DIC Entertainment, the privately-held company that packages Sailor Moon for American television, has acquired Golden Books, the venerable children's book and video publisher.  Golden has a library of more than 500,000 book titles and a distribution system that reaches close to 100,000 outlets.  DIC will pay $80 million and assume $90 million in liabilities from the financially troubled Golden Books.  As part of the deal Golden Books will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  Sony Wonder will continue to distribute Golden Books videos, which include children's classics Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman.

 

In an unrelated move DIC has shifted its video distribution to Lion's Gate.  Most of DIC's catalog of video titles including Inspector Gadget, Madeline, and Sonic the Hedgehog will now be distributed by Lion's Gate, but not Sailor Moon, which will continue to be handled by anime specialists ADV Films.

 

DIC has not said whether it would be publishing 'Golden Book' versions of any of its animated properties.  It remains to be seen if DIC will be able to exploit Golden Books' antiquated but powerful distribution system, which manages to get books placed in all sorts of retail environments.