Original DHX Media Ltd. Press Release:
DHX MEDIA TEAMS UP WITH NICKELODEON AND YTV ON MAKE IT POP
BRAND NEW LIVE-ACTION MUSICAL-COMEDY SERIES CO-CREATED BY THOMAS W. LYNCH AND NICK CANNON, AND PRODUCED BY DHX MEDIA, TO AIR ON NICKELODEON US AND YTV IN CANADA
TORONTO, ON (March 12, 2015) – DHX Media Ltd. ("DHX" or the "Company") (TSX: DHX.A, DHX.B), a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, has partnered with Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids (US and international), and YTV, the leading kids and family network in Canada, on the live-action musical-comedy series Make It Pop. The half-hour sitcom is currently filming 20 episodes at DHX's Epitome Studio, in Toronto, Canada. Make It Pop premieres on Nickelodeon (US) Monday, April 6, 2015 at 7:00p.m. (ET/PT) and will premiere on YTV in summer 2015.
Make It Pop, which has just been picked up for 20 episodes, is a comedic, music-infused daily strip about three unique girls who come together to start their own K pop- inspired band. Randomly selected to room together at boarding school, three freshman girls – bookish Corki (Erika Tham), fashion forward Jodi (Louriza Tronco), and social media maven Sun Hi (Megan Lee) – meet and bond over music. With the help of fellow boarding school classmate and DJ hopeful, Caleb (Dale Whibley), the girls grow from roommates to bandmates as their band, XO-IQ, becomes a school-wide sensation and they compete for a place in the upcoming school musical.
Pictured: (L-R) Jodi (Louriza Tronco), Sun Hi (Meghan Lee) and Corki (Erika Tham) in the new live-action series, Make It Pop, coming to Nickelodeon in the 2015-16 season. Photo Credit: Nickelodeon. ©2015 Viacom International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The series, which will feature original songs and performances in every episode, is co-created by Thomas W. Lynch and Nick Cannon and produced by DHX Media. Make It Pop is executive produced by Lynch and Cannon, together with Steven DeNure and Anne Loi for DHX Media. DHX Media will also handle global distribution and brand management for Make It Pop, as well as merchandising and licensing through appointed agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group Ltd. (CPLG).
Steven DeNure, President and COO of DHX Media, said: "Tom and Nick have created a standout and up-to-the-minute series with a beating musical heart and unbridled energy, style and humour. High-school shenanigans have never before been this spirited and comical. Make It Pop has all the ingredients to be a success."
Thomas W. Lynch, CEO of Tom Lynch Co., added: "I am thrilled to be able to bring music, comedy, and the coming-of-age stories that I so love to tell, together under the global phenomenon of K-pop. DHX and Ncredible have been great collaborators on this journey, and I look forward to seeing all the fun and energy of Make It Pop unveiled for the world to enjoy."
"With a talented cast and writing team behind the series, Make It Pop brings the stylized moves, the fashion flare, the incredible music and non-stop-energy of K-pop to a North American audience and we couldn't be more excited to premiere it on YTV in Canada," said Jamie Piekarz, Director of Content, Corus Kids.
For more information, please contact:
DHX Media
Jonathan Schwartz
[...]
416-873-0096
About DHX Media
DHX Media Ltd. (www.dhxmedia.com), a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, is recognized globally for such brands as Yo Gabba Gabba!, Caillou, Teletubbies, In the Night Garden, Inspector Gadget, Johnny Test, Slugterra and the multi-award winning Degrassi franchise. DHX Media Ltd. is the owner of Family Channel, as well as the channels Disney Junior (English & French) and Disney XD in Canada. The Company markets and distributes its library of more than 11,000 half-hours of entertainment programming worldwide, and licenses its owned properties through its dedicated consumer products business. DHX Media Ltd.'s full-service international licensing agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group Ltd. (CPLG), represents numerous entertainment, sport and design brands. DHX Media Ltd. has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Munich and Amsterdam, and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols DHX.A and DHX.B.
About Tom Lynch Co.
The Tom Lynch Company is one of the few independent production companies still inspired and driven by the signature voice of its creator, who continues to abide by his original mantra: "Illuminate the magic of the human experience". Tom Lynch, founder and CEO, began his career as a rock-n-roll producer on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. He has an extensive roster of creating television hits to his credit, including the Nickelodeon series The Troop, The Secret World of Alex Mack, Caitlin's Way and The Journey of Allen Strange. Lynch's other series include the Daytime Emmy Award-winning Kids Incorporated, the Writers Guild of America Award-winning South of Nowhere, and the Daytime Emmy Award-nominated Scout's Safari, which was set and filmed on location in South Africa. He rediscovered his musical roots with the hip-hop sitcom Romeo!, which starred rap artist Master P and real-life son, Romeo; and also with the Primetime Emmy Award-winning animated series Class of 3000, co-created with Andre Benjamin of OutKast.
About Ncredible Entertainment
Founded by Nick Cannon in 2009, Ncredible Entertainment has established itself as a true multimedia production entity with content in television, film music, publishing and consumer products. When not in front of the camera or a live audience, Cannon is busy shepherding his highly successful multi-media company. In a longstanding deal at Viacom, Ncredible produces several series including the HALO Awards for Nickelodeon, Wild 'N Out for MTV2, React to That for Nickelodeon and TeenNick Top 10 for TeenNick. In an overall deal with NBC for unscripted fare, Cannon's Ncredible Entertainment produces Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon, as well as new shows debuting in 2015, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous for NBC, and The Assistants, on Oxygen this summer. Ncredible Entertainment produced School Dance for Lions Gate in 2014.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 35th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).
About YTV
Celebrating 25 years in television, YTV is a leading cross platform entertainment brand for kids and families. The channel offers quality entertainment with hilarious animated and live-action comedy series, popular Nickelodeon series, blockbuster movies, top-rated original Canadian programming, music, celebrities and the channel's after-school block, The Zone. Through its multiple platforms and exclusive digital and interactive content, YTV is the voice of Canadian youth culture. YTV is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc.
Disclaimer
This press release contains forward looking statements with respect to DHX Media including the completion of the production, the timing of a television debut and the ability of the Company to place the series in other territories. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on information currently available to the Company. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, among other things, include risks factors discussed in materials filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time including matters discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's short form prospectuses dated November 14, 2013 and December 31, 2013, Annual Information Form, and annual Management Discussion and Analysis. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.
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