Heralding the frenzied competition for content to feed Spain's expanding TV market, publishing giant Grupo Planeta's media entity Planeta 2010 announced it would invest a whopping $33m (pts6,000m) over the next five years in the production of a single thematic channel: interactive educational channel Beca TV.

Beca, which offers traditional cultural and educational content, aims to break new ground by developing interactive services like distance learning, university course information and sales of educational materials.

According to Ramon Mas, Planeta 2010's head of new business, half of the planned $33m figure will be invested over the next two years. Some 60% of that ($9.9m) will go towards content production while 40% ($6.6m) is earmarked for the development of the interactive services.

Beca currently broadcasts in Spain on DTT platform Quiero TV, but looks likely to seek sales to other platforms in the future. Its new interactive content will begin April 1 on Quiero.

At the same time, Grupo Planeta, which through Planeta 2010, has a physical distribution pact with UIP, has boarded the mystical thriller Revelation, starring Terence Stamp and Udo Kier.

The deal was closed at the recent American Film Market, where international sales agent Overseas FilmGroup also closed other all-rights deals for several other territories.

The film has also gone to Lumiere/Drake Marketing for Brazil, Apex for South Korea and World Pictures for Thailand.

Revelation, currently in post-production, tells the story of a quest to locate a relic dating from the time of Christ. Written and directed by Stuart Urban (Preaching To The Perverted), the film is produced by Romulus Films and Cyclops Vision.

Leon Forde in London contributed to this report