The Walt Disney Company has formed a new business unit, the Buena Vista Game Entertainment Studio, a new organization created to leverage and combine new and emerging technologies, such as broadband and wireless, with video consoles, PCs, other technological innovations, and online games to deliver integrated interactive entertainment for a new consumer experience. Jan E. Smith has been installed as its president. Smith, a 14-year Disney veteran, will also continue to serve in her current role as president of Disney Interactive.

Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) Latin America, Inc. has reached an agreement with DIRECTV Latin America, LLC (DIRECTV) for satellite distribution in Latin America of Boomerang, the 24-hour network that offers classic animated entertainment. Launched into the Latin American region in July of 2001, Boomerang continues to expand its reach in the market by adding DIRECTV's satellite distribution. Reaching more than 1.4 million direct-to-home customers, DIRECTV Latin America becomes one of the largest distributors for Boomerang in the region.

In an election supervised by assemblyman Paul Koretz, chair of the California Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment, the writers from six of Nickelodeon’s animated series voted 19 to 2 in favor of Writers Guild of America, west (WGAw) representation. Sequoia Voting Systems, an independent company that provides election services to unions and state and local governments, received and counted the ballots.

Animation studio Wild Brain, Inc. has continued the expansion of its global operations with the launch of its new creative services studio Wild Brain UK, LLC based in London. Wild Brain UK is headed by animation and commercial creative director Mike Smith and managing producer Nikki Kefford, with director Tom Gravestock also on board. Powered by talent from London's animation community, Wild Brain UK will be committed to developing emerging talent with a wide-range of distinctive and eclectic styles. Mike Smith, who has spent the last 10 years in the U.S., working at Warner Bros.

Assemblyman Paul Koretz, Chair of the California Assembly Labor Committee, has agreed to oversee an impartial election for union representation on behalf of writers on six Nickelodeon animated series. The election will take place Wednesday, October 3, 2001 at Nickelodeon Studios, 231 W. Olive Ave., Burbank. The polling place will close at 12:00 noon. Immediately following the vote Sequoia Voting Systems will tabulate the results and Assemblyman Koretz will announce the results.

Midway Games Inc. has entered into several syndication agreements whereby it will license classic video games for play on a variety of emerging gaming mediums, including Websites, handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones and interactive television. Companies that have entered into licensing agreements with Midway include iWon, Heavy, RuneCraft, Index, Pocket Express and Terra Mobile-iobox. Financial terms of the licensing agreements were not disclosed. Midway announced three agreements focused on the handheld/wireless market.

JAKKS Pacific's Flying Colors division has signed a licensing agreement with 4Kids Entertainment to manufacture and market a line of toys based on the new CGI-animated television series, CUBIX - ROBOTS FOR EVERYONE. CUBIX features a world of colorful robots equipped with an emotion processing unit (EPU) that gives each robot a personality of its own. The Flying Colors line of CUBIX merchandise will include activity kits, sleeping bags and back to school items. The line is scheduled to hit shelves nationwide in spring 2002. The CUBIX series will premiere to global broadcasters at MIPCOM 2001.

Adobe Systems Incorporated reported financial results for its third quarter ended August 31, 2001. In the third quarter of fiscal 2001, Adobe achieved revenue of $292.1 million, compared to $328.9 million reported for the third quarter of fiscal 2000 and $344.1 million reported in the second quarter of fiscal 2001. Pro forma diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of fiscal 2001, excluding non-operating gains and losses, were $0.28.

DreamWorks Consumer Products has named Hasbro's WowWee subsidiary as master toy licensee for the upcoming theatrical animated release SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON. The film tells the story of a wild mustang stallion named Spirit and his journey through the untamed American West. Under the agreement, WowWee will offer a line of products based on the film including basic figures, playsets, deluxe figures, electronic and animatronic figures, accessories and role play items.

