Yoram Gross-EM.TV Becomes Flying Bark Prods.

Yoram Gross-EM.TV, a leading Australian producer of children’s animated programming and family entertainment, unveiled its new corporate identity at MIPCOM in Cannes, France. Now known as Flying Bark Prods., the company was re-branded after EM.Entertainment GmbH acquired the remaining 50 percent of Yoram Gross-EM.TV. The new name is intended to reflect the original, bold and contemporary vision of the Sydney-based corporation, which houses four primary divisions including Greenpatch Prods., Forest Interactive and Trackdown.

‘The name change symbolizes the innovative approach of the company,’ comments Susanne Schosser, managing director of EM.Entertainment GmbH and Junior.TV GmbH & Co. KG. ‘With Flying Bark Prods., we intimately connect the strengthening of production skills in high-quality entertainment as well as the intensification of activities within the interactive segment.’

Geoff Watson, managing director of Flying Bark Prods. adds, ‘The new name reflects the new direction the company is heading in. Flying Bark Prods. will continue its strategic relationships with its many international and Australian co-production partners as well as pursuing new production opportunities.’

The divisions housed within Flying Bark Prods. will focus on diversifying the company’s offerings to include children’s and adult live-action programs and films as well as animation and puppetry productions. Flying Bark Prods. will handle production and distribution while Greenpatch Prods. will develop Australian programming as the creative heart of the company. Meanwhile, multimedia division Forest Interactive will continue to develop new content delivery platforms and interactive games, and Trackdown will provide full audio production services for film, TV, music and multimedia projects.

EM.TV purchased its initial 50% stake in Yoram Gross in 1999. In January of 2006, EM.Entertainment GmbH, a subsidiary of EM.TV AG, acquired the remaining 50 percent from Yoram and Sandra Gross, who founded the company in 1968.

The unveiling of Flying Bark Prods. at MIPCOM coincides with the debut of the company’s first new production, Zigby. The 3D-animated project for pre-schoolers is developed by Greenpatch and will be co-produced with ABC Australia.