German media concern Helkon Media has severed its last link with the local outpost of Buena Vista International (BVI) by ending its booking and billing arrangement for the German theatrical release of its films after ending its TV output agreement with BVI at the end of last year.

In future, Helkon will handle theatrical releases directly or with other distribution partners, while its sales team will co-ordinate the marketing of pay and free TV licenses.

The TV deal with BVI had been cancelled after the US major failed to place any of Helkon's releases through its output deals with RTL (free TV) or Premiere World (pay TV) during the two and a half years of the agreement's existence.

Helkon's figures for the 2000/2001 financial year even asserted that the reduced EBIT - from Euros 7.7m in the 1999/2000 year to minus Euros 9.3m in the year ending July 31, 2001 - was largely due to the absence of revenues being generated from the TV output agreement with BVI.