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Karen Roberts Named Porchlight Ent. SVP Acquisitions

Karen Roberts joins PorchLight Ent. in the newly created post of svp, acquisitions to expand the company's library of family-friendly, live-action and animated programming. Roberts will be based in Los Angeles and report to Bruce Johnson, PorchLights ceo and William Baumann, coo. Roberts and her team will aggressively identify and pursue finished feature films that support PorchLights overall acquisition strategy add new projects to the companys development slate.

PorchLight has nearly 200 film titles, including award-winning releases as THE BLUE BUTTERFLY and HUNT FOR JUSTICE: THE LOUISE ARBOUR STORY and more than 500 episodes of kids-targeted series in its library.

Karen has the experience, knowledge and energy to take us to an even higher level in building an expansive library," said Baumann. "She can zero in on programming that can be distributed to multi-media outlets and generate ancillary revenue streams for the company worldwide.

Roberts was svp, acquisitions and development, for Dream Ent., responsible for all international acquisitions of finished product in all media for the company, as well as literary development and acquisition of screenplays, articles and literary properties. She was instrumental in acquiring such titles as ELLIE PARKER starring Naomi Watts, LONESOME JIM starring Liv Tyler, HEART OF THE GAME, TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE and I AM.

Prior Dream Ent., Roberts had been svp of acquisitions and development for Myriad Pictures, where she was responsible for literary development, acquiring screenplays, articles and literary properties and overseeing all international acquisitions of finished product in all media. Films released by the company under Roberts' leadership included NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VAN WILDER, THE GOOD GIRL and JEEPERS CREEPERS 2: LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL.

Before Myriad, Roberts was svp for nearly two decades for the London-based company, J&M Ent. Based in the companys Los Angeles office, she was responsible for the development, production, marketing, acquisitions and worldwide sales of filmed product in all media platforms.

Los Angeles-based PorchLight Ent., (www.porchlight.com) is a multi-faceted company focused on the production and distribution of family entertainment. Since its formation in 1995 by veteran entertainment execs Johnson and Baumann, PorchLight has produced the Emmy Award-winning animated series, TUTENSTEIN, for Discovery Kids and Jetix Europe, the award-winning animated children's series, JAY JAY THE JET PLANE for PBS and ADVENTURES FROM THE BOOK OF VIRTUES (PBS), as well as more than 30 live-action and animated feature films. PorchLight is producing FOUR EYES for France 3, Nickelodeon Asia, and Nickelodeon Australia.