Philips Media of Los Angeles and New York-based Children’s Television Workshop are teaming up to produce nine CD-ROMs over the next three years.

‘There’s a big idea behind this project,’ says Rob Madell, vice president of CTW’s interactive technologies group. This is the first interactive deal that includes the full line of CTW television shows, which are Sesame Street, Ghostwriter, CRO, Creative Classroom, Kid City, 3-2-1 Contact and Big Bag. CTW will develop the titles with input from Philips, while Philips will handle marketing and distribution throughout the U.S. and Canada, with the option to acquire the international rights in the future.

The titles will be targeted at families, from preschoolers and school-age children to their parents. The first product, likely to be a Sesame Street title, is expected to launch early next year.

Philips has worked with CTW in the past to bring out Sesame Street titles for its Compact Disc Interactive (CD-i) system.

The recent agreement, signed in early May, d’es not affect CTW’s relationship with Creative Wonders of San Mateo, California, which has released five Sesame Street CD-ROMs to date and is launching a sixth in August.

Virgin Sound and Vision of Los Angeles and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment of Burbank, California, have inked a worldwide deal to develop CD-ROMs featuring the Looney Tunes.

‘We just felt like the Looney Tunes characters are the most beloved characters probably in the entire world,’ says Tim Zuckert, vice president of marketing for Virgin Sound and Vision.

Virgin will be the first Looney Tunes licensee for family entertainment and edutainment CD-ROMs. To date, WBIE has licensed the property for titles on Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, as well as a screensaver from Berkeley Systems of Berkeley, California.

Holly Stein, WBIE’s vice president of licensing and marketing, says Virgin won the license because it shares Warner Bros.’ dedication to creating high-quality family entertainment products.

Stein estimates that Virgin will develop as many as 12 titles over about three years. The products will be targeted at children 12 and younger, with the first likely to come out in the second half of 1997.

Looney Tunes shows air on The ABC Television Network, Kids’ WB!, Nickelodeon, TBS, TNT, and Cartoon Network.

Hollywood-based Class6 Entertainment has been commissioned by Electronic Arts of San Mateo, California, to develop a CD-ROM action game based on the Gen13 comic book series produced by WildStorm Productions and published by Image Comics. The title will be targeted at males and females 13 to 23, and is expected to launch in the third quarter of 1997.