Church & Dwight Co., Inc., the Makers of Orajel Toddlers Training Toothpaste and Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Battery Powered Toothbrushes, Renews Sponsorship for New Season of Thomas & Friends on PBS Kids

NEW YORK, July 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality children's entertainment, and THIRTEEN, for WNET New York Public Media, a producing station for PBS, proudly announce that Orajel and Arm & Hammer Spinbrush, brands within the Church & Dwight Family of Products, are renewing their sponsorship of Thomas & Friends on PBS KIDS. As sponsors, Church & Dwight will continue to underwrite the production, distribution and promotion of the Thomas & Friends television series.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110324/DC71112LOGO)  

WNET is the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21, New York's public television stations. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local documentary, educational, and other programs to the New York community.   

WNET has been the presenting station for HIT Entertainment's line-up of classic properties including Thomas & Friends, Barney and Bob the Builder, and the co-producer of Angelina Ballerina The Next Steps.

"Orajel and Arm & Hammer are valued, long-term partners in Thomas consumer products.  We are pleased to continue our partnership with them and with THIRTEEN, working together to bring this iconic series to all the little engineers across the U.S.," said Claudia Scott-Hansen, Senior Vice President, Broadcast, The Americas, HIT Entertainment.  

"Thomas & Friends continues to delight our young audiences and is one of the most popular offerings, consistently drawing large audiences on PBS KIDS," said Sandra Sheppard, director of Children's and Educational Programming for THIRTEEN, the presenting station for Thomas & Friends.  "We are happy that Orajel and Arm & Hammer Spinbrush have re-joined HIT Entertainment and THIRTEEN as sponsors of this classic series. Their support will help us continue to inspire, educate, and entertain young children nationwide."

Thomas & Friends has been making tracks to great destinations for over 65 years with classic stories of adventures from the railways on the Island of Sodor. The Thomas & Friends animated series invites children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story. As children embark for fun and excitement with their engine friends, adventures unfold that lead to timeless life lessons such as discovery, friendship and cooperation. For more information about the world of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends, please visit www.thomasandfriends.com.

About WNET New York Public Media

WNET is America's flagship public media outlet, bringing quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. The parent company of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET produces such acclaimed  PBS series as Great Performances, American Masters, Nature, Need to Know, Charlie Rose, Tavis Smiley and a range of documentaries,  children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online.  Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Noah Comprende and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through SundayArts, Reel 13, NJ Today and the new online newsmagazine MetroFocus.

About HIT Entertainment

HIT Entertainment is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Thomas & Friends™, Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™, Mike the Knight™, Pingu™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment's Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations.  HIT also acts as representative for The Wiggles® in the UK. Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing and live events and has operations in the UK, U.S., Canada, Hong Kong and Japan.  HIT is a part-owner of U.S.-based preschool channel, Sprout®. For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com. To download artwork, please visit www.hitnewsonline.com.

Angelina Ballerina: © 2011 Hit Entertainment Limited
Barney & Friends: © 2011 Lyons Partnership, L.P.
Bob the Builder: © 2011 HIT Entertainment Limited and Keith Chapman.
Thomas & Friends: © 2011 Gullane (Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends) Limited.  Based on The Railway Series by The Reverand W Awdry.

About Church & Dwight Co., Inc. Church & Dwight Co., Inc. manufactures and markets a wide range of personal care, household and specialty products, under the Arm & Hammer brand name and other well-known trademarks.

SOURCE WNET New York Public Media