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TV kids
Distributors GUIDE 2013/2014
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CONTENTS A Note from the Editor . . . . . . .8 Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Event Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . .98
Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise Editor Anna Carugati
Ricardo Seguin Guise President
Executive Editor Mansha Daswani
Anna Carugati Executive VP and Group Editorial Director
Managing Editor and Editor, English-Language Guides Kristin Brzoznowski
Mansha Daswani VP of Strategic Development and Associate Publisher
Production Director Victor L. Cuevas Associate Editor Joanna Padovano
Š 2013 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010
Online Director Simon Weaver
Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940
Sales and Marketing Director Cesar Suero
Website: www.tvkids.ws No part of this publication can be used, reprinted, copied or stored in any medium without the publisher’s authorization. For a free subscription to our newsletters, please visit WorldScreen.com/pages/newsletter
Sales and Marketing Manager Vanessa Brand Business Affairs Manager Terry Acunzo
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A Note from the Editor Kristin Brzoznowski
Kids today are constantly connected to their favorite TV programs. At home, they can station themselves in front of the television set to tune into a myriad of offerings on 24-hour linear channels, programming blocks, VOD, DVDs and more. OTT services, including Hulu Plus, Netflix and LOVEFiLM, have also set aside dedicated kids’ corners, and some, such as Amazon, are even getting into producing their own original children’s content. Kids are becoming increasingly connected on the go as well. It’s shocking how many youngsters can operate a tablet or use an app with ease. In fact, according to Nielsen, seven out of ten children in the U.S. under the age of 12 in a tablet-owning household have used a tablet computer. A large percentage of the usage is to play downloaded games, but kids are also using them to access educational apps, and, of course, to watch TV shows and movies. Samsung has taken it a step further with the launch of the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids, a colorful tablet pre-loaded with kids’ apps and access to a new Kids Store. All of these innovative technologies have come as a boon to the children’s production-and-distribution market. They provide storytellers with a new touch point to engage audiences, and offer distributors another platform to tap into for potential revenues. It has also challenged the market to become more creative, to push the boundaries of what it means to offer 360degree IP. A number of the companies found in this year’s edition of the TV Kids Distributors Guide are meeting this challenge head on, placing websites, apps, games and other digital extensions top of mind alongside their series. Distributors must also keep their finger on the pulse of the latest trends and preferences in children’s programming, which as of late has meant making kids laugh by serving up high-quality comedies. There are programs from a variety of other in-demand genres found within this guide, all of which have the ability to reach children wherever they may be throughout their day. 8
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INTERVIEWS
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Philippe Dauman President & CEO Viacom TV KIDS: How have some of your brands managed to attract young viewers but also maintained relationships with them? DAUMAN: We have to do a lot of research to stay on top of what they are doing. We know that they are very social. We know they are heavy mobile users. They like to enjoy content on different platforms, so we try to appeal to all of those. We have been launching apps, we launched a very successful Nickelodeon app, which has more than 3 million downloads so far. We’ve found that kids are spending more time on the tablets than they were spending, on average, on nick.com.They like tablets more than computers; they are more engaged when they are using the tablet and through that engagement we can market our shows to them. If children enjoy watching Sam & Cat or The Haunted Hathaways, Sanjay and Craig or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on their tablets, then when they are in front of the television, they will want to watch there as well. TV KIDS: What led to Viacom’s streaming deal with Amazon? DAUMAN: We’re in discussions with everybody and Amazon
has become very seriously engaged in the SVOD market, it drives their Amazon Prime product. They were aware that our Netflix deal was expiring, and were extremely interested in tapping our content. We already had a deal in place with Amazon but they wanted more of our content and they really wanted that strong brand association with us. And they wanted some elements of exclusivity relating to three of our brands: Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central. But also remember that Amazon sells consumer products. So for Nickelodeon content in particular, but not only, if you are watching our shows, Amazon will suggest to you that you might want to buy some of our consumer products. So if you are watching SpongeBob SquarePants on Amazon, you might be motivated to buy a DVD or a T-shirt, which Amazon will market directly to you and ship to you. Amazon is uniquely able to do so. So they saw and we saw a great marriage for both of our benefits. 10
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Jeffrey Katzenberg CEO & Director DreamWorks Animation TV KIDS: How are you working with
Classic Media’s brands and characters? KATZENBERG: I think Classic Media
will be as meaningful and valuable to DreamWorks Animation as the Marvel library was to Ike Perlmutter when he bought it 15 years ago. There are things that are analogous about it because when he bought that library everybody thought, well, those properties have been exploited, they’re dated, they’re well recognized but is anybody going to care about Iron Man or Thor or the Avengers? And the fact is that they have done a brilliant job of reinventing those classic characters for the 21st century. I think we have the same opportunity to take these incredible characters that exist inside the Classic Media library—Lassie has been around since the 1950s—and there is a way to reinvent and bring these classics into the 21st century. Lassie is a classic and I can say that about everything from George of the Jungle to Casper the Friendly Ghost to Where’s Waldo?—it’s an endless list. TV KIDS: What challenges and opportunities do you see in the
children’s and family television space? KATZENBERG: It’s a time of great opportunity because there are
more and more ways to reach our audience globally. Many of the traditional platforms that exist for kids today, some of the more dominant factors in that marketplace, are unlikely to be so tomorrow. That is what is fantastic about what is going on and that is where AwesomenessTV comes in because that is an incredibly amazing new platform and new type of opportunity that is unlike any of the things that anyone is doing right now, including Netflix. I’ve never been more bullish, to be honest with you. I think there are more ways for us to connect with our audience and the thing that always has been, and continues to be, the most valued thing is great characters and great content.That is the bull’s-eye right now and that is what we know how to do, which is create great characters and build great stories around them.The fact that stories today can be in all different forms is great. 11
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Stuart Snyder President & COO, Animation, Young Adults’ & Kids’ Media, Turner Broadcasting System TV KIDS: How has Cartoon Network
evolved over the last 20 years? SNYDER: We started as a network that was
at its core based on a library of great content, specifically the Hanna-Barbera library that our company purchased.We launched with 2 million subscribers and now, 20 years later, we’ve built on that foundation to reach over 300 million households worldwide.We’ve grown our original content. We have the best animation business. We also have a wonderful, broad slate of live-action and specialevent content.The one thing that has been consistent is our brand focus and our content focus. TV KIDS: How is Cartoon Network working with preexisting
brands like Annoying Orange and How to Train Your Dragon? SNYDER: The great thing is we really don’t have to do too much
in terms of the core properties of these brands. Annoying Orange is already a phenomenal success on the Internet, it has already attracted a great audience.We’ve added characters, so there’s a connective story instead of just short clips. Dragons is a very similar thing. Dragons has that great brand DNA. It was a successful movie and there were more stories to tell with those very engaging characters. We’re building upon the success of these franchises. TV KIDS: How are you attracting talent to Cartoon Network
Studios? SNYDER: It starts with our DNA.We know who we are in terms
of what kind of content we’re looking for and who our brand is and why our audience watches Cartoon Network. We have been discovering and then nurturing great creative talent for 20 years. It’s really about finding great creative talent who have visions of who their characters are and what they want their shows to be, and giving them the canvas to create their shows. And then we put them through the Cartoon Network platforms, so that they can be discovered by a wide audience. One of our key jobs is to nurture that talent to make them as successful as they can be. 12
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Cyma Zarghami President Nickelodeon Group TV KIDS: What has fueled Nickelodeon’s recent success? ZARGHAMI: Our research showed that there has been a real turnover in the kids’ audience. There is a new generation of kids coming up. The first 30 years of Nickelodeon were spent focusing on the Millennials. Now the next generation is emerging. They are 8- to 9-year-olds that we are calling, for the time being, the postMillennials. We’ve spent a lot of time studying what’s different about them from the prior generation and trying to develop the right content that will make them laugh the way the early Nickelodeon content made the first generation laugh. So we’ve added a lot of content over the last six to nine months, both animated and great live-action shows, including Sam & Cat from Dan Schneider and The Haunted Hathaways and Sanjay and Craig. We recently added Rabbids Invasion from Ubisoft to the schedule. We have some ways to go but we’ve come a long way and we are very excited by our current momentum. TV KIDS: How is Nickelodeon scouting for talent, whether it’s
live action or animation or shorts? ZARGHAMI: [Having] more is obviously the first criteria: we
need more ideas, more people, we need more sources of content. We have set out on a path to generate development in multiple parts of the company. Digital is one place, animation is another place, live action is another place, international is another place and great partnerships is another place.We’re bringing content into the house from many places.The second thing we are doing is making sure we find people who have stories to tell that are going to be relevant to this generation. The people who are going to tell the stories that the post-Millennials relate to are going to be the first wave of the Millennials. People who are in their early 30s and grew up on Nickelodeon want to tell their version of stories for the new Nickelodeon audience. To see kids who are saying, “I grew up on Hey Arnold!, but here is my show,” or “I grew up on Rugrats and here is my idea,” that is very exciting to watch. 13
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Haim Saban Chairman & CEO Saban Capital Group TV KIDS: What has given Power Rangers such longevity? SABAN: It gets revitalized every season. All the actors are new. The superhero costumes are new. The robots are new. You keep the basic concepts of action, campy humor and moral message going but at the same time you completely revamp and refresh the show. These elements are the main reason that this show has been going on in Japan for more than 35 years, and 20 years in the Western world. TV KIDS: Power Rangers changed the rules of the game for a property because it really reached out to many different areas in a way that properties before had not. What was the reasoning that went behind that? SABAN: It really is the fundamentals that I just mentioned that have universal appeal. It was our job, when we owned the property and then when we bought it back, to just do one thing— make the kids aware that it’s out there. Because with the proliferation of platforms and options kids have, it has become more challenging to expose properties to them. But I believe we have done the right thing in ensuring in 150 countries, which is where it airs now, that it is exposed on the right platforms.We’re on the main vehicle in America for kids, which is Nickelodeon. And we are on all the main outlets in [the other] countries, where it airs both on free TV as well as on pay TV. So when you combine that marketing effort with the fundamentals of the show, you basically end up with a winning formula. TV KIDS: Given the complexity of the market nowadays, is it easier to accomplish what you have accomplished with a brand that already has a certain awareness than with a new one? SABAN: Yes, clearly, having the notoriety that Power Rangers has has made it easier. Nothing is 100-percent easy, but having a property with that kind of notoriety clearly made it easier. 14
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Claude de Saint Vincent CEO Média-Participations TV KIDS: What role does the audiovisual
business play in the broader MédiaParticipations group? DE SAINT VINCENT: Right now it represents a little more than 10 percent of our turnover. We’ve been slowly increasing that. There are around 20 to 25 new animated series produced in France every year. We produce three to five of them, and there is no sense in increasing that.We have five major broadcasters—they’ll never rely only on one partner. Having reached 15 to 20 percent of the market, you cannot hope to go further. We are trying to increase our revenues by selling more abroad and expanding the visibility of our characters. Increasing the level of production itself would probably be a dead end. TV KIDS: You own a number of animation production compa-
nies. What are the benefits of operating these outfits as separate, distinct brands? DE SAINT VINCENT: Our producers have specific identities. Ellipsanime, our leading producer, is producing original series or series based on characters from abroad or from other publishers. Dargaud Media and Dupuis Audiovisuel are only working on adaptations from our publishing properties. Storimages is only producing for younger audiences. Each of them has built a specialty that gives them credibility with producers. TV KIDS: Are there opportunities for your various companies, animation and publishing, to share resources or know-how? DE SAINT VINCENT: Whatever content you are producing, be it magazines, books, video games, television shows, you have to ensure they travel in different media. It’s important for us to have this ability to explore different media. We are probably the only multimedia group with press activities, magazine activities, book publishing, animation production—television and cinema—video games and DVDs. In a perfect world, all our properties would be found in all those platforms. 15
