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BY MANSHA DASWANI
The More You Know
Every sector of the media business felt the pinch of 2024’s recalibration, but none more so than the children’s content industry. The collapse of two of France’s biggest animation IP owners, TeamTO and Cyber Group Studios, and U.K. producer Factory Transmedia, reflected the travails of the business, which is still contending with endemic changes in how kids access content— increasingly via social video platforms and less so on channels or even SVOD services—and the overall commissioning downturn.
We know it’s tough out there, so in the fifth edition of our TV Kids Festival, we set out to deliver an agenda rich with advice for navigating the landscape. If you haven’t already done so, register here to ensure you receive access details in your inbox every day, as well as our post-show Exclusive White Paper recapping all the key intel you may have missed. We’re offering up an awful lot of intelligence over our four-day virtual festival, including insights from programmers about their commissioning and acquisition needs, research from Ampere Analysis, case studies for expanding into gaming and building a presence on YouTube, tips on using Unreal Engine and adapting book IP and so much more.
You’ll find the entire schedule in this TV Kids Festival Agenda, plus biographies of all of our speakers.
Enjoy the show!
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4
9
a.m.
EST The Decision-Makers
The fifth edition of the TV Kids Festival kicks off with our signature session on acquisition and programming strategies, this time delivering intel from ITV’s Darren Nartey, Nickelodeon’s Lynsey O’Callaghan and Amazon Kids+’s Monica Sharma.
10 a.m. EST Mattel’s Josh Silverman
Josh Silverman, executive VP and chief franchise officer at Mattel, will discuss the toy giant’s treasure trove of iconic brands and share the latest developments at Mattel Television Studios.
11
a.m. EST
Ahead of the Curve with Ampere
Olivia Deane , research manager at Ampere Analysis, will outline the challenges and opportunities facing kids’ IP owners with a deep dive into commissioning trends.
12 p.m.
EST Feeling Bookish
ZDF Studios’ Oliver Grundel, Dandelooo’s Emmanuèle Pétry, Hidden Pigeon Company’s
Kristofer Updike and Lion Forge
Entertainment’s Jeremy Colfer will share insights on adapting book IP.
Josh Silverman
Oliver Grundel
Emmanuèle Pétry
Kristofer Updike
Jeremy Colfer
Olivia Deane
Darren Nartey Lynsey O’Callaghan Monica Sharma
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5
9
a.m.
EST 9 Story’s Vince Commisso
Vince Commisso, president and CEO of 9 Story Media Group, will discuss the way forward for the company now that it has closed its transformative deal with Scholastic Entertainment.
10
a.m.
EST The Engagement Game
Kids’ media expert Emily Horgan will lead this conversation on engagement and discovery with pocket.watch’s Beck
Canote and Kedoo Entertainment’s Olivier Bernard.
11
a.m.
EST Boat Rocker’s Jon Rutherford
Jon Rutherford , president of global rights, franchise and content strategy at Boat Rocker Studios, will outline the company’s approach to leveraging new technologies and platforms.
12 p.m. EST Game Time
Dubit’s David Kleeman will lead this session on the importance of gaming extensions with Wind Sun Sky
Entertainment’s Catherine Winder and DeAPlaneta
Entertainment’s Jimena Tormo
Emily Horgan
Beck Canote Olivier Bernard
Vince Commisso
Jon Rutherford
David Kleeman
Catherine Winder Jimena Tormo
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6
9 a.m. EST TV Kids Pioneer Award: Super RTL’s Dominique Neudecker
Dominique Neudecker, VP of kids and family at Super RTL’s TOGGO, will discuss her editorial strategy at the German kids’ network before receiving the TV Kids Pioneer Award in recognition of her contributions to the industry.
10 a.m. EST Shaw Rocket Fund’s Agnes Augustin
As the president and CEO of the Shaw Rocket Fund, Agnes Augustin will offer up insights on trends reshaping the Canadian kids’ content sector.
11 a.m. EST Toon Innovation
From the game-changing developments presented by Unreal Engine to the looming impact of AI, Composition Media’s
Carl Reed and Cheeky Little Media’s Patrick Egerton will share their thoughts on animation innovation.
12 p.m. EST Carl the Collector’s Zachariah OHora
Carl the Collector, created by illustrator Zachariah OHora, is the first series for PBS KIDS in the U.S. that is centered on a neurodiverse character.