Cambridge Animation Systems, developer of Animo 2D software, has been purchased from Japanese investment bank Nomura by a digital media consortium that includes an original founder of the company. The new owners are moving the company to a new and larger facility in Cambridge, England. Over the past 18 months the new management team placed in the company by Nomura has completely reorganized Cambridge Animation Systems, expanded Cambridge's line of products and set up a growing reseller network worldwide.

Microsoft Corp. has delayed the launch of its Xbox video game system by one week and is now planning to have Xbox in North American stores on November 15, 2001. The system will retail for approximately US$299. Microsoft is refusing to say how many units it will ship on that date and will only confirm it will ship 1 million to 1.5 million Xbox consoles to North American retailers this holiday season. Microsoft executives have not explained the delay, saying only that it is not related to the attacks in Washington and New York, or the nation’s economy.

Sony Pictures Consumer Products has appointed HarperCollins as the worldwide publishing licensee for the HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON animated series set to debut in January 2002 on HBO Family. The series, based on the classic book by Crockett Johnson, is produced by Sony Pictures Family Entertainment. The new HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON book series will include six early reader books. The book series is expected to hit retail shelves in January 2002 to coincide with the release of the animated series.

Midlands, England-based animation production house, PS Creative has moved to new, larger premises -- a building called The Doghouse in Bewdley, Worcestershire, England. With this expansion they soon hope to be recruiting more staff for both freelance and permanent in-house positions. PS Creative is currently furthering their 3D character animation and on-screen typography work developing a Europe-wide marketing campaign for a major pharmaceutical company.

Boxershorts Cartoons, a division of The Chris Moujaes Company, Inc., has created The Boxershorts Academy to provide an opportunity for education in animation studio arts to students who reside between the West and East Coasts. The Boxershorts Academy's classes are available to the general public in both live and electronic formats. Live courses are held in Austin, Texas at various locations and the online independent study courses are held at BoxerAcademy.com.

Universal Digital Communications Inc. (UDC), a privately held digital marketing company, has acquired new media content creator and distributor Spunky Productions. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Spunky Productions brings UDC tremendous new media capabilities including their remarkable 2D and 3D animation. This adds a truly unique dimension to the marketing solutions we create and produce for our clients,” said Jim Burkhart, President of UDC.

Pulse, the San Francisco-based 3D media solutions company, laid off an undisclosed number of staff members on Monday, September 17, 2001. While an exact number was not revealed, AWN was told that it was less than 50% of the company’s total workforce. The lay-offs were predominately from the administrative sector with some engineering staff also being let go. A spokesperson for the company sees the staff cuts as a positive move for Pulse allowing them a greater ability to reach profitability. The company plans to move toward e-learning, while continuing its current licenses.

Midway Games Inc. announced its results of operations for the fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2001.The company also reported preliminary details of its product release schedule for the period September 2001 through December 2002. Fiscal 2001 fourth quarter revenues were $20,215,000 compared with revenues of $24,724,000 in the prior year period.

Target Stores and Nickelodeon announced an exclusive marketing partnership for the fall retail launch of Nickelodeon's popular animated character, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS. Available in all 1,019 Target stores nationwide, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS merchandise includes school supplies, men's, women's and children's apparel, toys and more. Select items also are available online at target.com.

Interactive entertainment company Infogrames, Inc. has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with UK-based game publisher, Codemasters. Under the terms of the one-year deal, Infogrames will be the sole distributor of Codemasters' interactive entertainment titles throughout North America. Codemasters expects to publish 17 SKUs between September 2001 and August 2002. The first title Infogrames distributed under the agreement is OPERATION FLASHPOINT, a realistic military action game for the PC.

Activision has acquired the exclusive worldwide rights to develop and publish interactive games based on THE FANTASTIC FOUR and IRONMAN for the next-generation console systems and the PC. These brands complement the company's current slate of Marvel Super Heroes that include SPIDER-MAN, X-MEN and BLADE. Possessing unique powers, THE FANTASTIC FOUR challenge the unknown to benefit humanity. Reed Richards (Mr.