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Claude Schmit CEO SUPER RTL TV KIDS: How are you targeting different audience segments? SCHMIT: We are a little schizophrenic at SUPER RTL.We have one time slot from 6 o’clock in the morning to 8 o’clock at night, which is the kids’ and family entertainment block. So the target there is primarily kids, secondarily adults. As of 8:15 p.m., which in Germany is the switching time—where the news from the public channels [ends]—our slate is different. We don’t target kids, we target a [broader] family audience, or what we call heads of households with kids.We are trying to do new things in daytime and we are also trying to do new things in prime time. In daytime we want to become a little bit more German, and a little bit more educational. TV KIDS: How have you been able to remain the market leader
in the German kids’ segment for more than 15 years? SCHMIT: Fortunately, we have been able to find exactly the type
of programming that was required by our audience. Obviously, that’s changed over the last 15 years. We were lucky to be able to pick those shows we needed. TV KIDS: What have you learned about how kids engage with the SUPER RTL brand on new-media platforms? SCHMIT: What we see is that media consumption is changing, so we have to be present wherever our target group is.We still believe that TV as such is going to continue to play a dominant role in media consumption. Second-screen applications [will be used], but it’s the second screen, not the first screen. We have to see how our audience is going to play with these different systems. Honestly, we don’t know yet. We are learning by doing, we are learning by watching them, we are learning by trying to understand how they function. I’m going to be honest: it’s not that we are generating a huge amount of money with these additional platforms. Our revenues are still driven 80 percent by TV advertising. It hasn’t changed much over the last [few] years. 16
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Joe Godwin Director BBC Children’s TV KIDS: What is the positioning of
CBeebies and CBBC in the British kids’ market today? GODWIN: When they started, in 2002, they were both fairly late entrants to an already quite busy children’s multichannel world. And more than ten years on they are both the market leaders for their target audiences. We’ve got a very crowded marketplace in the U.K., lots and lots of dedicated children’s channels, lots of competition, probably more than any other similarly sized territory.The fact that the two leading channels are public service, publicly funded from the BBC, shows there’s an appetite from children and their parents for quality content that speaks specifically to a U.K. audience. Our competitors do fantastic stuff, some of the highest quality content made for children in the world, but it can’t replace the fact that kids growing up in different parts of the U.K. want to see lives and hear voices that are like theirs. It also reassures me how discerning children are. The success of CBBC particularly—with the amount of quite challenging factual content on it—shows that children want to be challenged.That’s very reassuring to everybody who makes media for kids. TV KIDS: How are audiences using your nonlinear plat-
forms to engage with content? GODWIN: A big part of the brand of both CBeebies and
CBBC is the deeper interactive engagement you can have through their websites. Whether it’s for gaming or finding out more information or saying what you think about things. [They’re also watching] video on demand on BBC iPlayer. A bigger proportion of children’s viewing takes place through the iPlayer than the adult viewing, and that’s because children are just savvier about these things. I think the death of television has been highly exaggerated. What we will see is a shift to a much more balanced mix of live, linear viewing and video on demand. 17
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Russell T Davies Co-Creator Wizards Vs Aliens TV KIDS: What was the inspiration for Wizards Vs Aliens? DAVIES: It literally came out of a conversation I was having with Phil Ford about what to do next. I wanted to do a sciencefiction show, because I love them. And he wanted to do a more fantasy-, magic- or even horror-based show for kids. We were saying, isn’t it funny that you never put science fiction and magic together? You can’t. In a science-fiction world, you can’t have such a thing as magic. And in a magic world you can’t have laser beams and robots. I wish someone had had a camera on us, because then we could win a bet as to who had the idea first. It was like both of us just went, Well that’s it! And dammit it all, he said it first! He literally went, Aliens Vs Wizards, as it was then. I said, Damn! I was seconds away from saying it. [Laughs] We were at dinner and right then I could see this, now: it having been made, me publicizing it, the launch, the merchandise—I knew it would work. That doesn’t happen often. Normally you come out of meetings with a half-baked idea about some girl who’s got some superpower and a wicked uncle and you think,We’ll make that work somehow, and three years later you realize it doesn’t work. TV KIDS: How do you incorporate kids’ real-life issues into the story lines? DAVIES: That’s the only way I operate through science fiction. When I brought back Doctor Who in 2005, I grounded it in reallife emotions, within family and friendships. Frankly, that’s what made it a success. Yes, it’s wizards and aliens, but we’re really telling the story about a friendship. Kids feel things more keenly than anyone else. If you’re 6 and you lose your felt pen, it’s a disaster! If you’re 6 and you lose your best friend, it’s your entire world in turmoil. You can’t have soulless robots fighting soulless spaceships. These characters have homes and loves and passions and families. That’s the only way I’ve ever told these stories. 18
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Ben Bocquelet Creator The Amazing World of Gumball TV KIDS: What was the inspiration for The Amazing World of Gumball? BOCQUELET: The show was created in about 2007 when I was working as a development artist for Cartoon Network, which had opened a development studio in London. The plan at the time was for me to help other people develop their own shows. Then time came for me to propose an idea. I had worked in commercials for about three years, which was not very successful [laughs], so I had a vast quantity of unused characters in my drawers. I pulled those out and put them together. I started developing a concept around them, and that was how Gumball was born. TV KIDS: What are the main challenges you face in combining the CGI animation with the live-action backgrounds? BOCQUELET: At first we didn’t really know where to start. When you storyboard a show, knowing that you’re going to need to find the live-action backgrounds to fit the shots you’ve drawn can be difficult. In live action you improvise with what you have. On a show like Gumball where everything is composite, it’s hard to plan ahead. At first the idea was to film and take photos of backgrounds in order to save costs and come up with a cool look. This proved to not be malleable enough—we needed to be able to transform the backgrounds. As soon as we started bringing in matte painters, the kind of people who normally work in the VFX [visual effects] industry, it became much easier for us to plan a pipeline. We knew that we could just draw what we wanted and [the matte painters] would be able to accomplish it. We have a very solid layout stage, which is an almost forgotten part of classic animation. This is the part where we bring all the rough elements together, right after the animatics are done, and we can tell whether we will be able to accomplish [the background] technically or not. 19
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Hans Ulrich Stoef CEO m4e TV KIDS: As you are developing new
content, do you always have a licensing and merchandising component in mind? STOEF: In most cases yes, and it was always our formula: we don’t do anything that is not merchandising related. Nevertheless, we deliver entertainment content first, and not only shows that are a kind of commercial for L&M. But, in order to make [a show] merchandisable, you inject certain ingredients that help you [come up with] toys, for example, or [other products]. It has been a total buyer’s market over the last ten years, and therefore producers were forced to produce a certain kind of show in order to get the financing together, and that’s changing now. Creativity matters again! With the digital platforms, the on-demand business, you have more outlets and more sources and more creative opportunities, so that you can start in Germany the development of animated shows that are not that heavily merchandise related. TV KIDS: What are the challenges of producing animation in
Germany? STOEF: We are the only country left in Europe which has no
tax breaks for animation. And we have hardly any subsidy system at all for animated television shows. Many countries within the E.U. also protect their markets with official or nonofficial quota systems. That does not exist in Germany. As a result, 80 percent of the animated series in Germany are imported. There is a lot of pressure on the license fees. If a lot of competitive shows from foreign countries have the necessary tax breaks or subsidy support, you can imagine how difficult it is for a German production company to have a fair trade and to find fair financing models.We try to be smart about how we finance our shows.The real answer is, we have to come up with new stories and ideas, distinct designs, creative co-production models, with good, highly entertaining content, and with different business models. 20
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Patrick Elmendorff Managing Director Studio 100 Media TV KIDS: How has the response been
from the market to the new CGI versions of Maya the Bee, Vic the Viking and Heidi? ELMENDORFF: We are very pleased with the success of our revised classics and are quite amazed at the amount of pre-sales that we have already achieved for the new Maya the Bee animated series. To date, the new series has been sold to over 130 territories. The popularity of the show is also evident when it comes to ancillary rights—for example, on the licensing and merchandising side we have about 250 licensees on board worldwide for the revised classic. Sales for our other classics, Vic the Viking and Heidi, are also doing very well. TV KIDS: As one of the largest independents in the kids’ business, what are the greatest opportunities for Studio 100? ELMENDORFF: What’s rather special about the Studio 100 group is that we offer a 360-degree approach, which means that we market our licensing rights in line with a global strategy within sectors ranging from licensing and merchandising and home entertainment right through to stage shows and theme parks.With the production of animation, live-action series and feature films we continue to follow our philosophy to constantly invest in our content and to create new brands. For a company of our size, I believe that makes us relatively unique in this business. Over the last few years there has been a certain consolidation within the market and a couple of players have fallen away. In order to move forward today you really need a holistic approach combined with strong content. TV KIDS: What opportunities do you see with digital platforms? ELMENDORFF: We’re investing in apps, we’re investing in different
kinds of games, we’re working together with key publishers on that side, but let’s face it, television is still first screen and currently everything else is second screen. We’re looking into all kinds of digital opportunities to make certain not to miss out on anything. 21
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Caroline Cochaux Executive Program Director,Youth & Family Channels Lagardère Active TV KIDS: How is Gulli performing for you in France? COCHAUX: Gulli is the only kids’ channel in French free DTT. We say our target is 4 to 14, but as it is the only one that can provide programs for children, we reach viewers younger than that. Any kid can watch our programs at any time [without viewing something inappropriate]. There are other channels that may air kids’ programs, but they don’t have this ability to [reach such a broad target]. Gulli is well known among all children in France—when asked what is the French free TV channel for children, 95 percent will say Gulli immediately. There are still some people who don’t have pay TV, so we can reach almost any child in France. TV KIDS: What’s the focus on CANAL J? COCHAUX: CANAL J is the oldest channel on pay TV [in
France]. It was created almost 20 years ago. It’s more for boys 8 to 12 with a focus on adventure and humor. We have Xiaolin Chronicles and Grojband and Code Lyoko Evolution and this new superhero SheZow and OH NO! It’s an Alien Invasion. We have a new program we produced with Genao called CANAL J Battle Dance. We’re doing really, really well with CANAL J. A study put it in the top three best channels for children. TV KIDS: How does TiJi complement your offerings? COCHAUX: TiJi is our preschool channel in pay TV. It is for
children from 3 to 6. Most of the time it’s the first channel a child will watch. We are very careful with the editorial lineup. We have to convince parents that it’s the right channel for their children. The parents want to be sure their children are safe in front of the TV. We want them to be educated, entertained and to have fun. We do a lot of things with [sign language]. We’re trying to make the channel more and more interactive. We have big properties like Polly Pocket, Littlest Pet Shop, Tree Fu Tom and My Little Pony. 22
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Joe Tedesco Senior VP & General Manager Astral Kids TV KIDS: How has the Family Channel
brand evolved? TEDESCO: Family Channel started as a
pay service, not very highly penetrated because of its packaging and price point. Its mandate was to be more of a generalinterest family-type service, appealing to a broad segment of kids and parents. Over the years it’s gone through a significant evolution.The first big step for the channel was in 1998 when we migrated onto a much more broadly distributed tier, which dramatically increased our distribution. In 2001, when Astral took control of Family, one of the first things we did was look at repositioning the brand.That’s when we started to target the tween segment, a demographic that wasn’t being well served at the time. Over the years we continue to evolve our brand. One of the key priorities for us is to make sure that the brand stays relevant. Our aim is to create an environment where kids can celebrate everyday life, where they can do it in a fun [way]. Spontaneous comedy is a big component of our brand. But what’s also important is that [the channel] is parent-approved. Kids, in particular in that [tween] age group, still like spending time with their parents. Offering an inclusive destination where they can enjoy entertainment as a family is something they highly value. TV KIDS: How do you capture, and keep, your audience’s attention in an increasingly cluttered media environment? TEDESCO: The competitive landscape has grown exponentionally. When we launched the channel we were in a 15- to 20-channel environment. It really gets down to staying relevant, understanding your consumer, understanding the environment that they enjoy, and having the content that speaks to them. We’re very fortunate to be aligned with Disney, which is the most prolific producer of content of that genre. We take care to augment that with our own Canadian content. Also, given that [kids] are using a variety of devices to consume content, it becomes key that you are making yourself available on those platforms so you can keep them engaged. 23