Dominique Neudecker
Agnes Augustin
Patrick Egerton
Zachariah OHora
Carl Reed
Agnes Augustin President & CEO Shaw Rocket Fund
Since 2004, Agnes Augustin has been the driving force behind the Rocket Fund’s ongoing commitment to the betterment of Canadian children and youth through strategic investments in media content within a social enterprise model. Under her visionary leadership, the Rocket Fund has grown to become an essential force in fostering innovative content that entertains, educates and inspires young audiences. Augustin has championed strategic partnerships and initiatives that prioritize the creation of diverse and inclusive content. Her forward-think ing approach has helped establish the Fund as a critical player in the children’s media landscape.
Augustin works closely with governments and industry organizations to ensure the needs of producers and Canadian children are always top of mind. Augustin has been recognized by organizations such as the Youth Media Alliance and Women in Film & Television for her ongoing support of the sustainability and growth of the industry.
Before the Rocket Fund, Augustin was VP of business affairs and head of production for CMT and an independent producer.
SESSION
Thursday, February 6: 10 a.m. EST Keynote
Olivier Bernard is a seasoned executive and digital entertainment innovator with over 20 years of experience in the analysis, monetization and distribution of digital content across various platforms. At Kedoo, a leading digital entertainment company specializing in kids’ and general entertainment content, Bernard is delivering high-quality media solutions to global audiences. He also serves as the CEO and co-founder of Kedoo’s production arm, 3D Sparrow, and is the co-founder and U.K. managing director of FreshTunes, a digital music distribution platform for independent artists.
Bernard’s career began in the gaming industry. He later transitioned into analytics, leading the EMEA team at Data.ai. His expertise eventually led him to co-found Kedoo Entertainment and FreshTunes. Kedoo boasts a library of over 1,000 half-hour episodes of general entertainment series and more than 400 half-hour episodes of kids’ and family programming. The company’s distribution network spans digital platforms, including YouTube and Prime Video, FAST services like Samsung TV Plus and TV broadcasters.
SESSION Wednesday, February 5: 10 a.m. EST The Engagement Game
Olivier Bernard
COO & Co-Founder
Kedoo Entertainment
Beck Canote leverages their expertise in data analytics, content strategy and audience development to drive reach, engagement and performance across pocket.watch’s expansive network of FAST channels, CTV apps, subscription services and YouTube channels. With a proven track record as an impactful strategist, they lead an array of initiatives, including creator benchmarking, market research and programming development, strengthening pocket.watch’s position as a leader in the kids’ and family creator space.
Before joining pocket.watch, Canote held programming strategy and research positions at Mythical Entertainment, Portal A, Electric Monster and Entertainment Tonight, building engaged audiences across platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Twitch.
SESSION
Wednesday, February 5: 10 a.m. EST The Engagement Game
Beck Canote Manager, Channel Operations pocket.watch
Jeremy Colfer Director, Development
Lion Forge Entertainment
Jeremy Colfer is a development executive and producer with over 20 years of experience in television, digital media and film. At Lion Forge Entertainment, he is focused on developing graphic novels and comics for film and TV.
Prior to Lion Forge, Colfer developed scripted series for FX, Fox, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros., as well as unscripted series for Food Network and Nickelodeon. He also served as director of development for the launch of Sony’s Crackle and, early in his career while working for MGM and Sony, pioneered the online distribution of movies and TV for the first wave of streaming partners, including Netflix, Prime Video and iTunes.
SESSION
Tuesday, February 4: 12 p.m. EST Feeling Bookish
In 2024, 9 Story Media Group joined the Scholastic family to significantly expand opportunities to build beloved brands for young audiences worldwide. With facilities in Toronto, New York, Dublin and Bali, the company has produced thousands of episodes of best-inclass kids’ and family programming, including hit shows like Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood, Blue’s Clues & You! , Doc McStuffins , The Magic School Bus Rides Again and more.
Vince Commisso began his career in 1992 at Nelvana before co-founding 9 Story Entertainment in 2002. 9 Story has gone on to earn countless awards, including 19 Emmy Awards and two Oscar nominations. Commisso serves on the boards of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), the Canadian Association of Content Exporters (CACE) and Earth Rangers and holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. In 2015, Commisso was awarded the prestigious EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Entertainment and Media category (Ontario). In 2022, he received the Board of Directors’ Tribute Award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
SESSION
Wednesday, February 5: 9 a.m. EST Keynote
Vince Commisso President & CEO 9 Story Media Group
Joining Ampere in 2018, Olivia Deane is a research manager for the company’s Commis sioning service, which tracks the commissioning and production of new original content across all major commissioners globally. Deane has most recently been instrumental in expanding the ser vice to include intellectual property information for both unscripted and scripted content. With a background in critical writing, Deane’s analysis is regularly quoted in consumer and industry press.
