Montreal: Tele-Metropole’s foreign export division, TVA International, has been mandated to ‘develop new revenue sources for a/v products in the international marketplace,’ says head Francois St-Laurent.

Its first investment is Carland Cross, a 26 half-hour animation series based on a Sherlock Holmes character set in 1930s Europe. Broadcasters include Canal+ and TF1. TF Enterprises has European rights. tva has the balance of world rights.

The series’ producers, tva, France’s Les Armanteurs and Belgium’s Odec Kid Cartoons plan three animation series over three years at $10 million each.

TVA Animation has purchased 14 Toon Boon (TIc Tac Toc) licences and workstations and has hired a staff of 25.

tva is also selling Mercier Films’ My Home Town. tva will make equity investments in exportable project, but not necessarily Canadian projects.