How’s this for a nice windfall? Shine has paid staff a flat bonus of £10,000 ($16,380), having finalized the £415 million takeover deal by News Corp. This is according to TV trade Television Business International. The flat bonus was paid last week to all permanent staff who had been at the TV production and distribution group for a year or longer irrespective of job title, though some senior managers would have had larger payouts because of shares and options held. Shine declined to comment but confirmed to TBI the bonus was paid to employees last Wednesday/Thursday by way of thanks for building the company before its sale to the Murdoch empire. It is not clear how many Shine employees have qualified for the bonus, though the group’s headcount can run to 1,000, depending on what is in production. Shine’s portfolio includes Reveille’s The Biggest Loser and The Office. The News Corp deal for Shine was announced in late February. It closed earlier this month. Remember that Liz Murdoch first set up Shine in 2001 bolstered by an output deal at Sky TV, the UK pay-TV giant controlled by her father Rupert.