News 2008

RDF, a leading UK television production and distribution group, today issues the following trading update prior to entering its close period for the year ended 31st January 2008.

The Board is pleased to confirm that trading for the year ended 31st January 2008 was in line with its expectations, as set out in the announcement made on 20th December 2007. Healthy visibility in RDF’s content production businesses and the prospect of continued growth in rights exploitation demonstrate the robustness and diversity of the Group going forward.

The Board is also pleased to confirm the lifting by the BBC of its commissioning pause on all RDF’s production companies and divisions.

Highlights for the year ahead include:

• Key programmes Scrapheap Challenge (Channel 4), The Secret Millionaire (Channel 4), Rosemary Shrager’s School for Cooks (ITV1), Wife Swap (Channel 4), Wife Swap: The Aftermath (E4), Relocation Relocation and Location Location Location (Channel 4) recommissioned for 2008.
• Dickinson’s Real Deal (ITV1) recommissioned until 2009.
• 100 episodes of Way to Blue, a major pre-school children’s series for the BBC, commissioned by CBeebies. Production will begin summer 2008 for transmission in 2009 and 2010.
• The Foundation has received orders for an additional six new or returning children’s series for 2008/2009, including a two series commission for Mister Maker (CBeebies).
• RDF USA, which delivered significant revenue growth in the year ended 31st January 2008, is now in production with four Network shows, including Wife Swap which has been confirmed for a fifth season, and has secured several other new Cable commissions including a US version of the ITV1 hit Ladette to Lady.
• Don’t Forget the Lyrics, originally made for Fox in the US and recently commissioned by Sky One in the UK, has become the first RDF USA originated format to be produced for a UK broadcaster.

The Group’s preliminary results for the year ended 31st January 2008 are scheduled for release on 20th May 2008.

David Frank, CEO, commented:

“The second half of last year presented RDF with a number of significant challenges and difficulties. I believe we have now addressed these issues fully and can look forward to the future with confidence. Furthermore, healthy visibility in our content production businesses and the prospect of continued growth in rights exploitation demonstrate the robustness and diversity of the Group. I would like to thank the whole team for their outstanding commitment during an exceptional year.”

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About RDF (www.rdfmedia.com)

The RDF Media Group is a group of companies that creates, acquires and distributes compelling television content, mainly in the factual, entertainment, drama and children's programming genres. The Group seeks to maximise the worldwide commercial value of this intellectual property through its rights exploitation division. RDF was founded in 1993 and floated on AIM in May 2005. In the year to 31 January 2007, the Group earned revenues of almost £100m.

Through its group members RDF Television, RDF USA, IWC Media, Touchpaper Television, Presentable, Radar TV, The Foundation & The Comedy Unit the Group makes television programmes for all the UK terrestrial broadcasters, a number of secondary UK channels as well as several US Network and cable broadcasters. It also sells programmes and formats to broadcasters worldwide and exploits secondary rights such as DVDs and merchandising through RDF Rights & Pangea Management Group.

Key shows include: Wife Swap - Channel Four/ ABC (US); Location Location Location and Relocation Relocation - Channel 4; The Basil Brush Show - CBBC; Ladette to Lady - ITV1; Scrapheap Challenge - Channel 4; A Room with a View - ITV1; Shipwrecked: Battle of the Islands - Channel 4; The Secret Millionaire - Channel 4; Mountain - BBC One; Dickinson's Real Deal - ITV1.

RDF has won numerous awards for its programming including a number of BAFTAs, RTS awards, the Rose d'Or at Montreux and an International Emmy. In 2003, 2004 and 2005 RDF was voted the most respected and admired independent producer by its peers and won Broadcast's Best Independent Production Company award in 2002, 2004 and 2006. IWC Media won the award in 2003 and RDF Rights won Broadcast's Distributor Peer Poll in September 2007.

RDF has offices in London, Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff, Maidstone, Bristol, New York and Los Angeles and the Group employs about 600 people.