Fireworks Takes on CBC Catalogue

LONDON/TORONTO, December 19: Fireworks International is to
take on the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) international sales catalogue, which
encompasses about 135 titles.

The deal,
expected to close early next year, sees Fireworks taking on the rights to about
700 hours of TV programming, along with all of the liabilities and receivables
associated with the catalogue.

“Looking at
our international sales activities, we determined that we lacked the scale and
the resources required to be competitive in a market dominated by large,
specialized firms,” said Steve Billinger, CBC’s executive director of digital
programming and business development. “Fireworks, and its parent, ContentFilm,
are among the most respected organizations in the industry. We’re confident we
can reach more potential customers through them than on our own. The sale of
our international sales business to Fireworks is good news for the CBC and for
the producers of CBC programming.”

“We’re
thrilled to add these new titles to our catalogue,” said Greg Phillips, the
president of Fireworks International. “The CBC catalogue will now be part of
the Fireworks library of television assets. The catalogue includes drama
series, documentary programs, arts and entertainment, lifestyle shows, and
other genres. This content will now be sold alongside the Fireworks TV library
and will form a distinct and attractive addition to it. We are grateful to the
people at CBC for trusting us with their library, and we look forward to
building our relationship further.”

—By
Mansha Daswani