Entertainment production executives Ean Thorley, Chantal Prud’homme and Julio Himede have joined forces to launch Whatever Entertainment Group, a broadcast solutions, events and talent management firm designed to conceptualize, produce, and manage entertainment-based events throughout the Asia-Pacific and UAE.

Capitalising upon the experience and expertise of three partners who have been at the helm of world-class entertainment events throughout the region, Whatever will create events for broadcasters, commercial and residential real estate developers, hotel and leisure properties and retail operators looking to create large-scale live events and multi-platform content strategies.

Whatever Entertainment Group’s partners has been at the helm of some of the regions historic and most spectacular televised events throughout China, Japan, India, Singapore, Thailand, Australia and more. With success and proven expertise in the production, talent management and creative design areas, Whatever offers a unique scope and scale of services that allow clients to tap into a collective music and pop culture expertise honed by years of experience.

Chantal Prud’homme serves as Executive Producer of Talent for Whatever, assuming responsibility for attracting and securing artists for productions and events. With an extensive history in touring, live events and television production, Prud’homme has worked with some of the world’s top-selling recording artists and high-profile celebrities. She has served as the producer of several MTV Award programmmes throughout the region developing working relationships with multi-platinum artists such as Silverchair, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Coco Lee, Pink and many more. Her wealth of contacts allows unfettered access to the top-notch talent clients want to attract, and her professionalism and reputation has cemented strong working relationships throughout the industry. Prud’homme is based out Whatever’s Singapore offices.

Ean Thorley is a true trailblazer in Asia-Pacific regional broadcasting, having served as one of the original producers for MTV at STAR TV in the early 1990s. Thorley played a key role in MTV’s expansion throughout Asia having been involved in the channel’s launches in Singapore, China, India and South East Asia and was the producer of 1999’s inaugural CCTV- MTV Music Honours -- an event broadcast to more than 300 million households. Thorley’s lengthy career with MTV culminated with his most recent role as Executive Producer for MTV Networks Australia/New Zealand, overseeing all original production for the company’s television and broadband platforms including three MTV Australia Video Music Awards and 2008’s MTV Australia Awards at Sydney Technology Park. Thorley serves as Whatever’s Executive Producer of Content and is based at the company’s Sydney offices.

Julio Himede is Whatever’s Creative Director and also based at the company’s Sydney offices. A graduate of Sydney’s National Academy of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), Himede’s concepts and creative execution have led him to become one of the most sought after designers in the nation. He was the assistant designer for the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and has been the production designer for the 2005, 2006 and 2007 MTV Australia Video Music Awards, the 2008 MTV Australia Awards, and conceptualized and oversaw production design for every Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards in Australia. Himede also designed concepts for the global children’s television franchise Hi-5 and Australian-produced segments for Sesame Street. Whether it be a high-end invitation-only event for a few hundred or an open-air free concert for tens of thousands, Whatever’s goal is to develop a strategic alliance with its clients and over-deliver an event that not only meets the client’s objectives but creates a buzz that attendees and viewers will be talking about for weeks to come. Whatever Entertainment Group’s Ean Thorley will be attending CityScape Dubai 2008, the largest business-to-business real estate investment and development event in the world to introduce the firm’s services to commercial and residential real estate developers, hotel and leisure properties and retail operators in the UAE.

Arab Media Group (AMG), the largest media group in the United Arab Emirates, and MTV Networks International (MTVNI) has announced the expansion of their long-term partnership to launch Nickelodeon Arabia, a localised, Arabic language free-to-air channel dedicated exclusively to kids across the Middle East.

With this agreement, Nickelodeon will be the first global kids' media brand to create a free-to-air Arabic service across the region, while being respectful and reflective of local culture and values. The channel will fall under the umbrella of Arabian Television Network (ATN), AMG's TV broadcasting arm that also incorporates the soon-to-launch MTV Arabia and three other stations that will launch before the end of 2007.

The 24-hour channel - slated to launch in 2008 - will broadcast via satellite to 36 million TV households, with a potential audience of 190 million people across the region. Programming will include a mix of international content from Nickelodeon's extensive global portfolio and original local Arabic productions.

The channel will be supported by an Arabic website which will provide users with a comprehensive online community and a wide range of interactive elements. Nickelodeon is the most widely distributed kids' brand in the world, and has built a diverse global portfolio by creating and packaging multi-platform branded content dedicated to connecting with kids.

Abdullatif Al Sayegh, CEO of Arab Media Group, commented: 'Arab Media Group is dedicated to providing audiences in this region with what they want to see, hear and read. Through our extensive understanding of the market, we have identified entertainment niches that were ripe for opportunity, and quality children's programming is certainly one of them. Nickelodeon will provide the best in world-standard entertainment for children, raising standards in the region and setting a strong precedent for the future.'

Bhavneet Singh, Managing Director and Senior Vice President, Emerging Markets Group, MTVNI, commented: 'We are really proud to announce our continued partnership Arab Media Group to make the Nickelodeon brand available to kids across the Middle East and the Gulf. The launch of Nickelodeon Arabia is a part of our wider, ongoing multi-platform strategy encompassing consumer products, digital media, hotels and theme parks, which we hope will establish Nickelodeon as the premier destination for kids in the region.'

The partnership between AMG and MTVNI Emerging Markets signals the next step in establishing a multi-brand, multi-platform MTVNI portfolio across the Middle East. MTV Arabia, the region's first and only youth lifestyle brand, is set to launch next month in partnership with AMG. The fully localised, free-to-air channel will showcase both international and Arabic music as well as a balanced mix of international MTV content, Arabic productions of popular MTV formats and local original programming concepts. Discussions are also currently under way regarding consumer products, recreation and digital rights opportunities in the region.

Bill Roedy, Vice Chairman, MTV Networks commented: 'Adding the voices of Arab children to our worldwide Nickelodeon family is a significant milestone in our history, and advances our ambitious strategy to build a portfolio of integrated kids businesses across the region. The Middle East is a dynamic, thriving market with vast growth opportunities, and we look forward to launching even more MTVNI brands and businesses through our successful partnership with AMG.'

MTVNI's Emerging Markets is the fastest growing region in the company's portfolio of multi-platform businesses. The Emerging Markets group manages 21 television channels, 19 websites, two broadband channels and three mobile TV channels encompassing the MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, VIVA and Comedy Central brands in Russia, Central & Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. MTVNI is owned by Viacom Inc (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).