Lionsgate and Ish Entertainment Form New Television Joint Programming Venture

Lionsgate and Ish Entertainment Form New Television Joint Programming Venture

Ish Entertainment Enters into New Partnership with Three Greenlit Series Including PARIS HILTON'S MY NEW BFF for MTV

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF) , the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, and Ish Entertainment, the company recently formed by Michael Hirschorn and Stella Stolper, today announced the formation of a joint venture to produce original entertainment for television. With offices in Santa Monica and New York, Ish Entertainment will continue to operate under its own banner with financial, production and distribution support from Lionsgate.

Hirschorn, who was executive vice president of original programming and production at VH1, and Stolper, VH1's former senior vice president of celebrity talent development, recently departed the network to form Ish. The company was launched in January with a commitment for three television series under a first-look deal with MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo. MTV last month green-lit the first project to come out of that deal, PARIS HILTON'S MY NEW BFF, a new reality competition series.

Ish will marry formats and talent, continuing a strategy that helped VH1 launch a host of hit shows, including I LOVE THE 80S, BEST WEEK EVER, HOGAN KNOWS BEST, THE (WHITE) RAPPER SHOW, THE SALT N' PEPA SHOW, FLAVOR OF LOVE and its many spin-offs, all of which Hirschhorn oversaw during his six years at the network. These shows helped VH1 to an unprecedented 22 straight quarters in year-over-year ratings growth.

The new joint venture allows Lionsgate to quickly expand its imprint in the area of alternative programming and is the latest in a number of strategic deals, including the Company's acquisition of top television distributor Debmar-Mercury LLC, that underscore the importance of television to Lionsgate's overall business.

The partnership enables Ish to ramp up production much more quickly and efficiently, utilizing Lionsgate's production and distribution expertise and its existing infrastructure. It also furthers the company's objective to develop its profile in scripted and theatrical entertainment.

Hirschorn recently won an Emmy as an executive producer of DMC: MY ADOPTION JOURNEY, a documentary developed under VH1's ROCK DOCS franchise. Hirschorn was also an executive producer of the 2006 theatrical release THE U.S. VS. JOHN LENNON, a Lionsgate and VH1 co-production. During her tenure at VH1, Stolper was extremely successful in attracting an eclectic mix of star power, including Drew Barrymore, Eva Longoria, The Wayans Brothers, Mo'Nique, Larry The Cable Guy, Brett Ratner and Emmy winner Jaime Pressly, among many others.

"This partnership is an exciting new growth opportunity and makes perfect strategic sense," said Kevin Beggs, Lionsgate's president of television programming and production. "Michael and Stella have an extraordinary track record in creating highly successful non-scripted programming and we're delighted to be in business together."

"Our new venture with Ish Entertainment epitomizes our ongoing efforts to develop innovative business models that work both creatively and financially," said Sandra Stern, Lionsgate's COO of television, who negotiated the deal on behalf of the studio. "This alliance is a win-win for both our companies."

"We did this deal with Lionsgate not only because they are providing the resources we need to grow quickly, but because we can learn from them about how to build an independent business and succeed at the highest levels," said Hirschorn. "The combination of support and autonomy is a dream come true, and it will allow us to expand our activities into other areas of entertainment with the same kind of entrepreneurial spirit that inspired the creation of our company."

"Michael and I are so enthused over our partnership with Lionsgate," said Stolper. "It is a blessing to be in business with a company that gives us the independence to run wild with ideas and develop great shows with top talent, while still functioning as a collective team. This type of collaboration is primed to deliver countless hits in the coming years, on television and beyond."

The television division of Lionsgate has become a significant supplier of content to cable and broadcast networks. Its current TV production slate includes the Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winning series MAD MEN, which will launch its second season on AMC this summer; the critically acclaimed hit comedy WEEDS, which will premiere its fourth season on Showtime June 16; the new suspense and horror anthology series FEAR ITSELF, set to debut on NBC June 5; CRASH, a new original drama series for Starz, based on Lionsgate's Oscar-winning Best Picture; and the recently announced comedy pilot for Showtime starring three-time Emmy Award winner Edie Falco.

About LIONSGATE(R)

LIONSGATE(R) is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio and is a premier producer and distributor of motion picture, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment, video-on-demand and digitally-delivered content. Its prestigious and prolific library of nearly 12,000 motion picture titles and television episodes is a stable source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The LIONSGATE(R) brand is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the globe.

About ISH ENTERTAINMENT

Ish Entertainment was launched in January 2008 by Michael Hirschorn and Stella Stolper with a commitment for three television series under a first-look deal with MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo. The first project to come out of that deal is PARIS HILTON'S MY NEW BFF. Ish Entertainment marries formats and talent focusing primarily but not exclusively on non-scripted programming, continuing a strategy that has helped VH1 launch an unprecedented string of hit shows with top talent. Ish Entertainment is based in Los Angeles and New York.

    Media Contacts:     For Lionsgate    Leah Krantzler    The Lippin Group    (323) 965-1990    lkrantzler@lippingroup.com     For Ish Entertainment    Naomi Bulochnikov    310-433-9960    naomi@theish.tv  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Lionsgate

CONTACT: Leah Krantzler of The Lippin Group, +1-323-965-1990,
lkrantzler@lippingroup.com, for Lionsgate; or Naomi Bulochnikov of Ish
Entertainment, +1-310-433-9960, naomi@theish.tv

Web site: http://www.lionsgate.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment