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[via press release]

Nickelodeon to Premiere ‘Sunday Movie Toons’ Block in October 2002

Nick’s New Sunday-Afternoon Destination to Feature Original Animated Movies Produced By DIC Entertainment

New York, NY—May 9, 2002—Nickelodeon, the number-one network for kids, will introduce to its schedule a brand-new Sunday afternoon movie block featuring original, full-length animated films, to be produced by DIC Entertainment it was announced today by Cyma Zarghami, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Nickelodeon and Andy Heyward, Chairman and CEO of DIC Entertainment. The network’s new ninety minute ‘Sunday Movie Toons’ block, which will air Sunday afternoons from 12:30-2 p.m. (ET/PT), will launch in October 2002.

‘The new block follows the Nick tradition of giving kids shows just for them at times where they’ve traditionally been underserved, just as we’ve done with SNICK on Saturday nights and TEENick on Sundays,’ said Zarghami. ‘We feel that adding these feature-length animated films to our Sunday schedule will complement our already strong line-up and give kids more of the adventure and comedy stories they love.’

‘This is exciting for DIC on many levels, but most of all, because it is a groundbreaking opportunity to bring a new product-original full length animated movies-to television with the most prominent broadcaster of children’s television in the world,’ said Heyward. ‘This will be the single largest package of feature length animated films in existence. Full length movies bring a unique value, and this is going to be a special appointment brand of television.’

The 39 original, animated films which will air in the new ‘Sunday Movie Toons’ block represent the largest production order in DIC’s history. The studio, which began operations in 1982, has more than 3000 animated television episodes in its library. ‘Inspector Gadget,’ ‘Sabrina,’ and ‘Archies’ are among the titles from the DIC library now being adapted to original full-length films and already in various stages of production for inclusion in the Sunday block. Other movies already greenlit include ‘The Time Machine,’ ‘The Lost World – Dinosaur Island,’ ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, ‘ Treasure Island,’ and ‘The Mark Of Zorro,’ offering a combination of action adventure, suspense and comedy. The production slate also includes ‘Groove Squad,’ an original title featuring three high school cheerleaders who lead a double life as super heroes.

DIC Entertainment, founded in 1983, is one the industry’s leading producers of children’s entertainment. The Burbank, California based company has produced such critically acclaimed series as ‘Captain Planet,’ ‘Madeline,’ ‘Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego’ and ‘Sherlock Holmes in the 21 Century.’

DIC newest shows include, ‘Evolution,’ ‘Mary Kate & Ashley in Action,’’Super Duper Sumos,’ ‘Liberty’s Kids’ and ‘Stargate Infinity.’ The DIC library of over 3000 animated episodes is the largest library of any active studio in the industry.

Nickelodeon, now in its 23rd 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, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 84 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic-cable network for more than six consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.