KCET and Dominique Bigle of Eyetronics Media and Studios Announce Unique Production/Distribution Partnership

Innovative relationship will launch five new series this year for domestic and international distribution that showcase SoCal's history, culture and pizzazz as well as its economic relevance to the global marketplace.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- KCET, the nation's largest independent public television station, serving Southern and Central California, and Dominique Bigle, CEO of Eyetronics Media and Studios, have announced an innovative partnership to produce and acquire original series that are thematically distinctive to Southern California.

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The venture is to be funded by Eyetronics Media and Studios, which intends to provide up to $50 million in necessary financing to cover original productions, acquisitions and distribution during the initial partnership term of five years. KCET will produce and broadcast these series.  Eyetronics will package and distribute the content domestically and internationally across all media platforms. KCET has public television distribution rights domestically and in Canada.

KCET plans to be in production with the first five series by the end of this year, with more productions in development.

The new shows will celebrate the vibrancy of Southern California's people, places, and culture, as well as its history. The initial slate includes programs that explore everything from the glitz of Hollywood entertainment and multi-cultural eateries to groundbreaking academic research and technological innovation.  The new venture's programs will also utilize assets in Eyetronics' "Classic Cool Library," which includes more than 3,000 classic titles, rare footage, newsreels, cartoons, serials, documentaries, TV movies and series.

In explaining his interest in KCET, Mr. Bigle, an award-winning media executive, whose accomplishments span entertainment technology, television production and international distribution, said, "I am impressed with KCET's vision for being an independent public broadcaster, as well as its widely recognized tradition as a producer of distinguished television and online content.  KCET has the ability to function seamlessly as a producer, broadcaster and distributor in the nation's second largest marketplace and will provide unique, distinctive content that I am confident will be well-received internationally, as well as in the United States. I am looking forward to tapping into our combined strengths to share the dynamism of the region to worldwide audiences."

"Southern California is a special market, and it is our home. Over the years, we have spoken to generations of Angelenos with our programming," said Al Jerome, KCET's president and CEO. "We are eager to collaborate with Dominique and leverage his savvy for international distribution to deliver more exceptional shows and original documentaries with local/global appeal."

This new partnership will permit KCET to better serve Southern and Central California as a nonprofit public media organization and to enhance its operations as a donor-supported independent public television station offering timely, relevant content across all media platforms to inform, educate and engage the community.    

"While continuing to change and adapt in innovative ways, we remain committed to our core public media mission for delivering exceptional and distinctive programming that is meaningful to our viewers," Jerome added.

About KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. KCET currently produces the Emmy®, duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal Connected, a hard-hitting prime-time weekly television news program that examines the issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its 47-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org.

About Eyetronics Media & Studios:

Based in Encino, California and spearheaded by Dominique Bigle, son of the legendary Walt Disney Europe co-founder Armand Bigle and a veteran television executive, Eyetronics Media & Studios is an industry-acclaimed producer, distributor and visual effects studio.  Throughout Eyetronics' distinguished ten-year history, the company has served national and international clients with high quality 3D scanning services and animation-ready models for the film, television, video game and commercial advertising industries. In addition, the company has recently established an in-house production and distribution unit, for the purpose of launching Classic Cool™, a retro-programming franchise that celebrates the best in films, television and newsreels from the Twentieth Century.  Classic Cool™ is a modular programming brand offering customizable content for all broadcasters and digital media from interstitials, shorts and half-hour series to complete evening blocks comprised of classic films, documentaries and original retro-themed series.  For additional information, please visit www.eyetronics.com and www.classiccool.tv.

SOURCE KCET