Wednesday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Lupa Systems buys Vox Media brands

James Murdoch’s investment firm Lupa Systems has struck a $300m (£223m) deal to buy Vox Media, owner of New York Magazine and brands including Vulture.

The deal moves Lupa into the podcast and publishing space, with Murdoch describing the acquisition as being reflective of “our interest in the forward edge of culture and our deep commitment to ambitious journalism.”

Jim Bankoff, Vox Media’s chief exec, will remain in place at the company, which claims 400,000 subscribers. The deal does not include The Verge, Popsugar or Eater, which will remain together and become a standalone entity.

James Murdoch, son of Rupert, founded Lupa Systems in 2018. It holds stakes in events such as Art Basel, Tribeca Enterprises, and Indian streamer JioStar, the atter via Bodhi Tree Systems.

The A-Talks expands in Nordics

French interview format The A-Talks has landed its 21st adaptation with a local remake in Finland.

An eight-episode show has been commissioned by local commercial broadcaster Nelonen and is being produced by Fremantle, with the series set to air weekly in primetime in the second half of 2026.

The format sees comedians, musicians, writers, athletes and political figures talking to interviewers who are autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning disabled.

Produced by Quad+TEN and Kiosco TV (part of Webedia-owned Elephant Group), the format is sold by Can’t Stop Media and debuted on France 2 in 2022. It has since been remade around the world, including in the UK (ITV1), Brazil (Globo), Spain (Cuatro), and Norway (NRK).

CBC’s Lea Marin joins Netflix

Netflix in Canada has hired Lea Marin to oversee its content in the country.

Marin becomes manager of content at the global streamer and joins having been director of scripted development at Canadian broadcaster CBC.

She was behind shows including Wild Cards and Allegiance during her time at the CBC, and before that was a senior producer at the National Film Board of Canada.

Talestorm reveals Black Dahlia docuseries

US-based producer Talestorm is developing a docuseries that claims to be on the cusp of solving one of the most infamous murders in American history: the 1947 killing of Elizabeth Short, widely known as the Black Dahlia.

Deconstructing Dahlia tracks a team of investigators and former detectives, with the show promising to reveal a series of new leads, including a primary suspect and evidence proving the location of the murder.

Filmmakers are currently pushing the LA Police Department to release key pieces of evidence that have been withheld for nearly eight decades, with Short’s family also supporting the investigation and docuseries. Details of broadcaster/streamer have not yet been revealed.

Talestorm was founded via the merger of 4 Sight Productions and JTM Media, with a slate that has included Rhythm with Views, American Gem Trackers and features such as Sidewalk Singer.

Nine preps State of Origin docuseries

Australia’s Nine is preparing to debut a four-part docuseries about the rugby league rivalry between New South Wales and Queensland.

The show debuts this week ahead of the 2026 State of Origin Series of matches, which will air exclusively on Nine, and explores how a rule change breathed new life into the competition.

Using rare archival footage and interviews from those competing at the time, the show explores how a rule change - meaning players’ affiliation was defined by their first senior rugby league game rather than the team they were playing with at the time - transformed the competition.

Banijay’s Endemol Shine Australia produces, with the series premiering on Channel 9 and 9Now on 20 May.