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Steven DeNure President & COO DHX Media TV KIDS: Given your experience running DECODE, what are the benefits of now being part of this larger entity? DENURE: DECODE was a small independent that was driven creatively, but with a real focus on sales—that’s the ethos that we wanted to preserve at DHX. The goal is to be creatively adventurous, skilled at selling and, at the same time, be smart and careful financially. One of the key advantages of being part of a larger organization is access to the capital markets. While lots of independents think they understand something about the capital markets, [these are] actually skill sets that you don’t naturally get from the business of creating, producing and selling television shows. As an independent, you tend to go out and try and raise funds for your project when your project is ready for production. But that is not always when the capital markets want to give funds to people in the content business. The capital markets ebb and flow—sometimes media and content are in favor and sometimes they are not. One of the things we’ve been able to do is time it so we’re raising money when media is in favor in the capital market. TV KIDS: You have studios in Vancouver, Halifax and Los Angeles—do they collaborate on projects? DENURE: Most of the projects are done independently within each studio, although we are working to increase collaboration.We also outsource some production, both to animation studios in Asia and to other independent studios in Canada. What we’ve tried to ensure is that each project is made in the studio that is right for it. TV KIDS: What challenges and opportunities do you see for DHX
in the current climate? DENURE: We think there’s tremendous opportunity on the digital
side, particularly SVOD, as new services launch around the world. There is an overall challenge in the business with respect to funding new content, as there is some erosion of broadcast businesses, and broadcasters either buy less or pay less. That’s the real challenge. 24
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Vince Commisso President & CEO 9 Story Entertainment TV KIDS: What led to the acquisition of CCI Entertainment’s children’s and family library? COMMISSO: CCI was looking to shift their business away from distribution to focus more on production and working with creators. Our primary focus has been production, but we’ve been looking to do more on the distribution side. We thought the fit was really strong, not only with respect to the quality and diversity of their product, but we really liked them, their management style, and their overall approach to production matched ours. We have an ongoing first look on their new [content]. There’s a great philosophical fit between the two companies. TV KIDS: As an independent, how do you navigate the complexities of financing and distributing kids’ programming? COMMISSO: Sometimes you get so wrapped up in how you distribute and what rights are available and how it’s going to live in licensing and merchandising that you forget about the product. While the world gets more complicated, we as the producers of the product are obligated to make it a little simpler. We are offering a piece of entertainment audiovisual content—let’s make it the highest quality piece of entertainment that we can, and let everything else take care of itself. That doesn’t mean we ignore the other business realities, but your starting point has to be a great piece of IP that you think you can produce into great content. We find that when we start that way, the financing takes care of itself. There are a lot of weird and wonderful and as creative as you can imagine financing models out there, and we’ve availed ourselves of many of them! But they are not even subject to discussion unless people want to put money in, invest in, think there’s an audience for, [that content]. Sources of financing will change. But, if you always make a great product, you’ll be fine in the long run. 25
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Allen Bohbot Chairman & CEO 41 Entertainment TV KIDS: What are the major chal-
lenges facing independent kids’ companies today? BOHBOT: You’re going to see lots of companies really struggling because they have over-extended themselves by making too many shows. If they can’t sell them and, in fact, broadcast license fees are dropping, where can these producers and distributors make their money? And due to the new economic realities, government subsidies are not the solution. Canada and France have a strong subsidy market but how many hits come out of that business model? Not many. We live in America and get no subsidies. We compete solely on product. TV KIDS: How did your partnership with Avi Arad and NAMCO
Bandai for PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures come about? BOHBOT: It started in 2010, PAC-MAN’s 30th anniversary.
Google dedicated its home page to PAC-MAN’s birthday. Avi saw that and realized that the PAC had been a very under-marketed property. It was an arcade game more than anything else. He flew to see NAMCO Bandai Games in Tokyo, the property owner, and they agreed to do a couple of episodes in Avi Arad’s theatrical high quality. I was in L.A. in the fall of 2011 and Avi asked me to see the footage. He said, “Take it to MIPCOM and you will see the market reaction.” We took it to MIPCOM 2011 and the response was immediate. Avi was right again. By February 2012, the group, including NAMCO Bandai Games, Arad Productions and 41 Entertainment, commissioned the entire project of 26 episodes with Disney XD support in the U.S. Today, the ratings are strong in the U.S. and merchandise is just getting into retail. The property launches internationally in February of next year. We have already commissioned another season and most international partners are buying both seasons now. 26
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Pierre Sissmann Chairman & CEO Cyber Group Studios TV KIDS: What is the signature of a Cyber Group production? SISSMANN: Global appeal. Eighty-five percent of our revenues are international —they come from outside of France. That’s a unique characteristic for a company. This means that our shows, by their very essence, have a universal appeal. Also, our preschool and upperpreschool shows offer strong emotional [connections] and core values. We spend a lot of time developing characters that children form an instant bond with; there is an emotional tie between them and the audience. All of our preschool and upper-preschool shows have stories that focus on a set of values. It is entertainment, but there’s always a message to it. Ozie Boo! teaches children how to live together. Tales of Tatonka is about discovering the world around you. Zou is about living in a family and interpersonal relationships. Mademoiselle Zazie is about the modern family, diversity and ethnicity. TV KIDS: How have you been extending your brands in the digital arena? SISSMANN: A few years ago, we started with Ozie Boo! websites. There was no market, though, so we retreated completely. We took a step back for a couple of years, because we were busy growing the company with our productions as well as our studio, and we wanted to really look at the market. It was not, and still is not, very mature. The U.S. is more advanced, but in Europe a lot of people are still wondering how to make money with apps [and other digital extensions]. We decided early last year to take another look at the market and really be serious about it. We [researched] what had already been done. Then, in partnership with the French company 3DDUO, a prime producer of apps, we moved forward. Just before Christmas [2012] we released an e-book for Zou. We now plan to release a number of e-books, games and apps for Zou, Tatonka and Ozie Boo! 27
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Philippe Soutter Co-Founder & President PGS Entertainment TV KIDS: What has been the strategy for growing the business? SOUTTER: The biggest contributing factor to our success has been our singular focus on the distribution of quality kids’ programming. We aren’t producers and we don’t plan to get into that business. Our aim is to be producers’ most reliable and trusted partner. We are able to offer them our experience and market understanding of what buyers are looking for around the world and, in turn, we offer buyers only the highest-quality kids’ programming brands. TV KIDS: What types of brand-management support does PGS offer a producer? SOUTTER: While brand management has always been on our minds, it has only been within the last year that we began offering a total rights-management package to our clients. We didn’t have the resources to extend that option at first, but now we are off and running. As we are always trying to approach things differently, we have launched a “creation hub” for the brands we represent that replaces the old concept of a style guide and offers a well-thought-out array of possible products and concepts ready for manufacture. We believe that our job as a brand manager is to enhance the brand experience, not just slap a logo on a T-shirt. We think proactively about the DNA of a brand and the best brand-extension platforms for that brand. TV KIDS: What qualities do you look for in a property? SOUTTER: We look for strong characters, strong story lines and
great graphics. Beyond that, we look for shows that have that little something different, something that makes it stand out. We also look for iconic brands, which is where we’ve had the most success. Our long-standing partnership with Method Animation has afforded us the opportunity to represent such incredibly well-known character-driven brands as Iron Man, The Little Prince and Chaplin & Co. 28
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41 Entertainment ADDRESS: 500 W. Putnam Ave., 4/Fl., Greenwich,
CT 06830, U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (1-203) 717-1120 WEBSITE: www.41e.tv MANAGING DIRECTOR: Allen Bohbot SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR: Nancy Koff SALES & MARKETING MANAGER: Kiersten Morsanutto CONTACTS: nancy.koff@41ent.com;
kiersten.morsanutto@41ent.com PROGRAMS: PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures: 39x22 min., 2D & 3D animation, comedy, 5-10; Blake: Double Identity: 26x22 min., 2D & 3D animation, action/comedy, 6-11; Funny Little Cars: 52x7 min., 3D animation, educational/comedy, 3-7.
“41 Entertainment focuses on worldwide animation development, production, distribution, licensing and merchandising. Operating globally in the creation and distribution of children’s original proprietary characters and intellectual property, we invest in each production and own all rights, including proprietary character IPs such as Blake: Double Identity and worldwide rights to such iconic established properties as PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures. Not only do we secure the best exposure through our network of major broadcasters and distributors worldwide, but we also look for the best licensing and merchandising partners for our brands though an in-house licensing and merchandising division. Managed by experienced individuals with extensive know ledge in animation production, distribution, sales, marketing, legal and business affairs, copyright and trademark protection, and general contract administration, 41 Entertainment believes that market success is not based on quantity of projects, but rather in the careful exploitation of a few high-quality intellectual property projects for global consumption.” —Allen Bohbot, Managing Director
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PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures: This series follows the daily events of Pac as he saves PacWorld. Together with his friends Cyli and Spiral, Pac and his buds face the issues of being teenagers while also protecting PacWorld from a ghostly army led by the evil Betrayus. PacWorlders do not want Betrayus and his ghostly minions returning from the Netherworld and wreaking havoc. So, President Spheros teaches Pac and his pals the legend prophesizing a round yellow PacWorlder rescuing the planet. Pac, the only round yellow citizen, is the man for the job. Each adventure follows Pac and his friends as they try to return the ghosts to Netherworld, saving PacWorld. Blake: Double Identity: An animated series following the adventures of action-hero twins Justin and Tatiana (friends call her “T”) Blake, and their two friends who have been recruited by an international government organization. By hiring twin secret agents, the organization has a strike team stronger than has ever been seen! Criminals have moved on as technology progresses. Old brute-force tactics no longer work; it’s time for the next generation of agents to step in. The twins, who think and act as one, are the perfect crime-fighting weapons. Armed with the latest gadgets, super intelligence, and the skills to match, they combat the greatest threats the world has ever seen. Funny Little Cars: This series tells the story of Grady, a journalist who tries to educate his neighbors about the importance of ecology using technological inventions while trying to rid the town of criminals. Being the leader of the ecological movement, Grady strives to bring back good times to his small river town, Oasis, which has been destroyed by underground oil tankers. But he is having a difficult time doing so since General’s gang came into town, taking control of the Oasis and forcing citizens to leave. Since the town’s folk are cars, boats and scooters, they meet a lot of bumps along the way as they fight to get Oasis back and restore the town.
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9 Story Entertainment ADDRESS: 23 Fraser Ave., Toronto, ON M6K 1Y7, Canada TELEPHONE: (1-416) 530-9900 WEBSITE: www.9story.com PRESIDENT & CEO: Vince Commisso MANAGING DIRECTOR: Natalie Osborne CONTACT: natalieo@9story.com PROGRAMS: Numb Chucks: 52x11 min., 2D animation, comedy,
6-11; Extreme Babysitting: 22x30 min., live action, reality/ prank, 8-12; Peg + Cat: 80x11 min., 2D animation, preschool, 2-5; Nerds and Monsters: 40x11 min., 2D animation, comedy, 6-11; Joe & Jack: 39x7 min., 2D animation, preschool, 2-5; Teenage Fairytale Dropouts: 52x11 min., 2D animation, comedy, 7-11; Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood: 40x22 min./80x11 min., 2D animation, preschool, 2-5; Wild Kratts: 92x22 min., 2D animation, adventure/comedy, 6-11.
