AMC TO RUN BBC AMERICA

AMC, the cable network behind such original scripted hits as Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Walking Dead, is paying $200 million for a 49.9 percent stake in BBC America, a channel that also airs several scripted hits, such as Doctor Who, Broadchurch and Orphan Black. BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, will retain the remaining 50.1 percent. As part of the deal, AMC will take over affiliate and advertising sales for the channel as well as distribution and ad sales for BBC World News. In a statement, Tony Hall, director-general/chairman of BBC Worldwide, said that the partnership "will help us reach new audiences in the U.S., strengthen BBC America’s position for the long term and create opportunities for the U.K. creative community." AMC chief Josh Sapan said that the BBC channel’s content "is particularly well-suited to an era of on-demand viewing." In its report of the deal, the New York Times observed that it "brings together two television groups that attract affluent audiences."