Blackbelt TV Network for Martial Arts Fans

**Despair** · 19 Sep 2002, 11:37 AM

"MORTAL KOMBAT FILM PRODUCERS LAUNCH BLACKBELT TV
THE FIRST & ONLY 24-HOUR MARTIAL ARTS ENTERTAINMENT CABLE NETWORK

(Los Angeles, CA) The producers of the "Mortal Kombat" feature film franchise,
one of the biggest and best-known martial arts franchises of all-time, today
announced Blackbelt TV, the first and only 24-hour Martial Arts Entertainment
Cable Network devoted entirely to serving the hundreds of millions of martial
arts entertainment fans throughout the world.

With a management team comprised of leading cable executives, Blackbelt TV has
assembled the largest martial arts entertainment and sports library in the world
from leading worldwide fight organizations and Hollywood studios including
Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Totaling nearly 15,000 hours, the
library consists of some of the greatest martial arts films of all times
including "Enter the Dragon," "Once Upon A Time in China," "The Karate Kid,"
"Drunken Master," "Double Impact," "Out For Justice"; classic and new martial
arts television series such as "Kung Fu" and "Mortal Kombat Conquest"; fights
from all over the world including World Championship Kickboxing from Thailand,
Mixed Martial Arts from Japan, Boxing from Europe and the U.S., Judo from Korea;
Japanese animation; health, fitness and self defense programming as well as
original shows like "Soul of the Champion."

Blackbelt TV is working directly with the biggest Hollywood Studios to bring the
best martial arts films and TV shows to its new home on television. Blackbelt
TV has entered into exclusive licenses within the martial arts genre with two of
the top providers of martial arts entertainment in the U.S., Warner Bros.
Domestic Cable Distribution and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Blackbelt TV will
also import films and television programming from all over the globe including
some of the largest Asian film libraries in the world. Despite being considered
cult classics, many of these martial arts films have never before appeared on
domestic television. Blackbelt TV's programming unites the biggest celebrities
in martial arts entertainment including Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Chuck
Norris, Chow Yun Fat, Steven Seagal, Sammo Hung, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Yuen
Woo Ping of Matrix fame.

In addition to the greatest martial arts films and TV shows of all time,
Blackbelt TV has entered into exclusive relationships with leading promoters of
championship fights and martial arts competitions from around the globe.
Blackbelt TV viewers will enjoy world championship bouts that have never before
aired on US television from countries such as China, India, Japan, Russia,
Europe, Korea and Thailand. For example, Blackbelt TV will show world
championship Judo bouts directly from the International Judo Federation in
Korea; explosive kickboxing from the US, China and India via the World
Championship Kickboxing; the fury of Muay Thai Kickboxing directly from Thai
Stadiums in Thailand; the fighting spectacle called K-1, the number one martial
arts kickboxing tournament originated in Japan with tournaments held in Tokyo,
Europe, Latin America, Australia and the U.S.; top rank boxing from England's
World Boxing Federation; and Karate from the USA World Championships,
the largest Karate tournament in the U.S.

Blackbelt TV programs and events will have a look unlike anything on television
today. Blackbelt's on-air look and feel will be created by its sister company
Threshold Digital Research Labs (TDRL), one of Hollywood's leading digital
animation and visual effects companies whose technology alliance is with IBM.
The feature film quality bumpers, interstitials and Network IDs will be created
by the same digital wizards that produce special effects, theme-park
attractions, and animation for MGM, Miramax, Paramount and others. Blackbelt TV
will be hosted by gorgeous female "Fight Jocks" who will provide humorous, sexy
and no holds barred interstitial commentary.

Blackbelt TV chairman, Larry Kasanoff, announced the network adding, "Martial
arts has permeated our pop-culture today. You can see outstanding martial arts
sequences in virtually every blockbuster film and hit TV show today from
"Charlie's Angels" to "Star Wars." Despite the millions of practicing martial
artists, the tens of millions of fight fans and the hundreds of millions of
action enthusiasts around the world, there is no one entity dedicated to these
fans. Blackbelt TV is a lifestyle brand for the 18-34 old male that will become
the one authority for all martial arts entertainment just as MTV has for music
and Discovery for learning."