“9 Story Entertainment is one of the industry’s leading creators, producers and distributors of award-winning animated and live-action content for young audiences.With one of North America’s largest animation studios based in Toronto, 9 Story has over 200 creative and production staff, and has produced over 800 half-hours of quality children’s and family programming. With our recent acquisition of CCI Kids, the family content division of CCI Entertainment, our portfolio has grown to over 1,800 half-hours of content with the addition of popular shows such as Guess How Much I Love You?, Joe & Jack, Artzooka! and Extreme Babysitting. Our distribution arm, 9 Story Enterprises, continues to represent several beloved brands such as Arthur, Wibbly Pig, Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, Wild Kratts and Almost Naked Animals, in addition to exciting new series such as Numb Chucks, Camp Lakebottom, Cache Craze, Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood and Nerds and Monsters.” —Natalie Osborne, Managing Director
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Animasia Studio ADDRESS: No. 2 & 4, JLN Sri Jati 2, Taman Sri Jati, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia TELEPHONE: (603) 7784-6987 WEBSITE: www.animasia-studio.com MANAGING DIRECTOR: Edmund Chan EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Raye Lee CONTACTS: edmund@animasia-studio.com; raye@animasia-studio.com PROGRAMS: ABC Monsters: 26x22 min., 2D animation/HD, adventure/comedy/edutainment, 4-6; Chuck Chicken: 52x11 min., 2D animation/HD, adventure/comedy, 7-12; Harry & Bunny Show: 78x7 min., 2D animation/HD, nondialogue/slapstick comedy, 7-12; Supa Strikas: 39x22 min., 2D animation/HD, comedy/sports/action, 7-11; Balla Bowl: 2x70 min., 2D animation/HD, sports/action, 7-12; Fairytales of the Orient: 26x22 min., 2D animation, folklore, 4-12; Bola Kampung Extreme: 13x22 min., 2D animation/HD, sports/ action/comedy, 4-15; Bola Kampung: 65x22 min., 2D animation, sports/action/comedy, 4-15; Bola Kampung Extra: 6x3 min., 3D animation/CGI, sports/action/comedy/nondialogue, 4-15; Turturbo: 78x7 min., 3D animation/CGI, comedy, 7-11.
“Animasia Studio, being one of the leading flash-based studios in Asia, is aiming to introduce more of its latest content such as Chuck Chicken, Harry & Bunny and Turturbo, which will be captivating for the broadcast and newmedia markets.These shows featuring stunning character designs and strong story lines are targeted to reach kids 7 to 11 years old. Besides creating original content, Animasia is also a trusted work-forhire studio, assisting international producers to complete their projects within the stipulated time frame in a cost-effective manner. Please speak with our team to understand more [about] our studio as we are always exploring co-production/co-financing opportunities.” —Edmund Chan, Managing Director
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Atlantyca Entertainment ADDRESS: Via Leopardi, 8, 20123 Milan, Italy TELEPHONE: (39-02) 430-0101 WEBSITE: www.atlantyca.com HEAD, ANIMATION DEPARTMENT & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
Caterina Vacchi DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Pedro Citaristi CONTACT: info@atlantyca.it PROGRAMS: Bat Pat: 52x11 min., 2D animation/HD, adven-
ture/comedy, 6+; Geronimo Stilton: 78x23 min., 2D animation/HD, 6+; Dive Olly Dive: 104x11 min., 3D animation/ CGI/HD, preschool; The Fixies: 104x6 min., 3D animation/ CGI, educational/comedy/adventure, 4-9; Taka & Maka: 40x1 min., 3D animation/CGI.
“A transmedia entertainment company, we maintain production and distribution, licensing, publishing and foreign-rights sales divisions. Atlantyca is the co-producer of two completed seasons of Geronimo Stilton, the animated series featuring the adventures of the most famous mouse journalist. The company is producing the third season of the popular animated series; seasons one and two have been sold in more than 100 countries around the world. New on our production slate is Bat Pat. Atlantyca’s production and distribution arm has partnered with Imira Entertainment and Inspidea, along with new broadcast and participation partners Rai Fiction (Italy), GD Animation Fund and RTVE (Spain) to commence production on the comedy adventure featuring Bat Pat. Atlantyca’s additional properties for broadcast sales include Russia’s number one animated series The Fixies (for Europe, Malaysia, Singapore and Korea) and Dive Olly Dive (Italy only). New to our distribution library is Taka & Maka.The series is produced by Tik Tak Production, Techtonik and Giant Wheel Animation, with Atlantyca holding distribution rights for all of Europe, North America and Latin America. The series relates the adventures and misfortunes of Taka and Maka, two crazy geckos who live in the same house.” —Pedro Citaristi, Distribution Manager 38
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Australian Children’s Television Foundation ADDRESS: 145 Smith St., 3/Fl., Fitzroy,Victoria 3065, Australia TELEPHONE: (61-3) 9200-5500 WEBSITE: www.actf.com.au CEO: Jenny Buckland INTERNATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVE: Roberta Di Vito PROGRAMS: Bushwhacked!: 26x24 min., live action, adventure/
documentary, 8-14; Dukes of Broxstonia: 10x45 sec./ 20x3 min., 2D animation, comedy, 8-14; Handball Heroes: 20x5 min., live action, documentary, interstitial, 6-12; WAC— World Animal Championships: 52x24 min., live action, documentary/wildlife, 8-14; Worst Year of My Life, Again!: 13x24 min., live action, comedy, 8-14; You’re Skitting Me: 26x24 min., live action, sketch comedy, 10-15.
“At the ACTF, we are passionate about highquality children’s media and television. We produce and distribute children’s television drama, feature films and new-media products, working with major international broadcasters and production companies. We also distribute children’s programming created by other Australian producers. Our catalogue includes over 300 hours of Australia’s best children’s programming, covering all ages from preschool to teenagers, and presented in a range of formats and genres, including live-action series drama, animated series drama, telemovies and documentaries. Our programs have been enormously successful around the world, attracting large audiences for broadcasters and winning a slew of international awards. The ACTF has been entertaining kids for 30 years.” —Jenny Buckland, CEO
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BBC Worldwide ADDRESS: Media Centre, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TQ, U.K. TELEPHONE: (44-20) 8433-2000 WEBSITE: www.bbcworldwide.com DIRECTOR, CHILDREN’S: Henrietta Hurford-Jones CHILDREN’S GENRE MANAGER: Nathan Waddington CONTACT: nathan.waddington@bbc.com PROGRAMS: The Numtums: 52x11 min., CGI & 2D animation, comedy/adventure, preschool; Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures: 20x14 min., live action & CGI, action/adventure, preschool; Horrible Histories: Season 5, 15x30 min., live action, comedy, tweens/teens & family; The Next Step: 30x28 min., live action, drama, tweens/teens & family; Fierce Earth: 20x30 min., live action, factual, tweens/teens & family; Superhuman Challenge: 10x30 min., live action, factual, tweens/teens & family; Old Jacks Boat: 25x15 min., live action & animation, storytelling, preschool; Sarah & Duck: 40x7 min., animation, adventure, preschool; Woolly and Tig: 55x5 min., live action & animation, discover & do, preschool; Baby Jake: 52x11 min., live action & animation, comedy/adventure, preschool.
“BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) commissions, co-produces and distributes over 150 hours of programming annually from preschool to preteen. Covering all genres and styles, the slate contains classic brands as well as innovative new titles set to become modern classics. For the CBeebies international channels BBCWW has co-commissioned with CBeebies UK shows such as Sarah & Duck, a quirky animation about Sarah and her endearing and entertaining best friend Duck, and The Numtums, a new comedy adventure series from CBeebies InHouse Productions. For ages 6 to 12, new series Fierce Earth, Superhuman Challenge and the live-action docu-style drama The Next Step together with new series of Horrible Histories ensure a rich and varied content catalogue and continuing strong partnerships with producers both within the BBC and in the indie community.” —Henrietta Hurford-Jones, Director, Children’s
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Beyond Distribution ADDRESS: 41/42 Berners St., London W1T 3NB, U.K. TELEPHONE: (44-207) 323-3444 WEBSITE: www.beyonddistribution.com GENERAL MANAGER: Michael Murphy HEAD, SALES: Munia Kanna-Konsek HEAD, ACQUISITIONS: Yvonne Body PROGRAMS: Absolute Genius with Dick & Dom: 10x30 min., live
action/HD, tween; Hero Squad: 10x30 min., live action/HD, tween; Pipsqueaks: 45x30 min., live action/HD, preschool; History Hunters: 26x30 min., live action/HD, 6-10; Totally Rubbish: 10x30 min., live action/HD, tween; Junior Vets: 10x30 min., live action/HD, tween; Get Squiggling Letters: 26x7 min., animation/HD, preschool; Toybox: 290x30 min., live action, preschool; Rush TV: 101x30 min., live action/HD, teen; Steam Punks: 40x30 min., live action/HD, tween.
“Beyond Distribution has been a leading independent distributor of world-class television content since 1984, with a London- and Sydney-based sales team and a Dublin office. Beyond’s name is synonymous with programs of broad commercial appeal to television audiences worldwide and the catalogue comprises over 4,000 hours of top-quality and multi-award-winning programming in a wide variety of genres.” —Corporate Communications
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Breakthrough Entertainment ADDRESS: 122 Sherbourne St., Toronto, ON M5A 2R4, Canada TELEPHONE: (1-416) 366-6588, x133 WEBSITE: www.breakthroughentertainment.com EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, ANIMATION, LIVE ACTION, FAMILY & CHILDREN: Joan Lambur PRESIDENT, DISTRIBUTION: Nat Abraham CONTACT: nabraham@breakthroughentertainment.com PROGRAMS: Zerby Derby: 26x30 min., live action/HD; Rocket
Monkeys: 26x30 min./52x11 min., animation/HD.
“We’re thrilled this year to introduce an exceptional children’s program that reflects Breakthrough’s commitment to high-quality family entertainment. The TVO-commissioned Zerby Derby creates a magical environment in a real-world setting that fosters unique opportunities for the imaginations of young viewers. TELETOON also recently picked up a second season of our international hit series Rocket Monkeys, which is currently in production.With cross-generational appeal and an established fan base, Rocket Monkeys is known for its vibrant, wild and always unpredictable animated cast. Our catalogue strives to maintain global relevance and our talented team of cast and animators brings a boundless amount of energy and professionalism that’s felt in each episode of every one of our dynamic family series.” —Nat Abraham, President, Distribution
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CAKE ADDRESS: 76 Charlotte St., 5/Fl., London W1T 4QS, U.K. TELEPHONE: (44-20) 7307-3230 WEBSITE: www.cakeentertainment.com CEO & CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Tom van Waveren CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER & MANAGING DIRECTOR:
Ed Galton CONTACT: info@cakeentertainment.com PROGRAMS: Wanda and the Alien: 52x11 min., 2D animation, comedy/educational, 3-6; Trunk Train: 52x11 min., 2D animation, action/comedy, 6-9; Ella Bella Bingo: 26x7 min., 2D animation, comedy/educational, 3-6; Space Racers: 50x11 min., 3D animation, action/comedy/educational, 3-6; Total Drama All Stars: 13x22 min., 2D animation, action/comedy, 8-12; Monstrous Holiday: 1x45 min., 3D animation, holiday special, 6-12; The Naughty List: 1x45 min., 3D animation, holiday special, 6-12.