SESSION
Analysis
Tuesday, February 4: 11 a.m. EST Ahead of the Curve with Ampere
Olivia Deane Research Manager Ampere
Patrick Egerton has been developing and producing content for well over two decades. He co-founded Cheeky Little Media with David Webster in 2013 and specializes in the creation, development and production of animated series and films. Previous roles include executive producer for international co-production at Ambi ence Entertainment; head of development at Chief Productions, a company he co-founded in the U.K.; and producer at Animal Logic.
SESSION
Thursday, February 6: 11 a.m. EST Toon Innovation
Patrick Egerton Co-Founder & Chief Content Officer
Cheeky Little Media
Oliver Grundel Director Junior ZDF Studios
Oliv er Grundel began his professional career at ZDF Studios in 2006. He was initially responsible for licensing and merchandising activities for ZDF’s program brands across all genres. From 2010 to 2012, he focused on the management and worldwide exploitation of all children’s themes in the ZDF Studios portfolio. Beginning in 2013, Grundel was sales manager for German-speaking countries, responsible for the digital strategy of the ZDF Studios Junior division, and oversaw exploitation activities as the official KiKA agency. In April 2018, Grundel took over activities in the DACH market as sales and acquisition director, in close cooperation with the parent company ZDF, ZDF’s main editorial department for children and youth and KiKA, Germany’s leading provider of children’s content. He was also responsible for key international accounts. In 2023, Grundel took over distribution in English-speaking territories and the management of selected international co-productions. He plays a central role in the division’s global sales activities, is actively involved in the strategic direction of acquisitions and copro ductions and contributes his experience in key account management and brand-building to ensure the best possible marketing of ZDF Studios’ IPs across all platforms.
SESSION
Tuesday, February 4: 12 p.m. EST Feeling Bookish
An international media consultant and former Disney executive, Emily Horgan works across several international clients, focusing on the strategic development of kids’ IP, distribution landscape analysis, brand marketing, franchise management and digital anti-piracy intelligence. She has undertaken extensive research and published analysis on Netflix’s kids’ strategy, including launching the Netflix Kids Content Performance Report. She also has significant firsthand experience in SVOD and YouTube from her time at Disney. Alongside her consulting work, Horgan writes a substack newsletter, The Kids StreamerSphere, and cohosts the Kids Media Club Podcast.
SESSION
Wednesday, February 5: 10 a.m. EST The Engagement Game
Emily Horgan Independent Media Consultant
David Kleeman Senior VP, Global Trends Dubit
Dubit is a research consultancy and games studio. As a strategist, analyst, author, speaker and connector, David Kleeman has led the children’s media industry in developing sustainable, kid-friendly practices for 35-plus years. Kleeman’s perspective is that for all that changes, children’s development and needs remain constant.
Kleeman is the advisory board chair of the worldwide children’s TV festival Prix Jeunesse and a board member of the U.S. Children’s Media Association. In 2023, he was inducted into the Children’s & Family Emmy Silver Circle for his 25- plus years of service.
SESSION
Wednesday, February 5: 12 p.m. EST Game Time
Darren Nartey is responsible for all acquired and co-produced kids’ programs across the I TV portfolio (ITV1, ITV2, ITVBe, ITV3, ITV4 and ITVX). For ITVX Kids, Nartey has acquired, commissioned and co-produced a range of live-action and animated comedies such as Lloyd of The Flies , Mini Movies , Mr Bean and The Sound Collector .
SESSION
Tuesday, February 4: 9 a.m. EST The Decision-Makers
Darren Nartey
Senior Acquisitions Manager, Films & Kids
ITV
Dominique Neudecker VP, Kids & Family, TOGGO
Super RTL
Since June 1, 2024, Dominique Neudecker has been with Super RTL, overseeing, editorially and creatively, the network’s kids’ and family content portfolio, including development, production and acquisition. She previously worked as head of international co-productions at TV-Loonland and as director of production and broadcast at EM.Entertainment. In 2015, she joined The Walt Disney Company, overseeing development, acquisitions and co-productions for the Disney Channel Germany and, beginning in 2020, also for Disney+.
