CBS and DIC Entertainment Partner to Launch Branded Kids Programming Block, 'CBS's Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party'

CBS and DIC Entertainment Partner to Launch Branded Kids Programming Block, 'CBS's Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party'

DIC to Provide Educational/Informative (E/I) Compliant Programming for CBS's Saturday Morning Children's Programming Line-Up Beginning Fall '06

Educational Advisory Board With Educators and Children's Media Experts to Provide Input on Program Development

BURBANK, Calif., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- CBS and DIC Entertainment (DIC), a fully-integrated brand management company, will partner to launch an all-new, Saturday morning branded kids programming block, "CBS's Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party," in Fall '06, it was announced today by Nancy Tellem, President, CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group and Andy Heyward, Chairman and CEO, DIC Entertainment.

As part of the multi-year deal, "CBS's Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party," will feature three hours of FCC-compliant children's programming and serve as a platform to introduce new kids programs created by DIC. In addition, it will feature successful series from DIC's extensive library of animated product, including the Emmy Award-winning series Madeline and Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego, Sabrina: The Animated Series, Strawberry Shortcake, Trollz, Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, Archie's Weird Mysteries, The Littles, Inspector Gadget's Field Trip and Sonic Underground.

"We are thrilled to partner with CBS to develop a platform to showcase our existing library of programming with brand recognition on broadcast television, as well as to create a launching pad to introduce new and exciting brands to the kid's marketplace in the U.S.," comments Heyward. "CBS is America's most watched Network and an organization with a great tradition of high-quality, successful programming, and we look forward to future collaborations on innovative ventures in the children's television market using new and emerging technologies."

"DIC is a leader in children's entertainment with a deep library of kids programming and a successful track record for launching and running an E/I block in the U.S.," stated Tellem. "Their numerous Emmy, Humanitas, and other awards speak to their attention to quality and their impressive educational advisory board speaks to their commitment to providing children with the highest educational and entertainment values in their programming."

DIC and CBS executives will collaborate with the DIC Educational Advisory Board, a group comprised of leading media experts, educators and pediatricians which was created to provide information, guidance, advice and general expertise to executives, creative professionals and staff in the development of multimedia programs and projects for children.

The DIC Educational Advisory Board is chaired by Robby London, Executive Vice President of Creative Affairs at DIC who has been jointly responsible for all aspects of DIC's creative affairs for the past 18 years. Among the panel of esteemed Board members are lauded Stanford Professor of Communications and children's media expert Dr. Donald Roberts, who is recognized around the world for his research on children and the media and specializes in determining how children process and respond to media. Gordon L. Berry Ed.D., who is presently Professor Emeritus in the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies at UCLA, and Daniel D. Broughton, M.D. who serves as the Professor of Pediatrics at the esteemed Mayo Medical School and is a consultant to the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

About DIC Entertainment:

DIC Entertainment, a fully-integrated global brand management company, is dedicated to creating, developing, producing, distributing, marketing and merchandising family-based intellectual properties. DIC has distinguished itself by building one of the largest libraries of western-style animation with approximately 2,800 half-hours of renowned programming, including Trollz(TM), Inspector Gadget(TM), Strawberry Shortcake(TM), Sabrina(TM), Madeline(TM), Liberty's Kids(TM), Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?(TM), Sonic The Hedgehog(TM), Super Mario Bros(TM) and Care Bears(TM). In 2003, the company launched the DIC Kid's Network, a unique syndicated programming block designed to meet core FCC requirements and the only network for kids that reaches effectively 98% of U.S. households on over 300 stations. As a pre-eminent supplier of kid's programming worldwide, DIC has developed strategic partnerships with key domestic and international broadcast partners throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Australia. DIC is headquartered in Burbank, California with international offices in Paris, London and Cologne.

About CBS:

CBS Television is comprised of the CBS Television Network -- with more than 200 owned and affiliated stations reaching virtually every television home in the United States; the Network's programming arms CBS Entertainment, CBS News and CBS Sports. CBS also manages UPN, which broadcasts primetime programming on five nights with an average of 90 percent total coverage throughout the country.

Source: CBS; DIC Entertainment

CONTACT: Phil Gonzales of CBS, +1-323-575-2028,
phil.gonzales@tvc.cbs.com; or Michelle Orsi, +1-310-372-2309,
michelle@360-comm.com, for DIC Entertainment

-------
Profile: intent