We’ve got the beat

id you miss us? We missed you! Our team is madly gearing up for the first full-scale Kidscreen Summit since February 2020. Yes, we saw some of you in July for our first return-to-live event. And despite the extra-hot Miami heat, most agreed that the more laid-back vibe provided a nice, soft entry back into the real world.

But there’s nothing quite like the buzz and bustle of the real thing. And that’s what this year’s event is shaping up to be.

Our stacked keynote lineup includes industry legend Sonia Manzano (a Lifetime Emmy-winning actor, writer, speaker and producer) and iconic ballerina Misty Copeland; a sure-to-be-hilarious conversation with comedians and creators Samantha Bee and Allana Harkin; and an inspirational primer on amping up your creativity with ex-Disney head of innovation Duncan Wardle.

Sonia and Misty may seem like an unlikely pair at first glance, but they’ll be discussing their pursuit of—and passion for—diversity and authenticity on and off screen. Their nuanced understanding of audience needs is a theme you’ll see running through the Summit’s content this year, as the industry reorients itself around the incredible power that viewers wield these days. The nuts and bolts of creating a TV concept are still the same, but getting the finished product to audiences means stepping into the Wild West. There are new players sauntering into town every week, and daily showdowns at the OK Corral, as upstarts and established outlets battle for viewers’ attention.

So let’s grab a seat at the Kidscreen Summit Saloon, and see how it all shakes out!

For some in the industry, this kind of chaos is déjà vu, and we wanted to explore the ins and outs of the current economic climate in this issue. Writer Gary Rusak dives into this terrain on page 78, speaking with industry leaders like 9 Story Media Group’s Vince Commisso and MiMO CEO and former Nickelodeon president Cyma Zhargami about how they’re navigating these tumultuous times. With experience at their backs, they point out that disruption offers a chance at self-evaluation and the opportunity to try new things. I’ve seen this all shake out in the Canadian kids industry over the past decade, and I think you will find our article heartening.

On a lighter note, we had a funny moment when we were wrapping up Sadhana Bharanidharan’s feature exploring what kind of content is resonating with tweens/teens (page 29). Most agree that teens are a tough crowd for the traditional TV format, but just as we were signing off on this story, mystery/drama/ comedy series Wednesday exploded and became one of Netflix’s all-time most popular shows, capturing an all-ages cultural zeitgeist that we haven’t seen in years.

Sure, the ingredients of that show are unique—star director, beloved IP, charismatic breakout star. (Plus, the genius TikTok play that saw Wednesday’s high school dance moves spark a viral frenzy.) But what a wonderful business this is! One minute, you think the kids have gone to 10-second videos and are never coming back. And the next, they’re happily crowded onto the family couch bingeing HOUR-LONG episodes of a “regular” show with characters their parents grew up watching.

I look forward to seeing you around at the InterContinental Miami with a Wednesday of your own burning a hole in your pocket, and wish you the best of luck pitching it. The screens may change, and so may the outlets, but great storytelling—and kooky dancing!— will always prevail.

—Katie Bailey

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

• VOLUME 27

Jocelyn Christie jchristie@brunico.com

EDITORIAL

EDITOR & CONTENT DIRECTOR

Katie Bailey kbailey@brunico.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Janet Lees jlees@brunico.com

FEATURES & SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Jeremy Dickson jdickson@brunico.com NEWS EDITOR Ryan Tuchow rtuchow@brunico.com

STAFF WRITERS

Sadhana Bharanidharan sbharanidharan@brunico.com Andrea Hernandez ahernandez@brunico.com Cole Watson cwatson@brunico.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Abbie Burrus, Christopher Byrne, Richard Goldsmith, David Kleeman, David Levine, Peter Robinson, Gary Rusak, Lauren Taylor, Yalda Uhls

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+1-416-408-2300 or 1-800-KID-4512 (toll-free)

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CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR Taylee Buttigieg tbuttigieg@brunico.com

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