SESSION
Thursday, February 6: 9 a.m. EST TV Kids Pioneer Award
Lynsey O’Callaghan joined Nickelodeon from BBC Children’s 18 years ago and sits as executive in charge across Nickelodeon’s international properties. She has worked on hundreds of episodes of series, including the Emmy Awardwinning The Adventures of Paddington, Kangaroo Beach , Overlord and the Underwoods , Becca’s Bunch , Zack & Quack , Puffin Rock , The Day
Hen ry Met , Wissper , Lily’s Driftwood Bay and Digby Dragon.
O’Callaghan is currently overseeing the fourth season of Deer Squad (Nickelodeon’s first-ever Chinese original series), season three of Kangaroo Beach and some yet-to-be-announced titles. She also manages acquisition deals for the U.K. and reviews pitches for all genres for Nickelodeon International.
SESSION
Tuesday, February 4: 9 a.m. EST The Decision-Makers
Lynsey O’Callaghan Senior Director, International
Acquisitions & Current Series, Nickelodeon
Paramount
Zachariah OHora Creator & Executive Producer
Carl the Collector
New York Times best-selling illustrator and author Zachariah OHora is the creator and executive producer of Carl the Collector , which is produced by his Fuzzytown Productions along with Spiffy Pictures.
The series, PBS KIDS’ first to center on a neurodiverse character, follows the everyday adventures of Carl, a warmhearted autistic raccoon who loves collecting things. The series celebrates the diverse ways kids think and express themselves while helping them develop a strong sense of self and community.
OHora’s award-winning books include My Cousin Momo , Niblet & Ralph , The Not So Quiet Library and Fuzzy, Inside & Out. OHora also created the Rivian Gear Guard avatar featured in all the electric vehicle company’s security systems.
SESSION
Thursday, February 6: 12 p.m. EST Keynote
Emmanuèle Pétry started her career in animation as the head of Nelvana’s European office in Paris, in charge of co-productions and international sales. She co-created the Paris-based production and distribution company Dandelooo with Jean-Baptiste (JB) Wéry to produce the Houdini TV special and the Stinky Dog series, based on the books illustrated by Marc Boutavant, for France Télévisions, co-produced with Foli vari. Along with Wéry, she opened the 2D animation studio Ooolala in Valence to produce the original TV special Mum is Pouring Rain. Now in production is the second season of Billy the Cowboy Hamster, based on the books by Catharina Valckx and published by L’école des loisirs. Just delivered is the serialized series The Upside Down River, based on the novel by Jean-Claude Mourlevat, winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
SESSION Tuesday, February 4: 12 p.m. EST Feeling Bookish
Emmanuèle Pétry Head, International & Development Dandelooo
Carl Reed CEO & Founder Composition Media
Carl Reed is a media creator with 20 years of experience, having worked with highpro file clients to produce diverse content such as comic books, animated series, toys and video games. In 2023, he founded Composition Media, an innovative animation studio focused on creating film and TV content for a global audience, with an emphasis on minority and underrepresented communities. Reed has previously worked with companies such as Disney, MTV, Nickelodeon and Sony Pictures Ani mation, and co-founded Lion Forge Comics in 2011 and Lion Forge Animation in 2018. During his time at Lion Forge, Reed produced award-winning content such as Hair Love, which won an Academy Award for best animated short.
SESSION
Thursday, February 6: 11 a.m. EST Toon Innovation
Jon Rutherford oversees all animated kids’ and family projects, including Dino Ranch for Dis ney and CBC, in addition to the sale and exploitation of all Boat Rocker-owned or -managed IP and brands worldwide, including Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC), Slip (The Roku Channel) and Beacon 23 (MGM+). He also manages the studio’s content ownership and rights retention strategy. He is responsible for sourcing projects, presales, co-productions, regional productions and franchise brand opportunities across all genres.
Rutherford was instrumental in combining Boat Rocker’s content, distribution and brands teams under the consolidated Boat Rocker Studios. Over his 25-year career, Rutherford has established an excellent reputation for cultivating strong global alliances with leading broadcast networks and streaming services. Recent highlights include the continued success on global sensation The Next Step (CBBC), executive producing the new original series The Sunnyridge 3 (Disney+) and Amber Brown (Apple TV+), and co-financing and spearheading content/franchise strategies for series such as Robyn Hood (Corus Entertainment), Mary Makes It Easy (Bell Media), Get Even (BBC, Netflix) and Daniel Spellbound (Netflix).