“CAKE is one of the world’s leading kids’ and family entertainment specialists. Since 2002, the London-based company has worked with animation and live-action producers from around the world to develop, create, commercially position and manage their IP propositions for the international market. We handle everything from traditional television rights to digital, online and ancillary commercial rights. CAKE also prides itself on being a well-established meeting place for a growing family of globally recognized producers. CAKE looks after a diverse and distinctive range of animated and live-action programming, from the fast-paced claymation series Claykids and quick-witted Angelo Rules to global favorite Pocoyo. New to this year’s lineup is enchanting animation Wanda and the Alien, adventurous Trunk Train, NASA-endorsed Space Racers and preschool fun with Ella Bella Bingo. Plus a brand-new season of the acclaimed franchise with Total Drama All Stars and two brand-new holiday specials: Monstrous Holiday and The Naughty List.” —Ed Galton, Chief Commercial Officer & Managing Director
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Cyber Group Studios ADDRESS: 7 rue Letellier, 75015 Paris, France TELEPHONE: (33-1) 4058-1443 WEBSITE: www.cybergroupstudios.com CEO: Pierre Sissmann VP, INTERNATIONAL SALES & ACQUISITIONS: Carole Brin CONTACT: cbrin@cybergroupstudios.com PROGRAMS: Zou: 52x11 min., CGI animation/HD, 3-6; Mini
Ninjas: 52x11 min., CGI animation/HD, adventure, 6-12; Zorro the Chronicles: 26x22 min., CGI animation/HD, adventure, 6-12; Mia: 39x11 min., CGI animation/HD, 2-6; Mademoiselle Zazie: 78x7 min., CGI animation/HD, 5-8; Adam’s Bakery: 52x13 min., CGI animation/HD, adventure, 4-8; Pom Pom and Friends: 78x7 min., CGI animation/HD, 2-5; The Bellflower Bunnies: 52x22 min., CGI animation/HD, 2-6; My Goldfish is Evil: 26x24 min., CGI animation, adventure, 6-12; Tales of Tatonka: 52x13 min., CGI animation/HD, educational/ adventure/documentary, 4-8.
“Cyber Group Studios is a multi-awarded independent producer and distributor specialized in top-quality kids’ programming with strong international appeal. Cyber Group Studios has become one of the leaders in youth programming. The company has built a catalogue of series representing 1,000 half-hours of HD programming, targeted at children aged 2 to 14, tweens and family. Cyber Group Studios’ mission is to bring to children and families around the world the best quality entertainment experience, thanks to the company’s pool of international top creative talent, its breakthrough technology enabling it to bring theatrical animation quality to TV, new digital platforms and its distribution organization giving access to top broadcasters worldwide. Cyber Group Studios seeks partnership opportunities (coproductions, distribution) with other producers around the world sharing its values.” —Carole Brin, VP, International Sales & Acquisitions
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Distribution360 ADDRESS: 74 Fraser Ave., Suite 100, Toronto, ON M6K 3E1, Canada TELEPHONE: (1-416) 646-2711 WEBSITE: www.distribution360.com MANAGING PARTNER; CO-CEO/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, MARBLEMEDIA: Mark Bishop DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL SALES & ACQUISITIONS:
Kirsten Hurd PROGRAMS: This is Scarlett and Isaiah: 52x6 min./13x30 min., live action, preschool, 2-6; Japanizi—Going, Going, Gong!: 40x30 min., live action, game show/comedy, kids & family; The Adventures of Figaro Pho: 13x30 min./39x7 min., 3D animation, comedy, 8-12; Bruno and the Banana Bunch: 26x11 min. & 50x1 min., animation, comedy, preschool; Tigga & Togga: 26x3 min., animation, comedy, preschool; A Very Barry Christmas: 1x45 min., stop motion/animation, comedy, family; This is Daniel Cook: 131x6 min./26x30 min., live action, 2-6; This is Emily Yeung: 65x6 min./13x30 min. & 2x30 min., live action, 2-6; Splatalot: 52x30 min., live action, game show/comedy, kids & family; Skatoony: 39x30 min., live action & animation, comedy, 8-12.
“Distribution360, a marblemedia company, is a forward-thinking distribution company that focuses on traditional media sales, while actively pursuing growth in the digital space. Its mandate is the full monetization of television and interactive content on traditional and emerging platforms worldwide, with a focus on kids, drama and factual programming.” —Mark Bishop, Managing Partner; Co-CEO/Executive Producer, marblemedia
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DQ Entertainment ADDRESS: 644 Aurora Colony, Rd. No. 3, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500034, Andhra Pradesh, India TELEPHONE: (91-40) 2355-3726 WEBSITE: www.dqentertainment.com CHAIRMAN & CEO: Tapaas Chakravarti SENIOR VP, LICENSING & DISTRIBUTION: Manoj Mishra CONTACT: sales@dqentertainment.com PROGRAMS: The New Adventures of Peter Pan: Seasons 1 & 2, 52x22 min., CGI/HD, fantasy/adventure/drama, 6-9; The Jungle Book: Seasons 1 & 2, 104x11 min., HD/CGI, adventure/comedy, 6-9; The New Adventures of Lassie: 26x22 min., HD/2D animation, family/adventure/drama, 6-9; Lanfeust Quest: 26x22 min., 3D animation/CGI, action/adventure, tweens; Five & It: 52x11 min., 3D animation/HD, fantasy/adventure, 5-9; Leo and the Pisa Gang: 52x11 min., HD/CGI, adventure/comedy/edutainment, kids & family; Raz and Benny: 52x11 min., HD/CGI, adventure/comedy, 6-10; Robin Hood: 52x11 min., HD/CGI, action/adventure, 6-9; Mysteries & Feluda: 13x22 min. & 1x60 min., 2D animation, adventure/mystery, 5-11; Iron Man: 52x22 min., 2D animation/HD, action/adventure.
“The world of make believe is very real for DQ Entertainment, a top-quality producer of animated content with international appeal. Based out of India with additional production facilities in the Philippines, the company is on its way to achieving its vision of being one of the largest independent producers and distributors of animated content. DQE has co-produced and distributed brands such as The Jungle Book, Peter Pan, Iron Man, Casper, Little Prince, Charlie Chaplin and several other classic and iconic properties. We have over 600 hours of programming for distribution and licensing globally for TV, home entertainment, merchandising and publishing. We are looking to align with other co-producers and partners who share our passion in creating world-class properties to entertain children globally and build long-term relationships.” —Tapaas Chakravarti, Chairman & CEO
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Foothill Entertainment ADDRESS: 1129 State St., Suite 3, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (1-805) 965-4488 WEBSITE: www.foothillentertainment.com PRESIDENT: Jo Kavanagh Payne DIRECTOR, SALES & DEVELOPMENT: Elizabeth Stephens CONTACT: estephens@foothillentertainment.com PROGRAMS: Boy & the Dinosaur: 52x11 min., animation, 2-5;
Raz & Benny: 52x11 min., animation, 6-11; Gunk Aliens: 52x11 min., animation, 6-10; Spike Team: 52x26 min., animation, 8-12; Spike Team Special—Brent’s Dream: 1x26 min., animation, 8-12; Rollie & Friends: 52x11 min., animation, 4-7; Eddy & the Bear: 26x11 min. & 1x30 min., animation, 4-7; Little Monsters: 52x5 min., animation, 4-7; Kiddo the Super Truck: 1x80 min., animation, 3-7; Toy Warrior: 1x76 min., animation 6-9.
“Foothill Entertainment specializes in the codevelopment and distribution of high-quality children’s and family entertainment programming with international appeal. Foothill Entertainment formally launched its U.K. affiliate, Foothill Europe, last year, which has served as a home of Foothill’s business interests in Europe. The London-based company represents projects in the European Union and continues to look for international co-production and business opportunities worldwide. Foothill Europe has been spearheading the many U.K.- and European-based projects that are owned or represented by Foothill, including the stylish and charming preschool series Boy & the Dinosaur from the U.K.’s 1461 Limited as well as Gunk Aliens and Raz & Benny. Foothill is actively seeking presale commitments for all these properties that are sure to be global hits. We have a wide array of completed series from producers across the globe that we are excited to showcase at this year’s market which appeal to a broad demographic and are sure to delight and entertain children and families worldwide.” —Jo Kavanagh Payne, President
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FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment ADDRESS: 1 Stephen St., London W1T 1AL, U.K. TELEPHONE: (44-207) 691-6000 WEBSITE: www.fmekids.com PRESIDENT: Sander Schwartz VP, DISTRIBUTION: Andrew Berman VP, DISTRIBUTION & SALES, EMEA: Joss Duffield CONTACTS: andrew.berman@fremantlemedia.com;
joss.duffield@fremantlemedia.com PROGRAMS: Tree Fu Tom: Season 1, 26x30 min./Season 2,
26x30 min., CG animation, preschool, 2-5; Kate & Mim-Mim: 52x11 min./26x22 min., CG animation, preschool, 2-5; Strange Hill High: Season 1, 13x30 min./Season 2, 13x30 min., puppets & CG, comedy/adventure, 6-11; Grojband: 26x30 min., 2D animation, musical comedy, 6-11; Ella the Elephant: 52x11 min./ 26x22 min., 2D animation, preschool, 2-5; Wizards vs Aliens: Season 1, 12x30 min./Season 2, 14x30 min., live action, action/adventure/drama, 6-11; Max Steel: Season 1, 26x30 min./ Season 2, 26x30 min., CG animation, action/adventure, boys 6-11; Monsuno: Season 1, 26x30 min./Season 2, 26x30 min./ Season 3, 13x30 min., CG animation, action/adventure/boys 6-11.
“FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment was founded in 2009 and has quickly become a worldwide leader in the family entertainment business. FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment is already one of the most prolific independent producers and distributors of content in the sector today. Its growing portfolio of 15 titles spans four key genres: preschool, kids’ comedy, action/adventure and tween/teen. FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment is bringing to networks around the world innovative and exciting shows for television and new-media platforms, including live action, 2D animation, CGI and puppetry.” —Corporate Communications
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Guru Studio ADDRESS: 110 Spadina Ave., Unit 500, Toronto,
ON M5V 2K4, Canada TELEPHONE: (1-416) 599-4878 WEBSITE: www.gurustudio.com PRESIDENT & CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Frank Falcone VP: Mary Bredin DIRECTOR, SALES: Ian Lambur CONTACT: ian.lambur@gurustudio.com PROGRAMS: Justin Time: 52x11 min., 3D animation, 3-6; Ben &
Hairy: 20x2 min., 2D animation, 7-11; Mole Sisters: 13x24 min./ 78x5 min., 2D animation, preschool; Pop It!: 52x5 min., live action, 6-11.
“Guru Studio is a leader in character-driven entertainment. Based in Toronto, Canada, the studio boasts a history of international commercial and television series successes, including its own Emmy- and Annie-Award nominated hit preschool series Justin Time. Guru is also known for its high-quality design and animation services on such series as the awardwinning Backyardigans; Ever After High, from the creators of Monster High; and the new Nick Jr. series PAW Patrol. Guru is focused on continuing to grow the Justin Time brand, expanding now into apps, publishing, home video and licensing, while also closing deals for the highly anticipated series Wish Come True and Nemesis. Additionally, Guru is looking to acquire a wide range of films and third-party familyfocused series for international distribution to add to its current catalogue.” —Corporate Communications
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Hasbro Studios ADDRESS: 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB11 1ET, U.K. TELEPHONE: (44-208) 744-6224 WEBSITE: www.hasbrostudios.com SENIOR VP, INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION & DEVELOPMENT:
Finn Arnesen SENIOR SALES DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION:
Nina Scales CONTACT: internationalsales@hasbro.com PROGRAMS: Transformers Prime: 65x22 min., animation, boys 6-12; Transformers Rescue Bots: 52x22 min., animation, boys 4-9; Littlest Pet Shop: 52x22 min., animation, girls 6-11; My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: 91x22 min., animation, girls 4-7; My Little Pony Equestria Girls: 1x72 min., animation, girls 8-12.
