Nine Network, Southern Star Acquire Kids Like Us

SYDNEY, March 11: The Nine
Network and Southern Star International have teamed up to purchase Kids Like
Us, the production company responsible for the hit Australian children’s
television series Hi-5.

The acquisition is
effective immediately. To date, 435 half-hour episodes of Hi-5 have been produced, 25 DVD/videos, nearly 80 books
and 11 CDs have been released in Australia alone. The television series now
screens in 118 countries with a global audience reach in excess of 5 million
people and enjoys considerable success in Asia, the U.K., the U.S. and Latin
America. More than 2 million tickets have been sold worldwide to Hi-5 concerts and there are currently four new casts
touring Latin America with licensing agents and DVD distributors set up in
Argentina, Mexico and Brazil. The ninth season of Hi-5 will launch on the Nine Network on July 7. Hi-5 also airs several times a day on Nick Jr.

Martin Hersov, the
director of commercial development at Nine Network, said: “Nine and Southern
Star have worked closely with Kids Like Us for 10 years from the time it was
created by Helena Harris and Posie Graeme-Evans. It’s a great brand and we have
been lead by Helena’s creative vision and drive. We are extremely proud to be
picking up the Hi-5 baton and
look forward to growing the brand around the world.”

Cathy Payne, the
chief executive of Southern Star International, said: “We look forward to
building on the success that Hi-5
has enjoyed over the past ten years and in particular as we take the show to
its next stage of development internationally.”

—By Irene Lew