On April 1, 2004, the company and The Jim Henson Company agreed to a five-year global distribution and production deal which included distribution of 440 hours of the Henson Company's remaining library include "Fraggle Rock", "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas", The Hoobs puppets and the "Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories". While firing its chief executive Rob Lawes in October 2004, the company announced its launching of PBS Kids Sprout with partners PBS, Comcast and Sesame Workshop. In 2005, Apax Partners took HiT private purchasing the company for £489.4 million with former BBC director general Greg Dyke becoming chairman. In 2006, HiT closed its DVD sales and distribution arm in the US and contracted with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment for DVD distribution. HiT continues to sell and distribute its own DVD releasing output in the UK. In September 2007, the corporation and Chellomedia formed a joint venture to run JimJam children's channel. In 2008, HiT hired Jeffrey D. Dunn, formerly of Nickelodeon, as chief executive and moved DVD distribution to Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Dunn move the company to create new characters, including Mike the Knight, and revitalize existing brands. In February, HiT sold Guinness World Records brand, acquired with Gullane, to Ripley Entertainment. They also sold the rights to the Sooty characters and properties to his current presenter, Richard Cadell after HiT put the rights to Sooty up for sale in October 2007. In March 2009, HiT Entertainment started its HiT Movies division based in Los Angeles with Julia Pistor as division head to create movies based on the company's franchises. The division's first planned movie adaptation was for live action Thomas & Friends in late 2010. In early 2010, HiT licensed Thomas & Friends to Mattel for toys. By August, the company withdrew from the JimJam joint venture but would continue providing programming. In April 2011, Apax put HiT up for sale with option to sell the company in two parts Thomas & Friends franchise and the other HiT characters with its Kids Sprout stake with either parts or separately. Several bidders had eyed an acquisition of the company, including Disney, Viacom (now known as ViacomCBS), Mattel, Hasbro, Classic Media (now known as DreamWorks Classics), Chorion and Saban Brands. By April 2011, Fireman Sam was revitalised enough to be a Top 10 UK best-selling character toy according to NPD Group.