BBC Worldwide Press Releases

28.08.02

19 Entertainment teams up with BBC Worldwide for educational venture

Pop Goes English featuring S Club

Children all over the world are to be encouraged to learn English through the formation of a very unusual partnership:

BBC Worldwide, one of the world’s leading English language teaching companies, and 19 Entertainment, whose pop act credentials to date have included S Club, Pop Idol stars Gareth Gates and Will Young, and the Spice Girls, have announced an exciting new joint venture, Pop Goes English, that promises to revolutionise the international English language teaching market.

19 Entertainment is the UK’s No.1 music and TV company and is renowned for its global innovation and cross platform entertainment properties.

Drawing on a universal fascination with the world of showbiz and pop music to teach English was originally the brainchild of 19’s Simon Fuller. The dynamic partnership will create a series of TV programmes and other learning materials to encourage millions of children around the world to learn to speak English. The first 19 Entertainment band to feature in Pop Goes English will be chart-topping S Club, one of the best-known pop bands on the planet. Music from new bands and artists will follow as the Pop Goes English format develops.

BBC Worldwide is a leading innovator in the English language teaching market, with its football-themed Goal TV programme and learning materials, launched to coincide with the 2002 World Cup, proving a huge international success. For Pop Goes English, BBC Worldwide will develop a series of multi-media materials using the S Club brand, including mini TV programmes, videos, books and CD-ROMs, all featuring an engaging combination of lyrics, dance steps and karaoke graphics to make learning English simple and fun for children aged seven to 11.

Young local music artists will host Pop Goes English, acting as interpreter and teacher alongside live S Club performances and songs, including international hits, ‘Bring it all Back’ and ‘Reach’. The first development is already underway in China and Taiwan, with national pop artist e-Vonne, provided by Universal Music, Taiwan. Further developments of the concept with new and existing BBC Worldwide broadcasting and publishing partners around the world are anticipated shortly.

Rupert Gavin, Chief Executive, BBC Worldwide, commenting on the joint venture with 19 Entertainment, said: “Pop music is a major motivational trigger for children around the globe to learn English. Our collaboration with 19 Entertainment, with its unrivalled reputation for discovering and developing new entertainment talent, will result in a ground-breaking realisation of the full potential of pop music as an English learning tool.”

Simon Fuller commented: “There is nothing so universally appealing and motivating to young people as pop music. At 19 Entertainment, we have always been aware of the potential of pop music for learning purposes and we are delighted that this new educational focus will now be added to the global success of the S Club brand. This project continues 19’s incredibly successful partnership with BBC Worldwide, which has led to S Club programming being broadcast in over 100 countries around the world.”

Note to editors:
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide has also developed a new S Club Challenge book with band photos, facts and figures, combined with games, quizzes and challenges to solve, and even a chance to develop musical composition skills using the tips on song writing – all designed to make a lively, interactive challenge for S Club fans.

BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company was formed in 1994 to develop a coordinated approach to the BBC’s commercial activities: television, publishing, product licensing, Internet and interactive. BBC Worldwide exists to maximize the value of the BBC’s programme and publishing assets for the benefit of the UK licence payer, and re-invest in public service programming.

English language teaching has been incorporated into the commercial framework of BBC Worldwide since 1995 and a major investment programme is now under way to develop leading multiple-media English Language Teaching brands for the 21st Century.

19 Entertainment
Simon Fuller’s 19 Group of Companies represent expertise in television, music, film, merchandising, music publishing, artist/writer and producer management, sponsorship and promotion. The UK based company was founded by Simon Fuller in 1985 and since then has achieved over 35 Number 1 singles and 13 Number 1 albums with an impressive tally of over 60 Top 40 albums and 170 Top 40 singles in the UK alone. Simon Fuller’s first music success was Paul Hardcastle, whose single “19” sold 4 million copies when it was released in 1985. Fuller now manages the solo career of platinum selling global superstar Annie Lennox and award winning songwriter Cathy Denis. He also created and managed the Spice Girls, who sold over 38million albums and became a global phenomenon under his guidance. In 1998 Simon Fuller’s 19 launched S Club. The group have sold 10 million CD’s worldwide whilst their three television series to date have consistently topped children’s viewing figures whilst being the fastest ever selling series internationally for BBC Worldwide, reaching 104 countries. In 2001 Simon Fuller created the Pop Idol TV format that has become a top rating UK TV show. It has created several new star talents including Will Young – whose first single ‘Evergreen’ is currently the biggest selling single of the year – and Gareth Gates. In 2002 Simon Fuller took the show to the USA where it scored an immediate hit as ‘American Idol’.

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