is surrounded by the world’s southernmost coral reef and is home to numerous endemic animal and plant species.

Introduced rats and mice pushed the island’s ecological balance to the brink of collapse but residents joined forces with scientists to rebalance the natural ecosystem, with the doc exploring the transformation.

Guthknecht was behind previous doc Lord Howe Island: Pacific Eden for Germany’s ZDF and Arte, which was filmed almost two decades ago.

 

Germany’s Joyn partner with Blue Ant

Blue Ant Media has launched its wildlife-focused brand NatureTime on ProSiebenSat.1’s German streamer Joyn.

NatureTime features wildlife and nature stories, with programming available via an AVOD hub and dubbed into German for local audiences.

The service is available in over 20 countries, with the German deal overseen by Chiara McKee, vice president of EMEA Global Channels & Streaming at Blue Ant Media.

Shows on offer include Wildlife Icons, Shark Squad and Life’s Journey.