*LGE: $200M credit line

Lions Gate Entertainment has secured a $200 million line of credit with brokerages Chase Securities and Dresdner Kleinwort Benson.

Part of the financing proceeds will be used to close lge’s acquisition of Trimark, a transaction valued at $50 million in cash and Lions Gate stock in addition to the assumption of Trimark’s debt. The balance will be used to continue Lions Gate’s production and distribution growth initiatives and to finance future acquisitions.

In December, lge secured a $33 million preferred equity financing from international broadcasters SBS Broadcasting sa and Tele-Munchen, Fidelity Investments, Capital Research and Management and Vulcan Ventures.

Midday Aug. 16, lge shares traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange at $4.00 compared to the year low of $2.25 and year high of $6.90.

-www.lionsgate-ent.com

*Nelvana six-month results

Nelvana’s total revenue for the six months ended June 30 increased 65% to $40.7 million, compared to $24.7 million for the first half of 1999.

Total revenue for Q2, or the three months ended June 30, nearly doubled to $25.7 million, compared to $13.2 million in the same period last year.

The company attributes the increases to strong growth in production and distribution revenue, resulting from higher revenue per episode delivered, sharp increases in Brand Consumer Products, with strong merchandising performance and the inclusion of six weeks of revenue from Klutz (recently acquired for us$74 million).

ebitda for the first half of 2000 increased 16% to $5.7 million, compared to $4.9 million for the first half of last year. ebitda for Q2 increased 35% to $3.6 million from $2.7 million in 1999.

But net earnings for the year-to-date declined to $1 million ($0.13 per share) from $2.3 million ($0.32 per share) for the same period last year. In the second quarter, net earnings were $100,000 ($0.01 per share), compared to $1.4 million ($0.20 per share) in the prior year. The company says the drop in net earnings is due to the Klutz and Little Bear acquisitions, non-recurring costs for bridge financing related to the Klutz buy and interest expense on outstanding borrowings.

Midday August 16, Nelvana traded on the tse at $28.00, compared to a high/low of $35/$18. *

-www.nelvana.com