Recently launched CanWest Entertainment International, the London, Eng.-based distribution arm of Toronto’s Fireworks Entertainment, will focus its sales efforts on live-action, half-hour kids’ and family programming and one-hour, primetime action-adventure series, says president Greg Phillips.

cei has acquired international rights to the Nickelodeon series Eddy McDowd, produced by Lynch Entertainment in the u.s.; and Chuck Finn, a 26-part, half-hour program from Australia’s Barren Films for broadcast on Channel 7 in Australia and the bbc. Chuck Finn follows adventures of a young Canadian boy transplanted to Australia.

The children’s library also includes two seasons of Fireworks’ Real Kids, Real Adventures about the heroic acts of ordinary kids, licensed by Discovery usa and the Global Television Network. Currently in production for broadcast on ytv and Nickelodeon are 26 half-hours of the $10-million tween series Just A Kid from Calgary-based Riverwood Productions about a tough city kid who is sent to live with relatives in a small western town (See ‘On Set,’ p. 1). Lynch Entertainment has taken u.s. rights and cei holds the rest of the world.

Firework’s Adam Haight says international market demand and production opportunities for the family/tween genre is strong and it is an area the company has developed a specialty in. The crtc’s new television policy has extended primetime to include the early 7 p.m. slot, which producers and broadcasters anticipate will add new windows for family fare. However, at the same time, the crtc states that kids’ programming which airs during the day will not qualify for the 150% Cancon bonus.

Haight says the company’s program mandate is not determined by these regulatory decisions. ‘Our strategy has long been to focus on the international, not the Canadian market. Opportunities and international demand have led us into one-hour action-adventure and family programming.’

Global Television, which is part of the CanWest Global Entertainment empire, has recorded its concern that Global’s strong daytime lineup of kids’ programming could he hurt by the disappearance of the bonus credit. However, the broadcaster does applaud the new opportunities for family fare in the 7 p.m. slot.

The cei action-adventure catalogue includes Fireworks’ new 22-episode series Relic Hunter, a $1.5-million per hour Canada/France coproduction with Gaumont Television, presold to more than 85% of the u.s. market, Citytv in Canada, M6 in France and ProSieben in Germany. The series stars Tia Carrere as a history professor who is called upon to reclaim ancient artifacts.

Fireworks has also partnered with Gaumont on another action series Highlander: The Raven. While Gaumont holds European rights, cei has the balance of territories.

Fireworks, which was acquired by CanWest Global Communications in May 1998, first announced the launch of a distribution arm in early April.

Over the past few months debate has heated up over broadcasters’ aggressive move to take hold of distribution rights from producers. Canadian broadcasters across the board have been lobbying the Canadian Television Fund to be recognized as distributors to gain access to public funding and skim more revenues from programming.

Their efforts were recognized in the new crtc tv policy, which encourages broadcasters to distribute programming financed through the ctf. Grumblings were heard at last month’s Banff Television Festival where producers claimed broadcasters were telling Europeans that they are getting into the distribution game.

Richard Paradis at the Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters has been lobbying actively against broadcasters moving into distribution and expresses concern that they are increasing their efforts to win support for a role in distribution.

Word is ctv is looking to open an international distribution arm, although the broadcaster denies the rumors.

In addition to family and primetime adventure programming, Phillips also anticipates cei bringing six to eight tv movies to market each year. The slate so far includes three Fireworks programs: The Girl Next Door; Poison, a coproduction with Sat 1 in Germany; and Twas The Night Before Christmas, in development with cbs.

In coming years, Phillips says cei may pick up titles from Seven Arts Releasing, the u.s. theatrical division of CanWest Entertainment.

The distribution entity will focus on acquiring from Canadian and international sources, says Phillips. The number of hours to be picked up annually is not set in stone, he says, and titles will be acquired as opportunities arise.