TALPA MEDIA AND SHINE FRANCE ENTER PARTNERSHIP

Media entrepreneur John de Mol's company Talpa and the French branch of Shine Group today announced the start of a 50-50 owned joint venture aimed at the French market and French-speaking Belgium. The new joint venture has the exclusive right to sell, adapt and produce all Talpa formats in the well known TV genres of reality, game show and scripted.

The new outfit will be headed by Thierry Lachkar, CEO of Shine France. Himself a veteran in the French media business, Thierry Lachkar says: "This is a great step ahead for us. Shine France has the international network and the domestic production capacity, Talpa is developing a great catalogue of up to date formats in many different genres attracting a vast audience. Together we expect to grow to a strong and successful position in the dynamic French market."

John de Mol adds: "Over the past year Talpa Media has been exploring the international media industry with respect to our growth strategy. In fact there are three possibilities to enter a specific market: start for yourself, acquire an existing company, or go for a partnership. I'm more and more convinced that for Talpa the latter way can be a sensible and fruitful one. That's why I feel very pleased to have found the renowned Shine Group to team up in France."

By the end of 2009, some appealing formats in Talpa's catalogue are: ‘The Golden Cage', ‘Dating in the Dark', ‘Viper's Nest', ‘Pretty Smart', ‘Guesstimation', ‘I Love My Country'. ‘Divided' and ‘Know Your Nation'. (Descriptions on: http://www.talpa.tv/formats/all)

Part of Shine Group's ongoing international expansion programme, Shine France was founded in July 2009 with the appointment of ex-Endemol France Chief Creative Officer and International Development Chief, Thierry Lachkar as CEO. Operating from headquarters in Paris, it recently announced it has won its first major domestic commission, to bring international hit format MasterChef to France with TF1 in 2010.

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