Fixed a typo← Previous revisionRevision as of 06:10, 24 October 2026 Line 26: Line 26: In 1997, EM.TV went public and started to expand in various businesses. In 1997, EM.TV went public and started to expand in various businesses. In late-July 1996, EM.TV & Merchandising had joined forced with KirchGroup to jointly establish a new dedicated pay-TV children's channel entitled [[Junior (German TV channel)|Junior.TV]], prior to that KirchGroup used the Junior brand for distributing KirchGroup's programming catalouge including the library of the Japanese anime studio Zuiyo & its programming originally distributed by Kirch's now-independent subsidiary-turned production company [[Beta Film|Beta Film GmBh]] & KirchGroup's defunct in-house German distribution unit TaurusFilm, such as ''[[Maya the Honey Bee]]'' and ''[[Heidi, Girl of the Alps]]'', when it was first used starting in 1994. However two years later in December 1998, EM.TV & Merchandising signed a 50/50 landmark deal with KirchGroup to bring the Junior brand under a new joint-venture production/distribution subsidiary entitled Junior as EM.TV & Merchandising had brought a 50% stake in the latter's programming catalouge alongside the library of the Japanese anime studio Zuiyo Enterprise placing it under the new joint-venture production/distribution subsidiary Junior.{{cite web|title=EM.TV buys US$300 million key to Kirch Group kids library|url=https://kidscreen.com/1999/01/01/24060-19990101/|website=Kidscreen|first=Dieter|last=Brockmeyer|date=January 1, 1999}} In late-July 1996, EM.TV & Merchandising had joined forced with KirchGroup to jointly establish a new dedicated pay-TV children's channel entitled [[Junior (German TV channel)|Junior.TV]], prior to that KirchGroup used the Junior brand for distributing KirchGroup's programming catalogue including the library of the Japanese anime studio Zuiyo & its programming originally distributed by Kirch's now-independent subsidiary-turned production company [[Beta Film|Beta Film GmBh]] & KirchGroup's defunct in-house German distribution unit TaurusFilm, such as ''[[Maya the Honey Bee]]'' and ''[[Heidi, Girl of the Alps]]'', when it was first used starting in 1994. However two years later in December 1998, EM.TV & Merchandising signed a 50/50 landmark deal with KirchGroup to bring the Junior brand under a new joint-venture production/distribution subsidiary entitled Junior as EM.TV & Merchandising had brought a 50% stake in the latter's programming catalogue alongside the library of the Japanese anime studio Zuiyo Enterprise placing it under the new joint-venture production/distribution subsidiary Junior.{{cite web|title=EM.TV buys US$300 million key to Kirch Group kids library|url=https://kidscreen.com/1999/01/01/24060-19990101/|website=Kidscreen|first=Dieter|last=Brockmeyer|date=January 1, 1999}} In October 1997, EM.TV & Merchandising announced a production partnership with Australian animation studio [[Flying Bark Productions|Yoram Gross-Village Roadshow]] the producer of ''Blinky Bill'' to co-produce 10 of the Australian animation studio's animated series with EM.TV handling distribution and merchandising the 10 animated projects outside of Australia.{{cite web|title=Yoram Gross, EM.TV pact|url=https://variety.com/1997/tv/news/yoram-gross-em-tv-pact-111662313/|website=Variety|first=Elizabeth|last=Guider|date=October 1997}} Their successful partnership with them lead to EM.TV acquiring a 50% stake in the Australian animation studio Yoram Gross-Village Roadshow from both Australian company [[Village Roadshow]] (when they exited the television production) two years later in March 1999 renaming it to Yoram Gross EM.TV as their own Australian animation studio with its founders Yoram and Sandra Gross retaining their 50% stake in the rebranded animation studio. In October 1997, EM.TV & Merchandising announced a production partnership with Australian animation studio [[Flying Bark Productions|Yoram Gross-Village Roadshow]] the producer of ''Blinky Bill'' to co-produce 10 of the Australian animation studio's animated series with EM.TV handling distribution and merchandising the 10 animated projects outside of Australia.