About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners, is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment's Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America and Japan, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT also acts as representative for The Wiggles® in the UK.
Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing, live events and attractions and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US preschool channel, PBS KIDS Sprout℠, and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China).
For more information, visit http://www.hitentertainment.com.
Karen Barnes
Senior Vice President, Development and Production, HIT Entertainment
Karen Barnes, Senior Vice President, Development & Production, HIT Entertainment and Executive Producer, Barney & Friends™ and Angelina Ballerina™ The Next Steps, brings more than 20 years of television production and broadcast experience to HIT. In her role, Ms. Barnes oversees the development and production of the Barney & Friends television series, along with all Barney™ Home Entertainment releases. In addition, Ms. Barnes is the Executive Producer for the all-new CG animated Angelina Ballerina The Next Steps, which follows an 8-year-old Angelina as she embarks on the next stage in her life at a new school for the performing arts.
Most recently, she served as a production consultant for Sesame Workshop, Hallmark Channel and ToddWorld. Prior to that, Ms. Barnes held several positions at FOX, including Executive Vice President, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Executive Vice President, Development and Programming at FOX Kids. Ms. Barnes started her career at The Jim Henson Company, where she was head of production and development for North America.
She has received numerous awards and recognition for creative achievement, including a George Foster Peabody Award and two National Education Association Awards. Before venturing into the creative arena, Ms. Barnes was a business affairs attorney. She is also a certified mediator.
She received her BA from Marymount Manhattan College and JD from Fordham Law School.
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