Press Releases

"Netter Digital Entertainment Announces TNT To Air Exclusive Fifth Season of "Babylon 5" 17/07/97

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif., July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Netter Digital Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq:NETT) today announced that Turner Network Television (TNT) has acquired exclusive rights to air the fifth season of the two-time Emmy Award and Hugo Award winning science fiction series BABYLON 5. It was announced by Bradley J. Siegel, president of TNT and Turner Classic Movies, and by Netter Digital, which produces the program with creator, J. Michael Straczynski's Synthetic World, Ltd. TNT acquired rights to the series from Warner Bros. Domestic Pay-TV, Cable and Network Features. BABYLON 5's fifth season will premiere on the network in January 1998.

"With the acquisition of season five, TNT becomes the exclusive new home of the BABYLON 5 franchise," said Siegel. "It's the latest step in our campaign to bring high-quality, contemporary dramatic series programming to TNT's national audience."

"BABYLON 5 is one of the few series whose popularity has increased during the four-year run, and we are confident that this trend will carry through to its fifth season on TNT," said Eric Frankel, executive vice-president, Warner Bros. Domestic Pay-TV, Cable & Network Features.

TNT will launch its BABYLON 5 programming schedule beginning in January 1998 with the network premier of the original series, from the first through the fourth seasons. The fifth and final season of the original arc will air in '98. "Babylon 5: In The Beginning," an all-new original, two hour "prequel," has wrapped production and will kick off the TNT's BABYLON 5 schedule in January. A second, two-hour original film is scheduled for production this summer.

"We're thrilled that the saga of BABYLON 5 will continue and are happy to become part of the TNT family," said Executive Producers Douglas Netter and J. Michael Straczynski and the show's producer John Copeland.

Turner Network Television, the number one-rated cable network in prime time and currently seen in more than 70 million homes, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s 24-hour advertiser-supported service offering original motion pictures and miniseries; contemporary films from the world's largest film library, the combined Turner and Warner Bros. film libraries; exciting NBA and NFL sports action; popular television series and timeless cartoons.

Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Time Warner, Inc., is a major producer of news and entertainment products around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

Netter Digital is the innovative digital production company that has pioneered the utilization of numerous new technologies and production processes for television.

According to the Los Angeles Times, BABYLON 5 is a pioneer in preparing for the digital revolution. Since the show's premiere in 1994, Netter Digital has been filming episodes of BABYLON 5 for broadcast in the high definition format.

Netter Digital Entertainment, Inc. is a digital entertainment and production company which utilizes high technology in creating television series, movies, documentaries and multimedia productions. The Company specializes in creating science fiction programming which combines live action and computer graphics and is presently expanding its capabilities from being primarily a production company into broader-based technology-driven entertainment company. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Videssence, Inc., the Company designs, manufactures and distributes lighting products which incorporate Videssence SRGB(TM) light technology for the illumination of studios, stages and production environments in the television, video, motion picture, theater and theme park industries.

SOURCE: Netter Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Contact: Fran Daniels of Financial Sciences of America, 310-278-4413

More news for referenced ticker symbols: NETT, and related industries: entertainment, telecommunications.

and I will include them on the next update.

---

Introduction Babylon 5 Awards Babylon 5 News Contacts Hypertext Reference Computer Games Merchandise Other Sites Press Releases UK Events Diary What's New