HIT Entertainment Digital Newsroom

Bob the Builder™ is Hard at Work on a Brand New Publishing Partnership with Paradise Press

06/10/2008

New York, NY

HIT Entertainment, one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights owners, has established a new publishing partnership with Paradise Press,adding a new licensee for Bob the Builder. This marks the first deal between HIT and Paradise Press and the first publishing program to tie in with Bob the Builder: Project Build It, Bob's top-rated TV series. In addition to publishing brand new Bob-content, Paradise Press will introduce new formats in their Bob the Builder program.

Under the terms of the deal, Paradise Press, a mass market publisher, has been granted the rights to publish a variety of formats of Bob the Builder books, including coloring and activity, sticker, and board books, as well as character-shaped foam EVA books. The publisher plans to distribute the new line through multiple distribution channels, including supermarkets, book chains and mass market retailers.

The first set of Bob the Builder books from Paradise Press will be available at retailers nationwide in fall 2008.

"We are delighted to be working with Paradise Press, which has extensive experience in the licensed character publishing arena," said Katie Price, Senior Director, Global Publishing, HIT Entertainment. "Combined with the broad appeal of Bob the Builder, we are confident that this program, including new formats and never-before published content, will build a loyal following."

"Paradise Press is thrilled to add Bob the Builder, a popular and beloved property, to our extensive publishing portfolio," said Randy MacDonald, Senior Vice President, Paradise Press. "Bob's colorful world, distinctive characters, exciting building adventures and positive messages of positive-thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and followthrough, provide a variety of material from which to create an all-new publishing program."

Bob the Builder is also hard at work on other projects, namely, the summer release of the all-new DVD, Bob the Builder: Let's Build the Beach that sees Bob his machine team head to Bobland Bay to embark on some beachbuilding fun. As they hammer out solutions that lead to a job well done, Bob and the Can-Do Crew demonstrate the power of positive thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and follow-through. Most importantly, from start to finish, the team always shows that The Fun Is In Getting It Done!

The building adventures in Bobland Bay continue in September when fourteen new episodes of Bob the Builder-Project: Build It, set at this new seaside location, air on PBS Kids®.

To download artwork, please visit www.hitnewsonline.com

About HIT Entertainment

HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners since June 2005, is one of the world’s leading independent children’s entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT’s portfolio includes internationally renowned children’s properties, such as Bob the Builder™, Barney™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Rubbadubbers™ and Angelina Ballerina™. HIT acts as a representative for The Wiggles® in the UK, US and Canada and as worldwide representative for The Jim Henson Company’s library of classic family brands, including Fraggle Rock™. HIT also owns the Guinness World Records™ publishing and television property and Fireman Sam™, a joint venture with S4C. Launched in 1989, HIT’s lines of business span television and video production (including studios in the US and the UK), publishing, consumer products licensing and live events. With a catalog of more than 1,000 hours of young children’s programming, HIT sells its shows to more than 240 countries worldwide, in more than 40 different languages and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. In 2005, the Company joined Comcast Corporation, PBS and Sesame Workshop to launch PBS KIDS Sprout℠, a 24-hour digital cable channel and VOD service for preschoolers. For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.