SESSION
Wednesday, February 5: 11 a.m. EST Keynote
Boat Rocker Studios
Jon Rutherford President, Global Rights, Franchise & Content Strategy
Sharma Head, Video Business Development
Amazon Kids+
Monica Sharma is a versatile entertainment executive with a track record of driving value within the kids’ and family ecosystem. She has a passion for delivering solutions that combine strategic insights, people and processes to solve business challenges. She has been working at the intersection of strategy and creativity for over 15 years.
Sharma works at Amazon Kids+, Amazon’s digital media subscription service for kids aged 3 to 12. As part of her role, Sharma is responsible for content acquisitions and overseeing development and production deals across a variety of formats and business models.
Sharma joined Amazon in January 2020 as strategy and operations lead for the global media and entertainment vertical of Amazon Web Services, Amazon’s cloud computing division. Prior to Amazon, Sharma worked as head of strategy and business development for Nickelodeon International and advised Nickelodeon U.S. sales leadership on a variety of go-to-market initiatives.
SESSION
Tuesday, February 4: 9 a.m. EST The Decision-Makers
Monica
Josh Silverman joined Mattel in 2022. In his role, Silverman oversees franchise management, consumer products, publishing, promotions, location-based entertainment, live experiences, digital gaming, music and licensed entertainment, in addition to development, production, distribution and content for Mattel Television Studios.
Since joining Matt el, Silverman has expanded the company’s global consumer products and publishing businesses, as well as live and locationbased entertainment such as the World of Barbie traveling exhibit, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live and the upcoming Mattel Adventure Park. Most notably, Silverman oversaw the execution of more than 165 consumer products partnerships and retail tie-ins related to the Barbie movie.
Prior to joining Mattel, Silverman held senior leadership roles with The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Entertainment.
SESSION
Tuesday, February 4: 10 a.m. EST Keynote
Josh Silverman Executive VP & Chief Franchise Officer Mattel
Tormo Head, Gaming & Interactive IPs DeAPlaneta
Jimena Tormo leads the development of interactive and gaming projects for DeAPlaneta Entertainment’s intellectual properties. A technology creative specializing in immersive content, she has over five years of experience at Visyon, part of the Mediapro Group, and co-founded the pod cast Metaversadas , dedicated to exploring emerging technologies.
She has taught at renowned institutions such as the European Institute of Design (IED), The Valley Digital Business School and the Barcelona School of Creativity (BSC) and has been a speaker at prestigious Spanish and international events like the Immerse Global Summit Madeira, Laval Virtu al Europe, GM Barcelona! and DescubreXR.
SESSION
Wednesday, February 5: 12 p.m. EST Game Time
Jimena
For more than 20 years, Kristofer Updike has held a variety of key roles in the entertainment business. He has worked as a development and production executive, content creator, writer, producer, postproduction supervisor and showrunner across three entertainment mediums— television, film and theater. His extensive track record in children’s television includes developing and producing more than 900 half-hours of animation and live-action scripted and unscripted content, encompassing preschool, 6-12, young adult and family.
Prior to joining Hidden Pigeon Company, Updike was VP of development at Peacock, where he implemented the Peacock Kids streaming portfolio and managed the development and production of internationally recognized intellectual property, as well as new original entertainment for families and kids ages 2 to 12. Before coming aboard at Peacock, Updike served as senior director of original programming and development at Universal Kids; director and senior manager of original production and development at Sprout; and VP of production with Bix Pix Entertainment.
SESSION
Tuesday, February 4: 12 p.m. EST Feeling Bookish
Kristofer Updike Senior VP, Creative Hidden Pigeon Company
Catherine Winder CEO, Executive Producer & Founder
Wind Sun Sky Entertainment
Catherine Winder pioneers innovative entertainment experiences at the convergence of storytelling and technology, crafting compelling multiplatform narratives across broadcast, YouTube, gaming, theatrical and more. As co-creator of Future Chicken, she leads a groundbreaking, award-winning, multiplatform digital universe empowering children to address climate concerns. She also created Camp Bonkers, another multiplatform property encompassing a Roblox game, app and variety show with a soon-tobe-released new YouTube series. Through a strategic relationship with leading creator economy company Viral Nation, she collaborates on multiplatform content expressions with YouTube sensations Like Nastya and The McCartys. Leveraging game engine technologies, she produced the first-ever live interactive animated event series, My Singing Monsters: Fandemonium, based on the musical mobile game where animated characters could engage with the audience in real-time. She adapted Twilight Daycare into a scripted series animated and distributed within Roblox. She also collaborates with top Roblox creators behind games such as Jailbreak and Creatures of Sonaria.
SESSION
Wednesday, February 5: 12 p.m. EST Game Time