“Hasbro Studios is the Los Angeles-based entertainment division of Hasbro, Inc.The studio is responsible for entertainment brand-driven storytelling for the company across television, film, commercial productions and short-form. It develops, produces and distributes TV shows based on Hasbro’s world-class brands, including Transformers, My Little Pony, Littlest Pet Shop and Family Game Night. Many of these shows air on Hub Network, a U.S. television network for kids and their families, which is a joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Communications. Hasbro Studios’ shows can also be seen on networks in more than 170 countries globally. Since its formation in 2009, the studio has received seven Daytime Emmy wins and 16 nominations. On the film side, the studio is developing and producing a number of features based on Hasbro’s brands, including Transformers 4 (Paramount), Stretch Armstrong (Relativity Media) and Candy Land (Sony). The studio team also oversees the production of commercials that feature Hasbro’s brands as well production of short-form content that can be seen on all of the major digital and social-media platforms globally.” —Corporate Communications
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Hoho Rights ADDRESS: Business Design Centre, 52 Upper St., Suite 109c, London N1 0QH, U.K. TELEPHONE: (44-207) 682-3154 WEBSITE: www.hohoentertainment.com JOINT MANAGING DIRECTOR: Oliver Ellis JOINT MANAGING DIRECTOR: Helen Howells HEAD, SALES & ACQUISITIONS: Danielle Davies CONTACT: info@hohoentertainment.com PROGRAMS: Cloudbabies: 52x10 min., CG animation, preschool, 3-6; Abadas: 52x11 min., 2D/3D animation & live action, preschool, 3-6; Everybody Loves a Moose: 52x7 min., animation, 6-10.
“Hoho Rights is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hoho Entertainment, a children’s production and rights-management company dedicated to developing intellectual properties for kids. Hoho Rights actively manages all its own inhouse-developed brands and also offers TV distribution, licensing and merchandising services to third-party companies. It holds the worldwide rights for Cloudbabies, a 52x10-minute CG-animated series; Abadas, a 52x11-minute preschool animated series; and Everybody Loves a Moose, a 52x7-minute animated comedy for 6- to 10-year-olds. This MIPCOM it is showcasing new properties in development: Jeff the Chef, animation for preschoolers, and Monster Maker, a comedy-driven animated series.” —Oliver Ellis, Joint Managing Director
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m4e/Telescreen ADDRESS: Hoge Naarderweg 42, 1217 AG Hilversum, Netherlands TELEPHONE: (31-35) 6299-999 WEBSITES: www.m4e.de; www.telescreen.nl GENERAL MANAGER, TELESCREEN: Sjoerd Raemakers CONTACT: sjoerd@telescreen.nl PROGRAMS: Mia and me: 26x23 min., live action & 3D animation, fantasy/adventure, girls 6-12; Tip the mouse: 52x7 min., 3D animation, preschool, 3-6; Conni: 26x11.5 min., animation, 3-6; Pixi and the Magic Wall: 27x12 min., animation, edutainment, 5-8 & family; Ask Lara: 26x11 min., 2D animation, comedy, 9-13; The Cramp Twins: 104x24 min., animation, comedy, 8-12; Dex Hamilton and the Doomsday Swarm: 1x76 min., 3D animation, science fiction/adventure, 6-12; Moomin: 104x24 min. & 1x74 min., 2D animation, adventure, 5+; Frog & Friends: 26x7 min., 2D animation, preschool, 4-7; Rudolf: 52x3 min., 2D animation, comedy, all ages.
“Telescreen B.V. belongs to the m4e Group, which is an international brand-management and media company for children’s and family entertainment content. m4e is a leader in creation, production, distribution and marketing of animated and liveaction programming. Its library of nearly 2,200 episodes features some of the most recognizable brands such as Lizzie McGuire, Mia and me, Miffy, Rainbow Fish, Conni and Tip the mouse. With its knowledge in animation production, Telescreen concentrates on the creation and development of high-quality animation series. The unit’s main objective is the development of series that can be successfully exploited in all media forms all over the world. Furthermore, Telescreen acts as the internationaldistribution arm for TV and home-entertainment rights within m4e’s organization. Apart from its own productions, Telescreen represents a wide range of international producers and broadcasters, selling and distributing high-quality programs to all major TV channels in the world.” —Corporate Communications
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Mediatoon Distribution ADDRESS: 15-27 rue Moussorgski, 75018 Paris, France TELEPHONE: (33-1) 5326-3100 WEBSITE: www.mediatoon.com DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER: Jérôme Alby INTERNATIONAL SENIOR SALES MANAGER: Jessica Delahaie CONTACT: info@mediatoon.com PROGRAMS: The Garfield Show: 210x11 min., CGI animation,
comedy/adventure; Yakari: 104x13 min., 2D animation, adventure/edutainment, young kids; Kinky & Cosy: 100x3 min., flash animation, comedy, teens; Darwinners: 80x3 min., 2D animation, comedy, teens & family; Quiz Time: 104x4 min., CGI animation, edutainment, young kids; Cedric: 156x13 min., 2D animation, comedy, young kids; The Magic Roundabout: 104x11 min., 2D animation, comedy, preschool; Little Spirou: 78x7 min., 2D animation, comedy; Chicken Town: 39x8 min., CGI animation, comedy; The Adventures of Tintin: 39x30 min. & 3 films, 2D animation, adventure.
“Mediatoon Distribution markets the audiovisual rights of Media-Participations’ production companies. Its library is rich with over 1,800 hours of youth programming, including legendary series such as Tintin, Lucky Luke and Mr. Men, as well as the group’s more recent successes like Yakari, The Magic Roundabout, Quiz Time and the awardwinning Garfield Show. Always in search of new content, Mediatoon also enriches its catalogue thanks to independent third-party producers such as 4.21, Haut & Court and Bayard, as well as with Asian producers of quality manga successes such as Fairy Tale and Naruto.” —Jérôme Alby, Deputy General Manager
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PGS Entertainment ADDRESS: 6 rue Galilee, 75116 Paris, France TELEPHONE: (33-1) 8364-3463 PRESIDENT: Philippe Soutter PRESIDENT, PGS HK: Guillaume Soutter CONTACT: sales@pgsentertainment.com PROGRAMS: Ladybug: 26x30 min., CGI/HD/native 3D anima-
tion, action/adventure, 6-12; Robin Hood: 52x11 min., CGI/HD/native 3D animation, action/adventure, 6-10; Heroes United: 104x11 min., CGI/HD/native 3D animation, action/adventure, 4-8; The Little Prince: 78x30 min., HD/CGI/native 3D animation, adventure, kids & family; The Jungle Bunch—To the Rescue!: 52x11 min. & 1x60 min. & 26x90 sec., HD/CGI animation, kids & family; The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: 3x75 min., 2D animation/HD, action/adventure, 8-12; Marsupilami: Hoobah Hoobah Hop!: 78x30 min., 2D animation/HD, comedy, 6-10; Stan Lee’s Mighty 7: 3x75 min., 2D animation/HD, action/adventure, 8-12; Secret KidVenture Club: 26x30 min., 2D animation/HD, edutainment, 6-10; Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab: 52x26 min., 2D animation/HD, edutainment, 6-8.
“PGS Entertainment is a leading international brand-management company dedicated to kids’ and family content and targeting the entertainment fields of broadcast, home entertainment, digital, licensing and merchandising. PGS Entertainment specializes in high-profile programs for kids’ and family viewing and handles a catalogue of over 1,000 half-hours of programming. The catalogue includes internationally acclaimed properties from Method Animation (Heroes United, Robin Hood—Mischief in Sherwood, The Little Prince, Chaplin and Co, Iron Man: Armored Adventures); Zagtoon (Ladybug); A Squared Entertainment (Stan Lee’s Mighty 7, Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab, Secret KidVenture Club, Martha & Friends, Gisele & the Green Team); TAT Productions (The Jungle Bunch, Spike); Nerd Corps Entertainment (League of Super Evil); Samka (Marsupilami: Hoobah Hoobah Hop!); Studio Hari (Leon, The Gees); Prod Par 4 (One Minute Before); La Station Animation (Mister Otter) and others to come.” —Corporate Communications
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Rainbow ADDRESS: Via Brecce, 60025 Loreto, Italy TELEPHONE: (39-071) 7506-7500 WEBSITE: www.rbw.it CEO: Iginio Straffi COO: Joanne Lee TV SALES MANAGER: Luana Perrero VP, CONTENTS, DIGITAL & PUBLISHING: Cristiana Buzzelli SALES & LICENSING MANAGER: Luca Vecci CONTACT: info@rbw.it PROGRAMS: Winx Club 6: 26x30 min., 2D &
3D animation/CGI, comedy/action; R.I.P.: 26x30 min., 2D animation/HD; Royal Academy: 26x30 min., 2D animation/HD or CGI; Winx Club 5: 26x30 min., 2D & 3D animation/CGI, comedy/action; Winx Club 3D—Magical Adventure: 1x80 min., 3D animation; Winx Club TV movies: 4x45 min., 2D animation; Mia and me: Seasons 1 & 2, 52x30 min., live action & 3D animation/CGI; GON: 52x11 min., 3D animation/CGI, comedy; PopPixie: 13 min. eps., 2D animation; Huntik Secrets and Seekers: Seasons 1 & 2, 52x30 min., 2D animation, adventure/comedy.
“Rainbow is a world leader in the kids’ entertainment industry, dedicated to TV and feature-film productions, along with managing business activities from concept to production to global distribution. Rainbow’s successful distribution of its content in several media, including TV, theater and the Internet, as well as in the consumer-products industry, has led to the company being ranked 14th on the yearly global licensor list worldwide, and first in Europe. Rainbow’s property list includes: Tommy & Oscar, Prezzy, Monster Allergy, Winx Club, Huntik Secret and Seekers, PopPixie, Maya Fox, Gladiators of Rome and a number of third-party properties, including Mia and me and GON. Rainbow is also the exclusive licensing agent for Nickelodeon in Italy. The company is headquartered in Italy, with subsidiaries in Moscow, Hong Kong and Singapore.” —Corporate Communications
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Shaftesbury/Smokebomb ADDRESS: 163 Queen St. E., Suite 100, Toronto, ON M5A 1S1, Canada TELEPHONE: (1-416) 363-1411 WEBSITE: www.shaftesbury.ca CHAIRMAN & CEO: Christina Jennings SENIOR VP, CONTENT STRATEGY: Joanna Webb VP, SALES: Ryan St. Peters CONTACT: sales@shaftesbury.ca PROGRAMS: Mighty Mighty Monsters: 2x44 min., animation, comedy, boys 8-12; Unlikely Heroes: 8x5 min., live action, comedy, 8-12; Totally Amp’d: 10x6 min., live action, musical comedy, girls 8-12; Life with Derek: 70x30 min., live action, comedy, 6-14; Connor Undercover: 39x30 min, live action, adventure, 8-12; Overruled!: 39x30 min., live action, comedy, 8-12.
