News Release

Date:Toronto, Canada, May 27, 2008  

CCI ENTERTAINMENT ENTERS JOINT VENTURE TAKING WEEKLY READER® WORLDWIDE

CCI To Produce Content For Television, DVD, Online and Consumer Products

Weekly Reader Publishing Group and CCI Entertainment have announced an agreement to jointly develop and produce a broad array of content and products for the consumer market  based on the hugely successful Weekly Reader® franchise. The venture will build on the 105-year track record of Weekly Reader, and will channel the credibility and expertise the franchise has developed within the school publishing market to create entertaining and educational products that will appeal to a broader audience around the world.

The exclusive development and production agreement is aimed at introducing a line-up of new concepts to the market over the next several years and producing audio-visual material that is targeted at commercial and public television, as well as DVD and internet distribution. CCI will also be seeking manufacturing partners to create interactive merchandise that can extend the educational experience into leisure areas, including hobby play, home educational supplements, and quality time activities.

“Weekly Reader is a household name in the US, well-respected by teachers and parents alike,” said Charles Falzon, Co-Chairman CCI Entertainment. “It’s currently used as an engaging educational resource in over 300,000 classrooms in America and found in millions of households across the nation. Parents know that Weekly Reader represents integrity, accessibility, and is recognized as an authoritative voice in helping young children learn about their world. Through this venture we plan to directly access this expertise and utilize the huge repository of content to extend this experience to more children, through more activity platforms, and in more countries.”

“At Weekly Reader, we’re incredibly excited to see this iconic franchise reach millions more children through television and other products,” said Neal Goff, President, Weekly Reader Publishing Group.  “CCI is ideally suited to be our partner in this venture because they understand the importance of connecting playing to learning.”  

Weekly Reader Publishing Group

The Weekly Reader Publishing Group (WRPG) creates and distributes innovative educational materials for the school and library markets, as well as for corporate customers, that are recognized for their engaging content and proven effectiveness in improving student performance. The Group includes Weekly Reader Periodicals, Weekly Reader Curriculum Publishing and Custom Publishing; Weekly Reader Research; Gareth Stevens Publishing; World Almanac Education Library Services; Facts for Learning and Funk & Wagnall's.  WRPG is part of the Reader's Digest Association, Inc. For more information, visit www.weeklyreader.com. 

CCI Entertainment Ltd. (Cambium Catalyst International)

CCI Entertainment is one of Canada's leading independent production, distribution and licensing companies with a successful track record spanning twenty years. CCI has been particularly recognized in the area of family entertainment, lifestyle programming and movies having been responsible for thousands of hours of award-winning television for the world market including: Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, Monster By Mistake, Shining Time Station and Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show as well assuccessful factual series such as Avventura and Ghost Trackers.  CCI Entertainment's mission is to create entertainment that entertains, engages and fuels imaginations.

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For further information contact:

Stacey Levy, Davis Public Relations, +1 (818) 986-0323, stacey@davispr.com

Kat Garcia, Davis Public Relations, +1 (818) 986-0323, kat@davispr.com

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