Tele 5 inks licensing deals

Pact with producer Singer lets Spanish net chose 10 pix

By EMILIANO DE PABLOS

MADRID — Spanish TV net Tele 5 has inked a five-year licensing deal with U.S. producer Joe Singer (“Mercury Rising,” “Dante’s Peak”).

The accord permits Tele 5 to select 10 pics in Singer’s long-term slate. The first to be earmarked is the Nicolas Cage starrer “One to One.” In a new step, Tele 5 has taken all rights to the Singer package.

“This is the first deal of this type. We aim to close at least three more over 2000,” Tele 5 general manager Mikel Lejarza said.

Tele 5’s all-rights policy raises once more the question of whether it will create its own stand-alone theatrical distribbery. Move was mooted at Mifed in 1998 but has been on hold since.

Tele 5 already supplies content to both satcasters CSD and Via Digital and new DTT operator Quiero TV.

In a separate move, Tele 5 has also inked a pact with Miami-based telenovela producer Venevision to co-produce a Spanish-lingo sitcom targeted at distribution in Latin America, Hispanic nets in the U.S. and in Spain.