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Â鶹Éç Worldwide Sales & Distribution today announced the launch of Â鶹Éç Showcase China, a television screening event to be held in Beijing on 25 August 2010 alongside the Beijing TV Festival.

Tailored for the Chinese market, Â鶹Éç Showcase China will host over 100 buyers from across the Chinese television industry including state broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV), and regional, local and digital networks. At the event, Â鶹Éç Worldwide launch more than 500 hours of the latest programme offerings from its catalogue covering genres such as children's, entertainment and factual. Titles include Life, Human Planet, Seven Wonders of the Solar System, Sherlock, Luther and children's series Wibbly Pig and ZingZillas.

Alongside the screenings, Â鶹Éç Worldwide will also host a Digital Forum to focus on digital distribution opportunities. Participants will include Â鶹Éç Worldwide, Sohu.com and other Chinese digital media companies to be confirmed.

Announcing the launch, Â鶹Éç Worldwide Sales & Distribution MD, Steve Macallister, said "We've enjoyed very close business relationships in China for more than 20 years and this is a major new step in our commitment. There is an abundance of opportunity to be developed between the UK and Chinese creative industries and we're proud to expand our commitment with this important trade event."

Â鶹Éç Worldwide General Manager China, Pierre Cheung, added "Â鶹Éç Showcase is a brilliant opportunity for us and our Chinese partners. This is not just about showcasing our programming to Chinese buyers but also developing new partnerships between Chinese and UK producers, whether in co-productions, training opportunities or local production."

Â鶹Éç Worldwide operates in China across all of its divisions, including programme sales, local production, home entertainment, product licensing and magazines. Achievements include a landmark co production with CTV, Wild China; Teletubbies Early Learning Centres in Beijing and Shenzhen; local productions of Â鶹Éç entertainment formats such as Dancing with the Stars and Just the Two of Us; Chinese language magazines such as Top Gear; and many hours of children's, factual and entertainment content licensed to Chinese broadcasters, digital services and DVD partners. In addition, Â鶹Éç Motion Gallery is CCTV's global agent for its library footage sales.

The flagship Â鶹Éç Showcase event takes place annually in the UK and is Britain’s biggest television export market. It is the only event of its kind in the world to be hosted by a single distributor. Â鶹Éç Showcase China will be the second regional spin-off, alongside Â鶹Éç Showcase Latin America which launched in 2004 and takes place annually in Rio de Janiero.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

• Life (Duration: 10 x 50') A Â鶹Éç/Discovery/SKAI/Open University co-production in association with RTI Spa and Arte
• Human Planet (Duration: 8 x 50') A Â鶹Éç/Discovery Channel/France Television co-production in association with Wanda Films
• Seven Wonders of the Solar System (Duration: 5 x 50') A Â鶹Éç/Science Channel co-production
• Sherlock (Duration: 3 x 90') A Hartswood Films production for Â鶹Éç co-produced with MASTERPIECE
• Luther (Duration: 6 x 50') A Â鶹Éç/Â鶹Éç America co-production
• Wibbly Pig (Duration: 52 x 10') A Wish Films/9 Story Entertainment Inc. co-production for Â鶹Éç
• ZingZillas (Duration: 52 x 22') A Cbeebies in house production in association with Â鶹Éç Worldwide
• Wild China (Duration: 6 x 50') A Â鶹Éç/CTV/Travel Channel co-production, in association with Canal +
• Teletubbies (Duration: 365 x 26') A Ragdoll production for Â鶹Éç
• Dancing with the Stars - Â鶹Éç Worldwide Productions
• Just the Two of Us - Â鶹Éç Production
• Top Gear - Â鶹Éç Production

Mark Macdonald