HIT Entertainment
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HIT Entertainment PLC was established in 1989, and was originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television. However, following the death of Jim Henson in 1990, the business was sold to several members of the company's management and renamed HIT Entertainment to prevent any future confusion between the two companies.
HIT is privately held. Sunshine Acquisition, a company set up by Apax Partners’ Funds, closed acquisition of HIT Entertainment on May 26, 2005 £489.4 million.
HIT's catalogue of characters include Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine, Barney, Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto!, Kipper, Angelina Ballerina, Rubbadubbers, Pingu, and The Wiggles. HIT also owns redistribution rights to several other shows (Wishbone, TUGS, Shining Time Station, etc.).
HIT purchased Gullane Entertainment (the owners of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and Magic Adventures of Mumfie) in 2002, in the process becoming owner of the Guinness Book of Records and Lyrick Studios (who were the US distributors of The Wiggles and Bob the Builder and the owners of Barney & Friends and Wishbone) in 2002.
Since the 2006 multimillion-dollar, multi-year agreement, exclusive home entertainment marketing, sales and distribution rights to HIT's children's programming are currently distributed in the United States and Canada by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.
HIT Entertainment is a fully integrated studio, that incorporates production, world-wide distribution, UK home entertainment, publishing, licensing and merchandising and HIT Wildlife, the company's natural history arm.
HIT currently sells programming to over 120 countries. The chairman of HIT Entertainment is Greg Dyke, the former Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the CEO is Bruce Steinberg, formerly the CEO of what was once known as Fox Kids Europe and is now known as Jetix Europe.
HIT Entertainment launched a new HIT online Superstore in 2007, the online store carries all the HIT characters inclduing; Thomas and Friends, Pingu, Bob The Builder, Angelina Ballerina and Barney. The store has been a great success with parents and children. Hitstore
List of shows
- Angelina Ballerina (airs on PBS Kids, PBS Kids Sprout, Nick Jr. UK and ABC in Australia)
- Art Attack for SMG Productions (airs on CITV and ABC in Australia)
- Barney & Friends (airs on PBS Kids, Cartoonito and PBS Kids Sprout, ABC in Australia)
- Bob the Builder (airs on PBS Kids Sprout, CBeebies, and Nick Jr. UK and ABC in Australia)
- Fireman Sam (CBeebies UK, PBS Kids Sprout US ABC in Australia)
- Kipper (syndication/PBS Kids Sprout, and Nick Jr. UK; originally on Nick Jr. and Noggin in the USA)
- Pingu (PBS Kids Sprout In USA, CBeebies in UK, and Discovery Kids; originally on the BBC and ABC in Australia)
- Rubbadubbers (airs on CBeebies)
- Rainbow Magic
- Sooty (CITV in the UK and ABC in Australia)
- Thomas the Tank Engine (PBS Kids Sprout, Nick Jr. Australia on ABC in Australia, Nick Jr. UK, and Playhouse Disney)
- The Likeaballs
- The Wiggles (ABC in Australia, Nick Jr. UK and Playhouse Disney USA)
- Wishbone (airs on PBS Kids) Aired on GTV9 in Australia.
- Wobblyland (airs on Nick Jr UK)
External links
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- Articles needing cleanup from December 2006
- Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from December 2006
- Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from December 2006
- Entertainment companies of the United Kingdom
- Entertainment companies
- Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange
- Companies established in 1989
- Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends