EM. Entertainment GmbH has acquired the remaining 50% of Yoram Gross-EM.TV PTY Ltd. from founders Yoram and Sandra Gross. The mid seven-figure deal gives EM. Ent. 100% control of the Australian production group and 45% of Yoram Gross Prods., in which the founders still hold a majority stake.
Yoram Gross-EM.TV PTY Ltd. General Manager Geoff Watson steps up to the position of managing director of the company, which was formed in 1999 when EM.TV purchased a 50% share in the then 31 year-old Yoram Gross. Successful animated shows produced by the integrated company over the years include Tabaluga, Flipper & Lopaka, Blinky Bill and Dot and the Kangaroo.
Werner E. Klatten, chairman of the management board at EM.TV AG, says the increased shareholding is aimed at strengthening his company’s influence on Yoram Gross-EM.T and significantly expanding the group’s production skills. ‘We also place a great deal of importance on the activities of the interactive unit, which include mobile content and games,’ he comments. ‘We will be intensifying these considerably over the years to come through Yoram Gross-EM.TV subsidiary forest Interactive, which has become one of Australia’s most creative multimedia producers.’
Forest Interactive, maker of the popular DVD board game Atmosfear The Gatekeeper, is set to launch MobiStax, a novel mobile phone trading card game that will be accompanied by a series of other games.
