Corpus Resources PLC Regulatory News (COR)

25 Jan 2005 07:01

Chorion PLC24 January 2005 Chorion plc ('Chorion' or 'the Company') Noddy secures merchandising and distribution deal in US "Make Way for Noddy" to launch on PBS television on 2nd July Chorion is pleased to announce that it has secured an agreement with US brandmanagement company FUNimation Productions, Ltd. whereby FUNimation will becomethe master licensor for Noddy in North America. FUNimation Productions, Ltd., based in Fort Worth, Texas, licenses animatedproperties and content for television programming and home videos, primarilytargeted at children and young adults. FUNimation is a strong partner for Chorion and this strength will be furtherunderpinned when it becomes part of the Navarre Corp (NASDAQ: NAVR), a leadingUS publisher and distributor of home entertainment products, in a deal announcedearlier this year and expected to complete by May 2005. The agreement with FUNimation achieves the goal, stated at the time of Chorion'sannouncement of its broadcasting deal with PBS KIDS on 7 September 2004, oflaunching the Noddy franchise in other areas of the US market, such as homevideo and licensing, fully to maximise the potential of the brand in NorthAmerica. Chorion's wholly owned animated series 'Make Way for Noddy' will premiere onpublic broadcaster PBS on 2nd July, giving the Noddy brand a high profile basefrom which to launch merchandising initiatives. Commenting on Noddy's further penetration of the US market, Chorion ChiefExecutive Nicholas James said: "We are very excited to be working with FUNimation, a company that has thebrand management, distribution and licensing experience successfully tointroduce Noddy to millions of American children and parents." As the master licensor for Noddy in North America, FUNimation will feature Noddyat this year's NATPE, Toy Fair and Licensing Show. For further information please call:Tim Allan or Andrew ShollPortland, for Chorion+44 20 7404 5344andrew.sholl@portlandpr.co.uk About FUNimation FUNimation Productions, Ltd. is a full-service brand-management company and oneof the nation's leading independent home video entertainment companies. Thecompany divisions include in-house production, licensing, Internet, marketingand home video sales and distribution. In the US pre-school market it licensessuch successful properties as Emmy Award-winning PBS KIDS series Arthur, TimothyGoes to School and Little Nemo as well as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles andDragonball Z. For information about FUNimation and its properties, visitwww.funimation.com. About Chorion Chorion (LSE: COR) is a leading content company whose foremost propertiesinclude Enid Blyton's Noddy, Roger Hargreaves' Mr. Men and Little Miss series,Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and Georges Simenon's InspectorMaigret. Visit www.chorion.co.uk. 'Make Way for Noddy' was first broadcast by the terrestrial television companyFive in 2002. Translated into over a dozen languages, it has achievedinternational acclaim in 115 markets around the world, making it one ofBritain's biggest television exports. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange