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Shaw Rocket Prize Announces International Jury

The Shaw Rocket Fund, founder of the $50,000 Shaw Rocket Prize, has announced the 2005 Shaw Rocket Prize Jury, which includes: Deirdre Brennan, ABC Kids programmer, Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC TV), Australia; Frank Dietz, head of acquisitions and co-productions, Super RTL, Germany; Michelle Henderson, president, The Childrens Group, Canada; Bob Higgins, svp programming & development, Cartoon Network, U.S.; and Theresa Plummer-Andrews, managing director, Plum Trees TV Ltd., U.K.

We are thrilled that this outstanding field of international leaders in childrens television will bring their world class expertise and insight to the judging of the Shaw Rocket Prize, said Agnes Augustin, exec director of the Shaw Rocket Fund.

The first of its kind in Canada, the Shaw Rocket Prize is a $50,000, winner-take-all, juried prize that will be awarded to the best Canadian childrens television program. The 2005 finalists will be announced in the week of April 4, 2005, and then the winner will be announced May 25 at an event here in Toronto. Two independent juries will select the winner of the Shaw Rocket Prize: the international jury will select the prize finalists and a student jury of grade-seven to nine students from across Canada will select the winner from the finalists.

Brennan stated, I am absolutely delighted to participate in such a positive celebration of the childrens television production industry in Canada. Im also thrilled that the Shaw Rocket Prize will be decided by a young audience, who are the reason we do what we do!

Plummer-Andrews added, Canadian producers are very visible in the world market, and are making programs which sell internationally, are highly successful and popular.

Programs eligible for the Shaw Rocket Prize must target a childrens, youth or family audience; must qualify as an 8/10 Canadian production; and must have had its first Canadian commercial release within 18 months prior to the entry deadline date. The entry deadline for the 2005 prize was Jan. 31.

The Shaw Rocket Fund is a permanent, independently governed, not-for-profit corporation that provides financing for the production of Canadian childrens, youth and family television programming. Since its inception in 1998, the Shaw Rocket Fund has invested more than $35 million in Canadian childrens television. Prior to October 2004, the Shaw Rocket Fund was known as the Shaw Television Broadcast Fund. Contributors to the Fund are Shaw Communications, Shaw Pay Per View Ltd., a division of Shaw Cablesystems GP, Star Choice Television Network Inc., EastLink Cablesystems and Delta Cable Communications Ltd. For more information, visit www.rocketfund.ca.

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