{{cite web|title=Yoram Gross, EM.TV pact|url=https://variety.com/1997/tv/news/yoram-gross-em-tv-pact-111662313/|website=Variety|first=Elizabeth|last=Guider|date=October 1997}} Their successful partnership with them lead to EM.TV acquiring a 50% stake in the Australian animation studio Yoram Gross-Village Roadshow from both Australian company [[Village Roadshow]] (when they exited the television production) two years later in March 1999 renaming it to Yoram Gross EM.TV as their own Australian animation studio with its founders Yoram and Sandra Gross retaining their 50% stake in the rebranded animation studio. By 1998, EM.TV & Merchandising formed a partnership with Israeli entertainment production company [[Yehuda Talit|Talit Communications]] to bring EM.TV's kids & family programming catalouge and eventually formalized a major pact to sell and market cartoon merchandising and television broadcasting rights in Israel. It became a massive success as it led to EM.TV & Merchandising acquiring a 50% stake in Talit Communications in December 1999, further increasing EM.TV's Junior programming library with the two companies planning to launch a dedicated pay-TV channel in Israel under the Junior.TV name.{{cite web|title=German EM.TV to Issue 25% of Talit Productions in Munich, Tel Aviv|url=https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-380860|website=Globes - Israeli Business News|date=December 21, 1999}}{{cite web|title=EM.TV Plans IPO For Talit Production|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB945728627527240334|website=The Wall Street Journal|date=December 21, 1999}} By 1998, EM.TV & Merchandising formed a partnership with Israeli entertainment production company [[Yehuda Talit|Talit Communications]] to bring EM.TV's kids & family programming catalogue and eventually formalized a major pact to sell and market cartoon merchandising and television broadcasting rights in Israel. It became a massive success as it led to EM.TV & Merchandising acquiring a 50% stake in Talit Communications in December 1999, further increasing EM.TV's Junior programming library with the two companies planning to launch a dedicated pay-TV channel in Israel under the Junior.TV name.{{cite web|title=German EM.TV to Issue 25% of Talit Productions in Munich, Tel Aviv|url=https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-380860|website=Globes - Israeli Business News|date=December 21, 1999}}{{cite web|title=EM.TV Plans IPO For Talit Production|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB945728627527240334|website=The Wall Street Journal|date=December 21, 1999}} By late-April 1999 during the MIPTV market in Cannes, EM.TV announced that they were in final negotiations to export its newly packaged Junior brand globally & planning to launch the Junior brand worldwide under its banner Junior.TV.{{cite web|title=EM.TV gives birth to new Junior blox|url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/em-tv-gives-birth-to-new-junior-blox-1117493677/|website=Variety|date=April 28, 1999}}; The expansion of the Junior brand happened five months later in September of that year, when EM.TV & Merchandising signed a deal with Swiss broadcasting television network [[Schweizer Fernsehen|SF DRS]] in Switzerland to broadcast EM.TV's Junior programming library on SF DRS's television channel [[TV3 (Swiss TV channel)|TV3]]{{cite web|title=EM.TV sells shows to pair of Swiss channels|url=https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/em-tv-sells-shows-to-pair-of-swiss-channels-1117755536/|website=Variety|date=September 10, 1999}} By late-April 1999 during the MIPTV market in Cannes, EM.TV announced that they were in final negotiations to export its newly packaged Junior brand globally & planning to launch the Junior brand worldwide under its banner Junior.TV.{{cite web|title=EM.TV gives birth to new Junior blox|url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/em-tv-gives-birth-to-new-junior-blox-1117493677/|website=Variety|date=April 28, 1999}}; The expansion of the Junior brand happened five months later in September of that year, when EM.TV & Merchandising signed a deal with Swiss broadcasting television network [[Schweizer Fernsehen|SF DRS]] in Switzerland to broadcast EM.TV's Junior programming library on SF DRS's television channel [[TV3 (Swiss TV channel)|TV3]]{{cite web|title=EM.TV sells shows to pair of Swiss channels|url=https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/em-tv-sells-shows-to-pair-of-swiss-channels-1117755536/|website=Variety|date=September 10, 1999}}