New York, NY (1/28/99) - The animated phenomenon "Pokemon" will join Kids' WB!'s Saturday morning line-up with twelve brand new episodes of the hit half-hour series beginning February 1999. Then, in Fall 1999, the series will expand to six days a week adding Monday through Friday afternoon airings to the continuing Saturday morning broadcasts with an additional all-new 52 episodes, it was announced today by Al Kahn, Chairman and CEO 4Kids Entertainment, Inc., Jean MacCurdy, President, Warner Bros. Television Animation and Susanne Daniels, President, Entertainment, The WB Television Network and head of Kids' WB!

Warner Bros. Television Animation has acquired the rights to the series from 4Kids Entertainment, which distributes the show that is based on the extremely popular Game Boy game of the same name from Nintendo of America. Kids' WB! has in turn licensed the series from its sister division, Warner Bros. Television Animation, for shared broadcast rights until Fall 1999, at which time Kids' WB! becomes the exclusive television home for the "Pokemon" franchise.

While the series completes its first season in first-run syndication, Kids' WB! will premiere the twelve all-new episodes of "Pokemon" beginning in February 1999. Following the Kids' WB! debut, the twelve episodes will join the "Pokemon" syndication package of 52 episodes for the completion of the 1998-1999 season. Then, in Fall 1999, "Pokemon" will join the Kids' WB! line-up exclusively with 52 all-new episodes to air Monday through Saturday.

"The success of the 'Pokemon' franchise has been overwhelming here in the U.S.," said MacCurdy. "I'm absolutely thrilled that Warner Bros. Television Animation and Kids' WB! have come together to offer a network television life to this highly entertaining and unique series."

In its debut season, "Pokemon" is already the #1 rated kids show in syndication. The series more than doubles its lead-in rating across all key kid demographics and ranks number one with Kids 6-11 in 66% of its broadcasts.

"Our partnering with Kids WB! is great news for Pokemon fans across the USA, " said Alfred Kahn, Chairman of 4Kids Entertainment. "Kids WB!'s powerful promotional abilities and superior distribution, combined with the overwhelming appeal of Pokemon, guarantees unprecedented success for this amazing TV series." "We're thrilled with the incredible response Pokemon has received, not only from the video-gaming public and TV viewers, but from the entertainment industry as well. " said Gail Tilden, Vice President of Product Acquisition and Development for Nintendo of America Inc. "This recognition by WB Kids! confirms what we've known all along: Pokemon is truly something special."