Casper gets a new home with Harvey acquisition

After nearly a year of unfruitful sales rumors, Harvey Entertainment has finally been acquired by Classic Media, a new investment group headed by ex-Golden Books CEO Eric Ellenbogen, former Universal Studios chairman and Viacom CEO Frank Biondi and producer Steve Tisch. Valued at US$30 million, the cash-and-stocks deal gives Classic Media a 60% majority stake in Harvey, which counts Casper, Wendy the Witch and Baby Huey in its kids character cache.

Igel goes global with new distribution unit

Hamburg-based production and distribution outfit Igel Media has opened up a London office, out of which newly appointed managing director Edward Galton will run a new global sales unit called Igel Media Distribution. In addition to overseeing the rights for its parentco’s own programming, Igel Media Distribution will also ferret out broadcasting berths for Paris-based prodco Xilam’s animated products like Space Goofs and Oggy and the Cockroaches.