HIT Entertainment Digital Newsroom

HIT Expands Its Presence in Colombia Through New Deals with SEÑAL TV for Barney & Friends™ and Thomas & Friends™

New York, NY

HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality preschool entertainment, and Señal Colombia, a free Colombian national television channel, have inked a deal to air 60 new episodes of Barney & Friends, bringing Señal's total license to more than 100 episodes of the award-winning series, and 39 episodes of Thomas & Friends. This deal further expands HIT Entertainment's presence in Colombia, and further exemplifies the popularity of the world's most-loved purple dinosaur, Barney™, with children in Colombia.

Señal will air half-hour episodes of Barney & Friends twice a day, Monday through Friday, allowing for prime viewership. Señal Colombia has also renewed 39 episodes of Thomas & Friends.

"Señal's significant commitment to HIT's properties, Barney & Friends and Thomas & Friends, is a testimony to the continued popularity of the characters in this region," said Rodrigo Piza, Vice President Television Canada, US Hispanic and Latin America for HIT Entertainment. "We have maintained a strong partnership with Señal, and we are excited to continue to grow HIT's presence in Colombia."

Barney is a favorite character in Colombia, with a vast consumer products program available, in categories ranging from toys to home entertainment and publishing, to apparel and home goods. Some of the new Barney products available in the Colombian market include:

• New toys from Fisher Price
• Six new home entertainment titles from Circulo de Lectores
• Eight new book titles from Norma
• Three new electronic book titles from Publications Internationale
• A new monthly magazine from Armonia

In addition, the new Barney Live Show "Aventuras en el Espacio" from Exim will tour in Colombia beginning in April 2009 visiting Bogota and Medellin.

# # #

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.

About Barney & Friends™

As a helping hand for growing children, Barney & Friends (along with special pals Baby Bop™, BJ™ and Riff™) helps parents give their children the range of skills they need to grow - and he always does it with lots of fun, music and laughs. Barney & Friends™ episodes are always filled with Sharing, Caring, Imagining, Dancing and Learning. For more information about Barney and all his friends, please visit www.barney.com.

About Thomas & Friends™

Thomas & Friends invites children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. Thomas the Tank Engine was created by a father for his son more than 60 years ago. Today, families in more than 145 countries enjoy fun and adventure with their engine friends while experiencing timeless life lessons of discovery, friendship and cooperation. For more information about the world of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends,please visit www.thomasandfriends.com.