Anime Network Adds Chobits

ANIME NETWORK WINS EXCLUSIVE US TELEVISION RIGHTS TO
PIONEER ANIMATION'S POPULAR ANIME DVD SERIES CHOBITS

Cannes France October 9 2003-As Anime Network the first US channel dedicated to anime looks to acquire programming for its new US network here at MIPCOM network President Kevin Corcoran has been awarded an exclusive two-year licensing agreement for US television rights for all 24 of the 26-minute episodes of Pioneer Animation's popular anime series Chobits. The announcement was made today at the global television market by Corcoran and David Yost Manager of Licensing for Pioneer Animation.

Chobits based on the popular graphic novels created by CLAMP (X Cardcaptor Sakura Magic Knight Rayearth) and animated by Madhouse (X Trigun Ninja Scroll Patlabor WXIII) with English dialog by Bang Zoom Entertainment (Vandread X Mahoromatic) is the story of a poor country boy named Hideki who moves to the big city to attend college. Once there he is shocked to learn of the proliferation of persocoms personal computers designed to look and act like animals and even people. Too poor to afford a persocom of his own Hideki unexpectedly discovers a discarded persocom in the trash. Delighted by his good fortune Hideki soon discovers that his salvaged persocom Chi could actually be an experimental persocom known only as CHOBITS which appears to be fully functional even without an installed operating system. One thing is certain though: Hideki's newly restored persocom is a lot more than he bargained for.

""We are very excited to bring the Chobits series to Anime Network audiences throughout the United States"" said Corcoran in making the announcement. ""And we are equally pleased to be working with Pioneer Animation to grow this popular anime franchise in the United States.""

Added Pioneer Animation's Yost ""In licensing the TV rights for this popular anime series to Anime Network we are both supporting a new and important outlet for anime programming in the US and ensuring that over the next two years Chobits will get strategically targeted exposure to America's growing anime fan base.""

Anime Network is currently available as part of RCN's and Comcast Cable's FVOD services available to approximately 2.2 million subscribers. Anime Network's programming is also available through SVOD on Cablevision Systems Corporation's iO: Interactive Optimum digital programming service. In September Anime Network began providing high def programming to iN DEMAND's INHD and INHD2 subscribers and is fresh off a Time Warner iControl launch.

About Anime Network
The Anime Network a subsidiary of A. D. Vision Inc. (parent company to ADV Films and Newtype USA) is the first cable channel in North America dedicated to anime (Japanese animation). The Anime Network launched in North America in late 2002. The network is being marketed to multi-system operators (MSOs) from coast-to-coast as both a stand-alone 24-hour digital network and as a VOD programming offer. More information about the Anime Network is available through http://www.theanimenetwork.com/.

Posted on Thursday, October 09, 2003 (Archive on Sunday, November 09, 2003)