Classic Media Adds Reps for Western, Eastern Europe

CPLG has been appointed as the company's Western European licensing and merchandising agency for Classic Media's newest preschool brand, "Tinga Tinga Tales." The show made its U.K. broadcast debut on CBeebies in February 2010, and with European broadcast dates imminent, CPLG will immediately begin managing the licensing and merchandising rights for the brand across France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. CPLG will work with the brand's existing pan-regional master toy partner, Bandai, and existing global publishing partner Penguin Group (Puffin Books, U.K.), both of whom are set to launch product at retail in the U.K. later this year.

"We are proud of working with 'Tinga Tinga Tales,' it was love at first sight when we first discovered the project in development," says Katarina Dietrich, chief executive officer of CPLG.

Meanwhile, Kidz Entertainment will manage "Tinga Tinga Tales" across all of the Nordics and Eastern Europe, including Russia. The addition of "Tinga Tinga Tales" to Kidz's portfolio marks the growth of an already successful partnership with Classic Media, which is further expanded with the extension of an existing representation agreement for "Postman Pat." Kidz will also represent Classic Media's other new preschool brand, "Guess with Jess," which debuted on CBeebies (U.K.) in November 2009, and whose key pan-regional partners Fisher-Price (master toy) and Egmont (publishing) will launch product this summer in the U.K.

"We have worked with Classic Media on 'Postman Pat' for many years and continue to see growth, so we are of course delighted to extend our relationship to include Classic Media's new preschool brands, both of which we feel have a very strong future," says Morten Geschwendtner, chairman and director of business development for Kidz Entertainment.