DCD.L Regulatory News (DCD)

25 Aug 2005 06:00

Embargoed: 0700hrs 25 August 2005 Digital Classics plc ("Digital Classics" or the "Group") Launch of New Division Digital Classics plc, the world's leading international classical music andarts programme production and distribution business, is pleased to launch a newdivision, "IP Entertainment," to sit within its award-winning productionsubsidiary Iambic Productions Limited ("Iambic").IP Entertainment has been created to take advantage of the growing market offactual and reality-based formats in popular television. In line with thisexpansion strategy it has appointed well-known entertainment televisionexecutive, Iain Thompson, to front this new initiative. Mr Thompson hasproduced such ITV1 series' as `Poor Little Rich Girls', `Celebrity Love Island'and `I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!' His role at IP Entertainment is todevelop new entertainment formats for the main terrestrial channels.Iambic, a wholly owned subsidiary of Digital Classics, has already enjoyedsignificant mainstream success and, last year won two Primetime Emmys - theonly UK company to win any at all - in the `Variety, Comedy or Music Special'category with its HBO/BBC co-production `Elaine Stritch at Liberty'.Iambic programmes due to air on ITV1 in the near future include `Abba - TheReunion', with `The Michael Jackson Story' and `Abba's All-Time Greatest Hits'to follow within the subsequent three months.IP Entertainment is already developing a number of projects aimed at themainstream, popular television markets.Chris Hunt said, "I am delighted to welcome Iain Thompson into IPEntertainment. He is a producer with originality and vision. With the benefitof his expertise, IP Entertainment will be well placed to take advantage of thedemand for this type of content and generate a further revenue stream for theGroup." -Ends- Chris Hunt, Chief ExecutiveDigital Classics plcTel. 020 7636 1400Ben SimonsHansard CommunicationsTel. 020 7245 1100Iambic was founded in 1988 by Chris Hunt, and has grown into one of the UK'smost successful independent production companies. It has won over four dozenawards internationally - other Emmy winners include `Oklahoma!', the ‚£3madaptation of the musical, and the arts biography `Jose Carreras - A LifeStory'. It began as a music and arts producer - it has for instance producedmore South Bank Shows than any other independent - but has in recent yearsbegun to branch out into drama and factual entertainment. This new divisionsignals Iambic's decision to develop further into a leading provider of popularentertainment formats.Iambic Productions, along with IP Entertainment, maintains that no productionmay be commenced unless pre-commitments from buyers cover not only direct costsof production but all relevant overheads plus a further margin as well.ENDDIGITAL CLASSICS PLC