BBC Worldwide Press Releases

BBC Worldwide and KOCH Entertainment LLC, the leading independent music company in North America, have entered into a long-term agreement to increase distribution and marketing of the BBC's growing portfolio of children's music properties in the US and Canada.

Working together, the organisations will market existing BBC Children's records, such as Bob the Builder (a huge UK hit for BBC Worldwide) throughout the US and Canada, and develop new opportunities based on major BBC brands to create a broad children's music portfolio.

"Koch is a great partner for us to develop our dynamic BBC Children's records business in the US and Canadian markets, said Rupert Gavin, Chief Executive BBC Worldwide. "This relationship will allow us to build on the great success we have enjoyed to date with our children's properties around the globe and to maximise our overall cross-media activities on our children's brands."

Graham Samuels, Marketing Director BBC Music added, "combining the BBC music brands with the marketing and distribution skills of Koch in these very important markets will enable us to develop further our children's brand portfolio, increasing its profile and longevity around the world. This new partnership will complement the relationship we enjoy with Universal Music International in the rest of the world."

Bob Frank, president Koch Entertainment added: "joining forces with the BBC is very exciting for us. We've developed extensive marketing plans to help further the success in the US and Canada Bob the Builder has already generated overseas. And look forward to working with the BBC to market music from other BBC children's series within the next year."

BBC Music will continue to build on its success in the UK with its own label. Bob the Builder's Brits-nominated Mambo No. 5 was the best for 2001, with chart-topping success for the single and album. In Australia he also had a top charting single and album.

Note to editors
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It was formed in 1994 to develop a co-ordinated approach to the BBC's commercial activities and to ensure the BBC continues to develop as a leading player in the world media market.

BBC Music forms part of BBC Worldwide's Global Marketing and Brand Development (GMBD) Division. GMBD was created to develop key BBC properties with genuine cross media as global brands across, Children's, Music and Learning. GMBD works closely with the other divisions of BBC Worldwide and BBC Television.

KOCH Entertainment is the American artist and repertoire arm of KOCH International, one of the largest independent music companies in the world and has the largest current market share of any independently distributed independent record label in the U.S.A. KOCH Entertainment, based in New York, operates its own record labels including KOCH Records, In The Paint (urban), Audium (country), and KOCH Classics/Jazz and has interests in other leading independent record companies.

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