BBC Worldwide Americas And Warner Home Video Announce Distribution Deal

(June 28 2000 – Burbank, CA and New York, NY) - BBC Worldwide Americas (BBCWA) and Warner Home Video are pleased to announce a new distribution agreement for the BBC Video® label, previously distributed by CBS/Fox Video. BBC Video® is the home of BBC’s premiere entertainment, family, factual and drama programs including the groundbreaking documentary “Walking With Dinosaurs,” comedy classic “Absolutely Fabulous,” costume drama “Elizabeth R,” “Sister” and “Wendy’s Story of Painting” as well as a catalog of over 300 titles. Under the new agreement, Warner Home Video will act as the sales and distribution agent of the BBC Video® product line. All marketing responsibilities will be retained by BBC Worldwide Americas located in New York. All new BBC Video® releases after July 1, 2000 will be available exclusively through Warner Home Video. To allow for the smoothest possible transition for BBC Video® customers, BBCWA and Fox have agreed to transfer BBC Video’s® entire catalog of titles to Warner Home Video, with the exception of “Walking With Dinosaurs.” CBS/Fox will continue to manufacture and distribute “Walking With Dinosaurs” until August 31st after which this program will be available from Warner Home Video. “The quality of BBC Video’s® programming is a perfect complement to our existing product lines from PBS and National Geographic.” said Jim Cardwell, Executive Vice President, Warner Home Video, “We are especially pleased with BBC Worldwide’s commitment to developing children’s brands.” “We are excited about our new relationship with Warner Home Video.“ said Burton Cromer, Vice President, BBC Video Marketing, “Warner appreciates the value of the specialty product from BBC Video® and their proven strength in retail distribution will also allow us to further exploit our mass market opportunities.” BBCWA is a wholly owned subsidiary of BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation. BBCWA licenses and distributes programs in Latin America as well as consumer products in the USA, Latin America and Canada. These include BBC home video, books, audio, licensed merchandise, CD-ROMs and BBC Music. BBC Library Sales markets and licenses footage from the BBC’s vast and up-to-the-minute ‘live catalog.’ BBC Sales Company, a joint venture of BBC Worldwide Americas (BBCWA) and Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) licenses, co-produces and distributes television programs in the United States and Canada on behalf of the BBC and DCI. BBC America, launched in March 1998, is BBC’s first wholly owned cable network in the U.S. With operations in 78 international territories -- more than the video division of any other studio -- Warner Home Video commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment Company, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Video. # # #