91Èȱ¬

91Èȱ¬ Worldwide's outstanding contribution to international trade, and the value that it brings to licence fee payers through its returns to the 91Èȱ¬ and to the wider UK creative industry, has been recognised in the announcement today (21st April, 2009) by Her Majesty The Queen that 91Èȱ¬ Worldwide has received the Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The 91Èȱ¬'s commercial arm is one of around only one hundred businesses to receive the accolade, which is awarded on the Queen's official birthday every year. The International Trade Award recognises substantial growth in overseas earnings and commercial success at outstanding levels, based on 3 years trading results.

91Èȱ¬ Worldwide showed that it had increased its overseas revenues by some 33% and had invested over £1billion pounds from overseas activity back into the UK's creative industries over the last 3 years. It is able to do this by working in partnership with both the 91Èȱ¬ and independent production companies to acquire intellectual property, and with third parties like licensees and international broadcasters to exploit these rights through its business operations.

John Smith, 91Èȱ¬ Worldwide's Chief Executive Officer said: "It's an enormous honour to receive this award and testimony to the hard work and commitment of all at 91Èȱ¬ Worldwide, its partners and customers. Content created by the 91Èȱ¬ and the UK creative industries are the lifeblood of our company, whether in television or publishing, and we are proud to represent this wealth of British talent across the world. We pride ourselves not just in generating export income for the UK generally, but also in building international partnerships that benefit the creative industries and ultimately the licence fee payer."

91Èȱ¬ Director General, Mark Thompson added: "This award is also testimony to the achievements of our partners throughout the creative industries including the independent production sector who help make Britain such a powerful creative force overseas. This recognises the work 91Èȱ¬ Worldwide do to bang the drum for the whole of UK PLC abroad as well as creating value that benefits licence fee payers."

Recent sales successes include the landmark 91Èȱ¬ series, Planet Earth, which has been sold to 97 broadcasters across 49 countries, while the DVD of the series sold more than 3 million copies around the world. Impossible Pictures' Primeval, which airs in the UK on ITV, is distributed internationally by 91Èȱ¬ Worldwide, and has sold to 67 broadcasters in 46 territories.

While Dancing with the Stars, which was named as the world’s most watched drama/entertainment programme by industry magazine Television Business International, can be seen in over 40 countries around the world and has been licensed by 91Èȱ¬ Worldwide as a local version to over 30.

This overseas success also offers long-term benefits to UK licence fee payers as 91Èȱ¬ Worldwide's profits are returned to the 91Èȱ¬ effectively creating value equivalent to nearly £9 for each licence fee.

This is the second time that 91Èȱ¬ Worldwide has won the accolade. It first won the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2002, while 2Entertain, 91Èȱ¬ Worldwide's joint venture video distribution with Woolworths plc, received the award for International Trade in 2008.

NOTES TO EDITORS:
About The Queens’ Awards for Enterprise
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are the UK's most prestigious Awards for business success. Established in 1966, there are now four categories of Queen's Awards – three for business success (International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development) and one for individual achievement in encouraging UK entrepreneurship (The Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion). More information can be found at .

Chris Charlton

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