SCI FI CHANNEL AND MANGA ENTERTAINMENT ADD NEW ANIME PROGRAMMING AS ‘ANI-MONDAY’ BLOCK IS RENEWE

NEW YORK, NY – July 8, 2008 – Popular Titles, Including ‘Gurren Lagann’ and ‘Gundam 00,’ Join the Line-up, Kicking Off in Late July

SCI FI Channel will treat anime fans to new series and movies in its weekly Ani-Monday programming block, Monday nights from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. beginning in July. Ani-Monday will feature a collection of movies, series and shorts from Starz Media's anime distribution arm, Manga Entertainment.

SCI FI's Ani-Monday will feature the exclusive U.S. premieres of a number of highly anticipated series and movies including series “Gurren Lagann” and “Gundam 00” (licensed by Bandai Entertainment Inc.); as well as the movie Strait Jacket. The block will also include the TV premiers of classic anime series “Now And Then, Here and There” and “Descendents of Darkness.” Other fan favorites set to air in the block include: Black Jack, Blood: The Last Vampire, Dead Leaves, Ghost in the Shell, Go Shogun, Kai Doh Maru, “Macross Plus”, MD Geist, Negadon: The Monsters From Mars, Ninja Scroll and Street Fighter Alpha Generations.

“Our viewers have been enthusiastic about the Ani-Monday block from Manga Entertainment since the programming first aired just over a year ago,” said Thomas Vitale, SCI FI Channel’s Senior Vice President, Programming and Original Movies. “We believe viewers will be even more excited about this incredible new line-up of top anime Manga is delivering.”

“SCI FI Channel has been a terrific partner, introducing our quality anime to the channel’s large, diverse community,” added Marc DeBevoise, Starz Media senior vice president, digital media and business development. “The audience for anime is growing, and so we’re very happy to have this ideal platform to bring the best Japanese animation to viewers in this country.”

Much of the programming for the Ani-Monday block is coming via Manga’s new partnerships and distribution agreements with Bandai Entertainment, Inc. and Central Park Media Corporation.

Many of the programs in the block will be made available for download on digital platforms after their airings on SCI FI, with clips and additional information available at www.manga.com.

SCHEDULE

July
Ghost in the Shell: The Movie
Sword for Truth
Vampire Wars
Black Jack: The Movie
“Gurren Lagann”
“Now and Then, Here and There”

August/September
“Gurren Lagann”
“Now and Then, Here and There”
M.D. Geist
Psychic Wars
Dead Leaves

October
“Gurren Lagann”
“Gundam 00”
Strait Jacket
“Descendents of Darkness”

November/December
“Gundam 00”
“Descendents of Darkness”

About Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment Ltd. is an entertainment company specializing in the production, marketing and distribution of Japanese animation for theatrical, television, Internet, DVD and home video release worldwide. The Manga film library is marketed and distributed in the U.S. through Anchor Bay Entertainment. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in London. Manga is a division of Starz Media, a programming production and distribution company operating worldwide. It includes the Film Roman and Anchor Bay Entertainment brands. Its units create animated and live-action programming – including theatrical films – and programming created under contract for other media companies. It distributes that programming, through home video retailers, theaters, broadcasters, ad supported and premium television channels, and Internet and wireless video distributors in the U.S. and internationally. Starz Media (www.starzmedia.com) is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Capital Group.

About SCI FI CHANNEL
SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic website (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 93 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.

About Bandai Entertainment Inc.
Bandai Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA) Inc. and the premier distributor of Japanese animation on DVD and programming for television broadcast in North America. Titles include Code Geass Lelouch of Rebellion, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Gundam Seed Destiny, My Hime, and many more. www.bandai-ent.com.
About Central Park Media
Central Park Media is an 18-year-old Manhattan-based independent video and book publisher focused on Japanese and Korean animation and graphic novels. Central Park Media has been a leading supplier of anime in the United States since 1990, and a major publisher of manga since 1994. The company currently manufactures and distributes animated video programming under several label names, including *US Manga Corps*, *Be Beautiful*, *Software Sculptors* and *Central Park Media*, as well as live-action Asian feature films under its *Asia Pulp Cinema* label. www.centeralparkmedia.com; www.asiapulpcinema.com.

Contact:
Jonathan Taylor
Starz Media
(818) 748-4032
[email protected]

U.S. iTunes Store Adds 4 Manga Entertainment Titles

Ghost in the Shell: SAC Season 1, Tokko, Noein, Tactics — more planned

The media company Starz has begun offering television episodes on Apple's iTunes Store in the United States, including four series from Starz' anime unit Manga Entertainment. Those four series are Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Season 1), Tokko, Noein, and Tactics. Apple iTunes Store video purchases are 640 by 480 in resolution and play only on personal computers (with Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows), video-capable iPod players, and the AppleTV media player.

Manga Entertainment offers these same titles and other series (as well as movies) on Amazon's Unbox, IGN's Direct2Drive, and Microsoft's Xbox Live services. Manga Entertainment is planning to expand its offerings on iTunes beyond the initial four series. Manga Entertainment told ANN that it is also looking at a number of ways to deliver high-definition content, "ranging from Blu-ray Disc to other forms of delivery." It is also in discussions with digital distributors in the United Kingdom and expects "to announce some deals certainly by the end of the year."

Manga.com

Manga Entertainment, a Starz® Company, is the premiere entertainment source for anime enthusiasts worldwide. We specialize in the production and distribution of state-of-the-art animation for theatrical, television, Internet, DVD and home video release. For video channels, contests, up-to-date release information, trailers, and breaking anime news, visit www.manga.com today.