TV Kids MIPTV 2011

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The State of Kids’ TV Reinventing Classics

MIPTV EDITION

Live Action Nickelodeon’s Victoria Justice Turner’s Stuart Snyder The Hub’s Margaret Loesch www.tvkids.ws

THE MAGAZINE OF CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING

APRIL 2011

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TV KIDS

4Kids Entertainment www.4kidsentertainment.com

“ Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond

• Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time • Rocket Monkeys • Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s: Road to Destiny • Tai Chi Chasers

Time…brings together for the first time the three iconic heroes from the hugely popular Yu-Gi-Oh! trilogy.

”

One of 4Kids Entertainment’s biggest hits, the Yu-GiOh! franchise continues to draw big numbers for broadcasters across the globe. New for MIPTV is a one-hour animated movie, called Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time, “produced in visually stunning 3D,” according to Brian Lacey, executive VP of international, that brings the brand’s three heroes together for the first time. Also available is the 45x22-minute Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s: Road to Destiny, “another season from the fast-paced final chapter of the franchise,” says Lacey.

He is also presenting to buyers the 26x22-minute series Rocket Monkeys, “the much anticipated fresh and smart comedy series produced in association with Breakthrough Entertainment and TELETOON of Canada.”

Completing the slate of new and returning product is the 29x22-minute animation Tai Chi Chasers, “a fantasy adventure series that involves a search for ancient tai chi symbols to bring peace to the world.”

—Brian Lacey

Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time

Australian Children’s Television Foundation

IN THIS ISSUE

www.actf.com.au

Bringing Back the Magic

• • • •

“ The ACTF is a world-renowned

Flea-Bitten Package of 10 Short-Form Series Lockie Leonard My Place

Well known for its portfolio of live-action hits, the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) is coming to MIPTV with a new animated comedy, FleaBitten. The 26x24-minute show follows the unlikely friendship between a dog and a flea. Live-action tween hits will also be on display, with the comedy Lockie Leonard and the historical drama My Place. The ACTF is also debuting a package of 98x1-minute animated and live-action shorts. “These wacky and distinctive series showcase Australia’s most talented and innovative animators,” says Roberta di Vito, an international sales executive.

Di Vito adds that the shows being offered at the market “are all unique and highly entertaining—children around the world watching these programs will identify with the characters and their experiences. Given the quality of new programs being launched at MIPTV, we anticipate that they will be well received by buyers.”

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producer and distributor of topquality children’s My Place programs, with sales to more than 100 territories.

”

—Roberta di Vito

Many independent distributors are finding opportunities globally 36

Classics Pounce Back Shows based on iconic properties are as popular as ever 46

Now Playing Live Live-action series are a hit with tween audiences 52

Interviews Nickelodeon’s Victoria Justice Turner’s Stuart Snyder The Hub’s Margaret Loesch

58 60 62

Special Report Mondo TV: A Sponsored Supplement

Flea-Bitten

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TV KIDS

CAKE www.cakeentertainment.com • The Sparticle Mystery • Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey • Poppy Cat • Oscar’s Oasis • Eliot Kid

Ricardo Seguin Guise

Publisher Anna Carugati

Editor Mansha Daswani

Executive Editor Kristin Brzoznowski

Managing Editor Morgan Grice

Editorial Assistant Matthew Rippetoe Lauren Uda

With a track record of global hits like the Total Drama franchise and Eliot Kid, CAKE is heading into MIPTV with the hopes of “building on our burgeoning reputation as a purveyor of distinctive kids’ content,” says Ed Galton, the company’s managing director and chief commercial officer.

Leading off the crop of new shows is the 13x30minute CBBC commission from Sparticles Productions, The Sparticle Mystery, a science-fiction series. Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey is a series of five-minute episodes that Galton calls “a warm and wonderful series you just don’t want to miss.” Also on offer is the book-based Poppy Cat, which Galton says “has attracted a lot of interest ahead of its premiere on Nick Jr. U.K. in the spring.” Rounding out the slate are Oscar’s Oasis and the second season of Eliot Kid, which, Galton notes, “offers the same kind of manic mayhem that made the first one a success.”

Eliot Kid

“ It’s an eclectic mix of

the best children’s and family content to be found from international, independent producers.

”

—Ed Galton

Production & Design Directors Simon Weaver

Online Director Phyllis Q. Busell

Art Director Cesar Suero

Classic Media

Sales & Marketing Manager

www.classicmedia.tv

Terry Acunzo

• Voltron Force • Life with Boys • Dream Defenders

Business Affairs Manager Alyssa Menard

“ We are looking forward

Sales & Marketing Coordinator

Ricardo Seguin Guise

President Anna Carugati

Executive VP and Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani

VP of Strategic Development TV Kids © 2011 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website:

www.tvkids.ws

MIPTV presents the first opportunity for Classic Media to show off episodes of its new series Life with Boys and Voltron Force, according to Chloe van den Berg, the executive VP of international.

“Life with Boys, for tweens, is not another gimmick show—kids are looking for and are ready for a characterdriven show about the truth, and this live-action series from Michael Poryes, a co-creator of Hannah Montana and That’s So Raven, will deliver this for buyers,” she says.

Voltron Force, meanwhile, a reboot of the classic ’80s animated hit, “presents for buyers the ultimate opportunity for all of the fans to introduce the series to their children, reliving their own childhood while being able to enjoy an all new and exhilarating series.”