“With offices in Toronto and Los Angeles, Shaftesbury is an award-winning producer and distributor of original content for television and multiple platforms, including the groundbreaking digital-media division Smokebomb Entertainment, which creates media-rich convergent experiences and original digital series. With a focus on comedy, the company’s slate for kids and tweens includes the global hit series Life with Derek, starring Ashley Leggat and Michael Seater; tween spy series Connor Undercover; high school court comedy Overruled!; and two original digital series for YTV.com: Totally Amp’d, which focuses on five teens trying to make it big as the next hit pop group, and Unlikely Heroes, which follows a ragtag group of kids on a search for treasure during the ultimate summer adventure. Shaftesbury also distributes Bron Animation’s Mighty Mighty Monsters, two animated holiday specials about a trio of misfit monsters forced to attend human integration school.” —Corporate Communications
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Studio 100 Media ADDRESS: Nymphenburger Str. 82, 80636 Munich, Germany TELEPHONE: (49-89) 960-8550 WEBSITE: www.studio100media.com MANAGING DIRECTOR: Patrick Elmendorff HEAD, TV SALES, INTERNATIONAL: Martin Krieger CONTACT: Nicole Braun, nicole.braun@studio100media.com PROGRAMS: Tashi: 52x11 min., CGI w/2D elements;
SuperMegaHyperPets: 52x12 min., CGI/3D animation; Maya the Bee: 78x11 min., CGI/3D animation; Vic the Viking: 78x11 min., CGI/3D animation; Heidi: 39x24 min., CGI/3D animation; Hotel 13: 120x12 min. & special, live action; Galaxy Park: Season 1, 52x12 min./Season 2, 52x12 min., live action; Rox: Season 1, 13x25 min./Season 2, 13x25 min., live action.
“Studio 100 Media is an international production and distribution company within the children’s and family entertainment sector. Based in Munich, Germany, the company is a 100percent subsidiary of Belgian firm Studio 100. The company develops and acquires new content, engages in co-production and co-financing activities and is also responsible for the international distribution of its own and third-party rights. With the recent launch of a new film division under the banner Studio 100 Film, a 100-percent subsidiary of Studio 100 Media, the company has stepped into worldwide cinematic film sales. Studio 100 Media’s business model is the perfect vertical and horizontal integration of its IPs. In marketing its license rights the company pursues a global strategy within sectors ranging from licensing and merchandising, TV sales, home entertainment, games and interactive right through to theatrical movies, stage shows and theme parks.” —Patrick Elmendorff, Managing Director
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Toon Goggles ADDRESS: 20251 Ventura Blvd., Suite B, Woodland Hills, CA 91364, U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (1-818) 206-1212 WEBSITE: www.toongoggles.com MANAGING DIRECTOR: Stephen L. Hodge CONTACT: stephen@toongoggles.com
“Toon Goggles is the premier destination for on-demand entertainment for kids. We are a kid-safe and parent-friendly online service offering a vast and diverse amount of animated and live-action programs and engaging games. We are back at this year’s MIP Junior and MIPCOM to meet with children’s content producers and distributors who are seeking the perfect distribution platform for their properties. We can now be found on over 50 million mobile devices. Toon Goggles is available online and as an app on the iTunes App Store (iOS), Google Play (Android), Windows 8 and on all Sony phones and tablets, and pre-installed on a variety of devices.Toon Goggles can be found on the Sharp Aquos LED TV, Techno Source’s Kurio Android Tablet for Families, Oregon Scientific’s Meep! X2 tablets and on Barnes & Noble’s critically acclaimed NOOK HD and NOOK HD+. Our entertainment platform includes hundreds of engaging children’s programs that have been divided into categories, which include boys, girls, comedy, action, games, preschool and educational. Most recently, we announced our partnership with Roku, expanding our reach even further to millions of Roku customers throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland with the launch of a new channel on the Roku streaming platform. We just completed the rollout of our latest major update to our Toon Goggles application. In addition to a new and enhanced look, the Toon Goggles app includes a section with over 50 HTML5-based games with regular updates planned throughout the year. Our content partners include Mondo TV, BRB Internacional, Millimages,Your Family Entertainment, Backbone Entertainment and many others.” —Stephen L. Hodge, Managing Director 78
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Toonmax Media ADDRESS: 2000 Dong Fang Rd., Shanghai 200125, China TELEPHONE: (86-21) 5881-2000 WEBSITE: www.toonmaxmedia.com MANAGING DIRECTOR: Yang Wenyan GENERAL MANAGER: Ye Chao DIRECTOR, CONTENT DISTRIBUTION: Gu Jianyu CONTACT: Shi Qingbo, shiqingbo@toonmaxmedia.com PROGRAMS: Beijing Opera Cats: 40x22 min., 2D/flash anima-
tion, action/adventure/comedy, 6-11; Stone Bone Rocks: 52x11 min., 2D animation, slapstick comedy, 8-11; NuNu & LuLu: 52x11 min., 2D animation, 4-6.
“Toonmax Media is the kids’ and family division of Shanghai Media Group, China’s biggest television conglomerate. Toonmax Media owns and operates three successful television platforms: HaHaTV, an 18-hour cable kids’ animation channel; Toonmax, a 24-hour satellite animation channel; and Animation Showdown, a digital channel airing on Shanghai Interactive TV. The three channels have a combined 300 million viewers and reach more than 20 provinces in China. In addition to these highly successful channels, Toonmax can boast of further and lucrative lines of business consisting of television and feature production and distribution, licensing and merchandising, consumer- and trade-event organization, as well as the highly acclaimed performing-arts program for children aged 4 to 12, the Shanghai Little Star Talent School. Toonmax is the boxoffice record holder for Chinese original animation and liveaction movies for kids to date. We want to get things right from the very earliest stages of development.We believe that we have found the way to incorporate international talent and methodology with the aim to develop original ideas generated in China and produce excellent series. We think our first slate has real potential to travel internationally and each series is targeted at a different age demographic, thus enabling Toonmax to approach all kids’ and family platforms worldwide.” —Ye Chao, General Manager
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Toonzone Studios ADDRESS: 3450 Cahuenga Blvd. W., Unit 804, Los Angeles, CA 90068, U.S.A. TELEPHONE: (1-323) 315-7900 WEBSITE: www.toonzonestudios.com CEO: Konnie Kwak VP, MARKETING & SALES: Grant Kahn CONTACT: grant.k@toonzonestudios.com PROGRAMS: Tiny Warriors: 26x22 min., 2D/3D animation, action/adventure, 6-11; BigFoot, LittleFoot: 26x11 min., 2D animation, comedy/action, 6-11; Action Dad: 26x22 min., 2D/3D animation, action/adventure/comedy; 6-11 & family.
“Toonzone Studios is a highly unique, fullservice facility that develops, produces, licenses and markets animation and live-action productions for both film and television. Founded in 2007, Toonzone specializes in bringing together award-winning animators, writers, directors, producers, web designers, licensing agents and marketers all under one roof. With studios in Los Angeles, Canada and South Korea, Toonzone Studios is a fully realized independent animation studio.” —Konnie Kwak, CEO
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Tricon Kids & Family ADDRESS: 372 Richmond St. W., Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5V 1X6, Canada TELEPHONE: (1-416) 341-9926 WEBSITE: www.triconfilms.com SENIOR VP, DISTRIBUTION & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT:
Jon Rutherford DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT & INTERNATIONAL SALES:
Ashley Rite CONTACTS: jon@triconfilms.com; ashley@triconfilms.com PROGRAMS: Wildernuts: 26x7 min., 2D animation, preschool; JiggiJump: 25x5 min., live action & 2D animation, preschool; The Next Star: 65x60 min., live action, reality, tween; Zoo Clues: 52x30 min., live action, trivia, family; EA Sports Game Time: 26x30 min., live action, sports, tween; GRRtv—Grass Roots Racing: 44x30 min., live action, adventure, family; Christmas Dreams: 1x60 min., live action, comedy, family.
“We are pleased to be unveiling our new Tricon Kids & Family division, featuring both acquired content and new projects in development. Tricon has a proven track record producing quality children’s programming such as our award-winning kids’ format The Next Star, now in its sixth hit season on YTV. The launch of Tricon Kids & Family is a natural next step as we move into producing and distributing children’s content in all genres, on a global level. Strategic partnerships are an integral part of our growth as we launch our first fully animated series Wildernuts, produced by Kavaleer Productions, and Markle Productions’ live-action/animated series JiggiJump. Currently in development is our new animated bridge preschool series for kids 4 to 7, Go Away Unicorn!, which is a coproduction with Mercury Filmworks. We look forward to announcing additional projects and collaborations over the course of the next year.” —Jon Rutherford, Senior VP, Distribution & Business Development
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Xilam Animation ADDRESS: 86-90 rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, 75003 Paris, France TELEPHONE: (33-1) 4018-7200 WEBSITE: www.xilam.com CHAIRMAN & CEO: Marc du Pontavice EXECUTIVE VP, SALES, TV & LICENSING: Erick Rouille EXECUTIVE VP, MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT:
Francois-Xavier de Maistre PROGRAMS: Paprika: 26x30 min./52x13 min., 2D digital animation, preschool, 3-6; Welcome to the Ronks: 26x30 min./ 52x13 min., 2D animation, comedy, 6-11; The Race: 26x30 min./ 52x13 min., 3D animation, action/comedy, 6-11; Hubert & Takako: 26x30 min./78x7 min., 2D animation, comedy, 8-12; Oggy and the Cockroaches: 91x30 min./270x7 min., 2D animation, slapstick comedy, family; The Daltons: 65x30 min./ 195x7 min., 2D animation, comedy, family; Zig & Sharko: 52x30 min./156x7 min., 2D animation, family; Floopaloo: 52x30 min./104x13 min., 2D animation, comedy, 6-9; Space Goofs: 52x30 min./104x13 min., 2D animation, madcap comedy, family; What’s the Big Idea: 52x5 min., 3D animation, philosophical, upper preschool.