"I'm very pleased that we will be providing programming for the launch of
Blackbelt TV," said Eric Frankel, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Cable
Distribution. "Our library contains some of the world's premiere martial arts
series and features that are sure to be solid hits with Blackbelt's viewers."

The network will generate additional forms of revenue by tapping into the
billion dollar martial arts ancillary markets through its Blackbelt TV Network
Enterprises Division. The division is responsible for developing Blackbelt TV
branded home video/DVD, music, video games, apparel, toys, interactive
television, on-line and off-line gaming, martial arts instruction and a line of
health, fitness and self-defense products.

Primary investors in Blackbelt TV include Threshold Entertainment, Fusient Media
Ventures, and Sirius Investment Corp.

Blackbelt TV is headed by leading entertainment and cable executives with
established track records in starting new enterprises and producing successful
branded, mainstream properties. Together their credits include blockbuster
feature films like "True Lies" and "Mortal Kombat"; hit TV shows like "Babylon
5"; technology breakthroughs like the first digital movie and digitally recorded
score; theme park attractions like "King Kong," "Robocop" and "Earthquake";
studio experience including Sony, Disney and Vestron; and cable TV experience
including BET, VH-1, Animax, Sony Entertainment Television, Discovery Networks,
and AXN.

* Larry Kasanoff is Chairman of Blackbelt TV and producer of all Mortal Kombat
media. Formerly president and co-founder with James Cameron of Lightstorm
Entertainment, he supervised production of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and
executive produced "True Lies."
* COO Wesley Hein was co-founder of Enigma Digital, a network of radio stations
acquired by Clear Channel Communications. He was president and co-founder Enigma
Records (acquired by EMI/Capitol) as well as EVP of Disney's Hollywood Records.
In 1995, he co-founded Cinebase Software, a developer of digital technology
solutions for studios and TV networks.
* President Joshua Wexler previously managed the operations of Threshold TV
forming partnerships with IBM, Sprint & Intel. He associate produced and wrote
the story for "Mortal Kombat Annihilation," produced the "Mortal Kombat" CD-ROM
and the "Mortal Kombat" animated series. He is co-producing the upcoming "Duke
Nukem" feature film.
* Dwight Crawford is CFO. He most recently held the position of EVP/CFO at
Black Entertainment Television and was Senior VP/Treasurer at Discovery
Communications.
* Paul Presburger is SVP of Programming & Acquisitions. He previously held a
similar position at Columbia Tristar International Television where he was
instrumental in launching Sony's 24-hour action-adventure channel AXN around the
globe and developed strategic programming relationships for the Japanese
animation channel Animax.
* CTO George Johnsen founded digital audio studio EFX pioneering the first
digital film, theme park, recorded score and TV show. He also produced the hit
Sci-Fi TV series "Babylon 5." As a developer of technologies for the
entertainment industry he works with IBM, Sony, Audio Technica and Crown.
* Lisa Kruglov is SVP of Sales. She was formerly VP of Business Development at
Respond TV and headed up Creative Bus Dev & Sales for CBS O&Os. Her client list
includes leading companies such as AT&T, Ford, Coca Cola, Mastercard, Proctor &
Gamble, Sears and more.
* Monica Halpert heads Blackbelt TV's creative and branding activities. She was
formerly SVP/Creative Director for VH-1 Networks and Executive Creative Director
for Cisneros Television Group where she oversaw all creative aspects for the
launch of the company's television networks.

Art, Interviews and Complete Bios Available upon request."

www.blackbelt.tv

What do you think?

**Kidnemo** · 19 Sep 2002, 11:52 AM

Sounds good until I read this:

Blackbelt TV
will be hosted by gorgeous female "Fight Jocks" who will provide humorous, sexy
and no holds barred interstitial commentary.

ugh...

"I really love the Drunken Master, it's such a good...eek! Tina your top has come undone. Girl you so crazy!"