Paris-based Zodiak Entertainment has acquired the RDF Media Group, one of the U.K.'s largest independent production and distribution companies with operations in the U.K. and U.S. RDF Rights manages the licensing for properties such as the preschool series "Waybuloo" and "Mr Bean."

 Zodiak has appointed David Frank, previously chief executive officer of RDF, to the role of chief executive officer of Zodiak Entertainment. Lorenzo Pellicioli, chief executive officer of De Agostini Group, and chairman and chief executive officer of Zodiak, will continue to serve as chairman of the new enlarged group.

The acquisition consolidates Zodiak's position as a global force in the production and distribution of content for multi-media platforms (the most significant of which is television). The new group has annual sales exceeding €500 million ($612 million) and has a significant presence in more than 20 countries, among which include the U.K., the U.S., France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and Russia.

Zodiak was formed by De Agostini through the acquisition of the Magnolia Group in Italy/Spain (2007), the Marathon Group in France (2007) and Zodiak Television in territories, including Scandinavia, Benelux, Poland, Russia, India and Latin America (2008). De Agostini, a family-owned private group, is an international financial conglomerate with a holding, De Agostini S.p.A., that coordinates the strategic operating companies—De Agostini Editore (publishing); Antena 3, jointly with Planeta Corporation, and Zodiak Entertainment (media and communications); Lottomatica Group (gaming); and DeA Capital (finance).

RDF was founded by David Frank in 1993, floated on the London Stock Market (AIM) in 2005 and was subsequently acquired in 2009 by a consortium of the RDF management team and funds managed by Cyrte Investments BV.