“Founded in 1999 by Marc du Pontavice, Xilam is a production company specializing in family-oriented audiovisual and multimedia content. Xilam creates, produces and distributes cartoons, animated series and feature films for TV, the cinema and all cutting-edge technological and media platforms. With a catalogue of 1,500 episodes of internationally successful programs, Xilam currently employs 300 people, including 200 artists, operating from its two studios, one in Paris and one in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.” —Corporate Communications
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CHANNELS
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ABC3 COUNTRY: Australia LAUNCH DATE: December 2009 OWNERSHIP: Australian Broadcasting Corporation DISTRIBUTION: 98 percent of Australian homes HEAD, PROGRAMMING & ACQUISITIONS, ABC CHILDREN’S TELEVISION: Barbara Uecker COMMISSIONING EDITOR, ANIMATION, ABC CHILDREN’S TELEVISION: Chris Rose COMMISSIONING EDITOR, LIVE ACTION, ABC: Simon Hopkinson WEBSITE: www.abc.net.au/abc3
DESCRIPTION: ABC3, which airs daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., targets kids up to 15. PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: ABC3 is the clear market leader in
its target demographic of kids up to 15. ABC3 and ABC4Kids reach over 60 percent of the Australia audience ages 0 to 15. The programming mix is 65 percent acquired, 35 percent commissioned or produced in-house. “ABC3 offers the school-age audience a broad range of genres,” says Barbara Uecker, the head of programming and acquisitions for ABC Children’s Television. “The morning starts with Studio 3, a popular hosted block consisting mainly of animation; the later morning features news and current affairs, documentaries and factual entertainment. The afternoon has a focus on comedy, wildlife and animation for the younger end of the audience. The early evening features drama, reality and action-adventure, and the schedule closes with programs for the upper end of the channel’s audience. The schedule is 50 percent Australian.” Examples of recent acquisitions for the channel include Officially Amazing from Zodiak, Camp Lakebottom from 9 Story and Grojband from FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment. As for originals, Uecker says, “In July ABC3 launched the third series of our successful drama Dance Academy, a new series of the science game show Steam Punks and the comedy Splatalot.” Uecker says the channel is always on the lookout for “exceptional programming in all genres. Currently we are particularly looking for shows that will appeal to the upper end of the target audience—ages 10-plus.” 90
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Astro Ceria COUNTRY: Malaysia LAUNCH DATE: August 2006 OWNERSHIP: Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad DISTRIBUTION: Cumulative reach for 2013 is 6.4 million for
total Malay 4-plus ACQUISITION EXECUTIVE: Alice Sim ASSISTANT VP: Hadzelynda Khairuddin WEBSITE: www.astro.com.my/ceria
DESCRIPTION: Astro Ceria is the largest Malay kids’ channel in Malaysia, with a kids’ audience share of 5.8 percent. PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: The 24-hour Malay-language
channel targets kids aged 4 to 14. Around 60 percent of the schedule is comprised of acquired content, with 30 percent representing local commissions and the remainder coming from in-house productions. From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Astro Ceria dedicates its programming to preschoolers, aged 4 to 5. Starting at 9 a.m. until 7 p.m., the programs are geared to kids aged 6 to 13. Prime time is weekdays 9 a.m. to noon and weekends/school holidays 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Among the recent acquisitions for the channel are Code Lyoko from Moonscoop, Action Dad from Toonzone, Chibi Maruko-chan from Nippon Animation, Wendy from ZDF Enterprises and Red Kite and Ultraman Kids from Tsuburaya. In the way of original programming there is a children’s singing reality show, Ceria Popstar, which has achieved its highest ratings at 400,000 viewers, as well as the dance reality show Ceria Superstar, with highest ratings at 700,000 viewers. Hadzelynda Khairuddin, assistant VP at Astro Ceria, says that on the current shopping list is 3D animation with slapstick comedy, and also hybrid 2D and 3D animation that is action-packed.“The trend is comedy-centric programs, as the kids love slapstick comedy,” says Khairuddin. “Hence most of our comedy shows work best.” “We are acquiring online rights, VOD rights, IPTV rights as well as 90-day catch-up rights,” says Putri Yasmin Megat Zainuddin, Astro’s VP of Generation Next. 92
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Discovery Kids REGION: Latin America LAUNCH DATE: April 1996 OWNERSHIP: Discovery Communications DISTRIBUTION: More than 46 million cumulative subscribers
in Latin America VP & CHANNEL DIRECTOR: Angela Recio Sondon DIRECTOR, PROGRAMMING: Flavio Medeiros VP, PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, DISCOVERY NETWORKS LATIN AMERICA/U.S. HISPANIC: Michela Giorelli WEBSITE: www.tudiscoverykids.com
DESCRIPTION: Having started as a programming block on Discovery Channel in Latin America, the service has expanded to become a market leader in the region. PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: For 2013 to date, Discovery Kids is number one among kids 4 to 6 pan-regionally. In the individual markets, Discovery Kids is number one in Brazil, Chile and Colombia. In Brazil, Discovery Kids is the number one cable network among all cable networks (not just kids’ networks). It targets children 4 to 6 and women 25 to 39. “Our programming is scheduled in half-hour slots and some movie slots on Fridays and weekends,” says Angela Recio Sondon, the VP and channel director for Discovery Kids at Discovery Networks Latin America/U.S. Hispanic. “We also have stunts on weekends which are called Kids en Control and Domingo Pe de Cachimbo/Domingos DK.” “Most of our programming is acquired but we are increasing the number of local commissions and co-productions year by year,” she adds. Discovery Kids in Latin America recently acquired Peppa Pig from Entertainment One Family for its schedule. “We have also recently acquired The Fresh Beat Band, a show that features a band of four best friends who go to music school together and love to sing and dance,” says Recio Sondon. “Next October we’ll be launching the third season of Veloz Mente (Fast Mind) for all markets in Latin America,” says Recio Sondon of the channel’s originals. “This a show that challenges memory and concentration of children 6 to 8 years old with games and animated stories created especially for entertaining and stimulating the visual skills of the audience.”
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DR Ultra COUNTRY: Denmark LAUNCH DATE: March 2013 OWNERSHIP: DR DISTRIBUTION: Distributed via DTT and pay-TV platforms in
Denmark HEAD, CHILDREN’S, DR TV: Kirstine Vinderskov HEAD, ACQUISITIONS, CHILDREN’S, DR TV: Jakob Stegelmann WEBSITE: www.dr.dk/ultra
DESCRIPTION: The Danish national channel for boys and girls
7 to 12 is programmed by the public service broadcaster DR. PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: DR Ultra launched in March 2013,
replacing the news channel DR Update. It now ranks number two in its demo, with a 12-percent share. “The channel airs from 6:30 a.m. to approximately 9:30 p.m. in the evening depending on the content,” says Kirstine Vinderskov, the head of children’s for DR TV. “The schedule is structured around strong and high-profile programming, with its own daily news show and a strong emphasis on closeness to the real life of children in the age group. This influences the entire schedule. “During the day the channel is scheduled according to the PUT [people using television] level in the target group with a sense of the genres that are particularly relevant for this age group,” continues Vinderskov. “Live action particularly appeals to Ultra’s demo and the channel focuses on this in both production and acquisition. Comedy is also a focus and we look for action and interaction in all programs.” She adds, “The weekdays are structured around strong national content and acquisitions with an emphasis on viewing in the early evening. The weekends focus on catch-up and co-viewing for the families. Because the channel is very new—launched March 4—we are still learning about the viewing habits of the target demo.” For its slate, the channel acquired Strange Hill High from FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment, Dragons: Riders of Berk from DreamWorks Animation, Lightning Point from ZDF Enterprises, Roy from JAM Media and Detentionaire from Nelvana. Originals for the channel include Riisings Flotte Talkshow, Pendlerkids and Ultra Nyt. 94
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Ketnet COUNTRY: Belgium LAUNCH DATE: December 1997 OWNERSHIP: VRT DISTRIBUTION: Available via free to air, cable and satellite PROGRAM ACQUISITION: Telidja Klaï PRODUCTION: Maarten Janssen PRODUCTION: Fran De Vriese GENERAL MANAGER: Wouter Quartier WEBSITE: www.ketnet.be
DESCRIPTION: The public children’s channel in Belgium,
Ketnet targets boys and girls up to 12. PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: Ketnet is owned and operated by the VRT, Belgium’s public broadcaster. It provides a mix of locally produced programming and imported productions, airing from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. “Ketnet has to reach children from 0 to 12 years old,” says Wouter Quartier, the channel’s general manager. “To reach these viewers, Ketnet has divided the target audience into two groups: preschoolers (0-6) and children (6-12). During the day Ketnet has three parts of programming for the preschoolers at hours suitable for little children (early in the morning and during the day when the other children are at school). During prime time (between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.) we focus on children from 6 to 12.” Last year, around 60 percent was acquired programming, 23 percent was commissioned from independent producers and 17 percent was produced in-house. Acquisitions for Ketnet include Mademoiselle Zazie (Cyber Group Studios), Captain Sabertooth (NordicWorld), The Ranch (Zodiak Kids), Yakari and Little Spirou (Mediatoon) and 1001 Nights (PGS Entertainment). “Ketnet produces a daily news program, Karrewiet, which has a live host,” says Quartier. “Additionally, Ketnet has produced several programs with a limited [run] of six weeks: De Ketnet Cup, a show with inflatable games in several Belgian cities; De Omgekeerde, a quiz program where everything is happening in reverse; and Oma & Oma, a humoristic program with two grannies giving their comments on images from the Ketnet archives.”
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KiKA COUNTRY: Germany LAUNCH DATE: October 1995 OWNERSHIP: ARD & ZDF DISTRIBUTION: 98-percent coverage by cable, satellite and
some terrestrial broadcast in Germany HEAD, FICTION, ACQUISITION & CO-PRODUCTION:
Sebastian Debertin WEBSITE: www.kika.de
DESCRIPTION: A joint venture of Germany’s national public channels ARD and ZDF, KiKA broadcasts a combination of live-action and animated programming starting at 6 a.m. each day. PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: Targeted primarily at children 3 to 13, the channel debuted as Clubhouse in 1995 and was rebranded as Der KidnerKanal in 1997, KI.KA in 2000 and came under the current branding as KiKA in February last year. About 65 percent of its programming is original content and up to 35 percent is acquired. “Most of our programs are commissioned productions, complemented by international co-productions and buying licenses,” says Sebastian Debertin, the head of fiction, acquisition and co-production at KiKA. From 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., the channel caters to preschoolers, ages 3 to 6. Programming includes KiKANiNCHEN, Chloe’s Closet, Fireman Sam, Little Red Tractor and Jakers! From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the afterschool and preteens’ block, featuring Jane and the Dragon, The Green Squad, Peter Pan, The Jungle Book and Mia and me. News, daily docs and live action generally runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with highlights such as Tracy Beaker Returns, Baxter, Castle Einstein and What’s Up, Warthogs. From 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. there are children’s prime-time series, including Babar, Franklin, Sandmann, Chloe’s Closet, Maya the Bee, The Cat in the Hat, Yakari, The Little Prince and others. Evenings feature movies, news and magazine shows/events, among them the original KRIMI.DE. Debertin says that right now KiKA is looking for “shows with a long shelf life and authentic characters, with strong storytelling, innovative narrative motifs, accessible design, and potential for more than 26 episodes.”
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RTÉjr COUNTRY: Ireland LAUNCH DATE: September 2010 OWNERSHIP: Raidió Teilifís Éireann DISTRIBUTION: All Irish homes via DTT, and is also on all
cable and satellite platforms in the country COMMISSIONING EDITOR, YOUNG PEOPLE’S PROGRAMS, RTÉ:
Sheila de Courcy DIRECTOR, BROADCAST, ACQUISITIONS, RTÉ: Dermot Horan HEAD, SCHEDULING, RTÉ TWO: Brid Cannon WEBSITE: www.rte.ie/rtejr/home
DESCRIPTION: The number one kids’ channel in Ireland, RTÉjr
is operated by Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ Television. PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: The RTÉjr schedule is broadcast for
12 hours each day, 7 a.m. to just before 7 p.m. It features a mix of in-house, commissioned and acquired international titles. The programming grid is divided into different blocks (“zones”), which follow along with the pace of a child’s day.The zones are: Morning Zone, Learning Zone, Fun Zone, Art Zone, Story Zone and also a co-viewing block each evening between 5 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Each zone features some Irish programming, either commissioned, acquired from the Irish animation sector or produced in-house by the RTÉ Young People’s Programs department. The Morning Zone is from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., broadcasting acquired titles such as Peppa Pig, Hi-5 and the Irish-made Octonauts. The Learning Zone, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., is the “brain hour.” This is where programs with numeracy and literacy elements are presented. It also includes shows about science and nature. The Fun Zone is from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.; it is a time to relax after the learning hour. The titles scheduled here include Gigglebiz, LazyTown, Tilly and Friends, Charlie and Lola and Roobarb and Custard. The Art Zone is from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The in-house produced program The Curious World of Professor Fun and Dr. Dull airs here, as do ZingZillas and Mr Bloom’s Nursery. The Story Zone is at lunchtime, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and is the “quiet time.” Titles include 64 Zoo Lane, In the Night Garden and the in-house production Tell Me a Story. 97
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Event Calendar DISCOP AFRICA November 6-8 Johannesburg, South Africa AMERICAN FILM MARKET November 6-13 Santa Monica, CA, U.S.A. INTERNATIONAL EMMY WORLD TELEVISION FESTIVAL November 23-24 New York, NY, U.S.A. ASIA TV FORUM & SCREENSINGAPORE December 4-7 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore NATPE MIAMI January 27-29, 2014 Miami Beach, FL, U.S.A. INTERNATIONAL EMMY KIDS AWARDS February 13, 2014 New York, NY, U.S.A. TOY FAIR February 16-19, 2014 New York, NY, U.S.A. DISCOP WEST ASIA March 4-6, 2014 Istanbul, Turkey MIPTV April 7-10, 2014 Cannes, France LICENSING INTERNATIONAL EXPO June 17-19, 2014 Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.
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