Zodiak Acquires Diverse

LONDON, October 19: Zodiak Television has acquired the
award-winning British indie Diverse, whose credits include Beyond Boundaries, Ballet Changed My Life and Operatunity, from the FBC Group for £8 million.

With offices in London, New York and Bristol, Diverse has
expanded its output beyond factual fare to include factual entertainment, drama
and entertainment. Recent successes include Tsunami: 7 Hours on Boxing Day for BBC ONE, Are We Being Served? also for BBC ONE, and Shalom in the Home for TLC in the U.S. Its annual turnover as at June
30, 2006 was £10.5 million, with projections for that to increase at least 40
percent next year.

The deal allows Diverse to expand into Scandinavia, Eastern
Europe and Russia, and provides Zodiak with a foothold in the U.S. market. The
agreement also covers FBC’s catalogue of formats and rights, which will be
integrated into Zodiak Television World.

Managing director Paul Sowerbutts and creative director Roy
Ackerman will continue to head the production company, with Janet Smyth as
deputy MD and Rob MacIver as creative director and head of the Bristol office.
Other key executives include Matt Paice, responsible for factual entertainment,
Jane Lomas for features and daytime and Adam Barker for documentaries.