News Release

Winner of Two 1998 Royal Bank/MATT Media Excellence Awards

"Best Television Series"

"Best Entertainment Programme Television"

JUDGES’ COMMENTS

"On the other hand, the emergence of very high quality children's programming is praise worthy. The dearth of informative yet entertaining locally produced children's TV programming makes this a fertile field for further development, with vast potential for export to audiences across the region. That as adults, we found the children's programmes compelling, is testimony to the high standard and laudable production values achieved.

"Also, without being invidious, we would like to single out the high quality of video editing on display."

Aggrey Brown, PhD

Professor and Director

Caribbean institute of Mass Communications

University of the West Indies

30 April 1999.

"We're very honored to receive this Award for the Caribbean Carousel," said Iere Visions executive producer Yukchan Lou-Hing. "This award reflects all the hard work the entire CARIBBEAN CAROUSEL team puts into the series."

"We're thrilled to receive this acknowledgment for "CARIBBEAN CAROUSELs" first season. We look forward to the fall of 1999 with 52 new episodes and new opportunities for encouraging children to enjoy their lifestyle and heritage," said Darrell Lou-Hing, Iere Visions president and co-CEO.

"This project is all about the kids," stated Lou-Hing, "Everybody knows about the importance of children's educational programming. We're going to deliver new, exciting, multimedia that gives kids something to think about and something to do after the TV or the computer is turned off. And we're going to not only deliver it through normal distribution channels, but directly to communities that need access to quality educational programmes the most."

Caribbean Carousel was aired on public television by Trinidad & Tobago Television (TTT) within TTT's Kids Club' number one kids' show .

This October, Iere Vision hopes the series will begin its second season on television, with 52 all-new episodes that will focus on the children of the Caribbean.

"Caribbean Carousel" follows the adventures and misadventures of sixteen -year-old Kimlan Lou-Hing, her little brother, Dominic, who co-host the show, and the friends they make in their travels around the islands. Each of the Fifty-two Caribbean Carousel episodes consists of two independent stories that focus on themes and events central to children's lives. A live-action segment featuring school children who create their own Carousel-related activities links the stories.

Caribbean Carousel's educational goal is to encourage children to read and write, to stay in school and achieve the best that they can be.

These goals are reinforced by a comprehensive outreach campaign targeted to parents, teachers, and daycare providers of pre-school through college.

Iere Vision Inc., the Company's educational division promotes children's learning by developing, producing, distributing, and marketing high-quality supplemental education products.

Through Iere Vision's diverse programming, its licensing and merchandising of entertainment related products and its array of supplemental education products, the company intends to appeal to children worldwide.

Iere Vision is very pleased and deeply honored by the recognition of our efforts and this award presented to the Caribbean Carousel by the Royal Bank /Matt Media awards committee.

Firstly, I would like to thank my family who have made this all possible, Yukchan, my wife and executive producer, Darrell jr., our camera operator and editor, Daniel, Kimlan and Dominic, the hosts of the show.

They have put up with my ranting and raving, shouting and screaming over the last 10 years, and the efforts and sacrifices they have made in order to make this dream a reality.

Next I would like to thank all the organizations that made their facilities available to us and very importantly the children of our Nation and their families who have let us into their hearts and their homes and gave to us their valuable time and hospitality.

Of course the invaluable assistance extended to us by John Agitation, our heritage storyteller and Saiyaad Ali, herpetologist, who has safely carried us throughout the forests of our island.

Thanks to Marcia Miranda, Coreen Thomas, Carl Beaver Henderson and Rishi Mahato for the music and the theme song.

Iere Vision thanks TTT for their support, for carrying the show in the TTT Kids Club, over the last year, and to the sponsors who, through their advertising, supported the program over the last year.

And a special thank you to Jackie Lazarous who some how managed to convince the TTT Board that the Caribbean Carousel, "a LOCAL PROGRAMME", was a worth while venture.

Iere Vision thanks The Tele- Production Association of Trinidad & Tobago members for their support and drive to promote LOCAL TELEVISION.

Iere Vision thanks the Media Awards Committee for recognizing our efforts and presenting the Caribbean Carousel with these Awards.