Van den Berg will also be speaking to clients about Dream Defenders, a Singaporean co-production which is “produced in stunning 3D CGI, and, key for buyers, is available in HD and stereoscopic 3D.”

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to a successful market launching our new shows and finding new content.

”

—Chloe van den Berg

Dream Defenders

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TV KIDS

Cyber Group Studios www.cyber-animation.com • Tales of Tatonka • Fish ’n Chips • Nina Patalo • Grenadine & Peppermint • Cloud Bread

Responding to a need from the market for fast-paced comedies, Cyber Group Studios is launching two new ones at MIPTV, targeting kids aged 6 to 10. There’s the 78x7-minute Nina Patalo, in which “a kooky bunch of friends take us on the craziest adventures,” says Carole Brin, the VP of international sales and acquisitions. And Fish ’n Chips is “about a cat chasing a fish…for the ownership of a fishbone. It’s a slapstick comedy with very high production values and outstanding animation.”

Cyber Group Studios will also have the CGI show Tales of Tatonka, for kids 4 to 8, about young wolf cubs, as well as Grenadine & Peppermint. And for the preschool set there’s Cloud Bread.

“Our goal for MIPTV is to develop our collaboration with renowned animation producers in order to expand our offer,” Brin adds.

Fish ‘n Chips

“ We’re bringing to this

MIPTV two very strong, fastpaced comedies geared to 6- to 10-year-olds, and we are anticipating a high level of interest in these shows.

”

—Carole Brin

DQ Entertainment www.dqentertainment.com The New Adventures of Peter Pan

• 5 and It • The New Adventures of Peter Pan • The Jungle Book • The Wind in the Willows • Lassie & Friends

Continuing to build its brand as an owner and developer of original IP, DQ Entertainment (DQE) remains focused on reviving old classics, says Tapaas Chakravarti, the company’s chairman and CEO,“keeping their charm but making them more contemporary to attract new audiences.”

On the roster at MIPTV is 5 and It, based on the Edith Nesbit novel Five Children and It, targeted at kids aged 6 to 9.The CGI 3D stereoscopic The New Adventures of Peter Pan is due for completion in the spring of 2012, bringing the classic tale to modern-day London. DQE is also showcasing season two of The Jungle Book. Kenneth Grahame’s classic The Wind in the Willows is the basis of a new 52x11minute series. Rounding out the slate is Lassie & Friends.

“These titles, which have being hugely popular in the past, are now being produced in high-quality 3D HD and have all the ingredients of action, adventure and humor while preserving all of the charm of the original tales.”

“ We are confident that broadcasters and distributors will see the potential of these properties for maximum monetization across all platforms.

”

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—Tapaas Chakravarti

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TV KIDS

eOne Family www.eonefamily.com • • • • •

Peppa Pig Humf Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom Raymond Majority Rules

Since joining Entertainment One (eOne) last year to run its children’s-and-family-programming division as managing director, Olivier Dumont has set out to position the company’s shows as brands that can be extended across a variety of categories.

One of the most successful thus far has been Peppa Pig, which leads off eOne Family’s slate for MIPTV. The preschool series recently launched on Nick Jr. in the U.S., and a toy rollout in the territory is eyed for fall 2012, Dumont says.

Another big hit, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom, was recently renewed by Nick Jr. in the U.K., and the series Humf has secured its first licensing deals.

At MIPTV, eOne Family will also be showcasing the Flash animation Raymond and the tween comedy Majority Rules. Plus, Dumont says, “We’re constantly on the lookout for new projects and new brands to build, and we have a huge development slate.”

Peppa Pig

“ We are at heart a brand-management company, more than a TV-distribution company or just an L&M operation.

”

—Olivier Dumont

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TV KIDS

Gaiam www.gaiam.com • Chop Kick Panda • Tappy Toes Penguin • Puss in Boots

With buyers worldwide seeking out properties with built-in brand appeal, Gaiam is eager to introduce its clients to its three new animated films for MIPTV: Chop Kick Panda, Tappy Toes Penguin and Puss in Boots. The 45minute specials join a catalogue of classic animated programs “featuring famous characters known throughout the world,” says Bill Sondheim, the president of entertainment and worldwide distribution at the company.

“Our programs are familiar and instantly appealing to worldwide audiences,” Sondheim notes. “Whether a classic story like Pinocchio or Puss in Boots or a recently popular panda or penguin movie, we know how to create stories that connect audiences with the characters they love!”

Sondheim adds, “Our newest titles provide excellent drafting opportunities with upcoming blockbuster theatrical features. We hope that clients seize the opportunity to take advantage of the marketing and interest surrounding these events through the programs we are offering at MIPTV.”

“ Our programs are

Puss in Boots

designed to provide instant consumer recognition and strong appeal.

”

—Bill Sondheim

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TV KIDS

Guru Studio www.gurustudio.com Justin Time

• Justin Time • Agency 13 • Pop It! • 1,2,3 Go! • Little Movers

At MIPCOM last year, Canada’s Guru Studio launched a distribution arm with Justin Time as its first property available to international buyers.The series is in production for Canada’s Family Channel and Playhouse Disney. Mary Bredin,VP of development and acquisitions, is excited to continue showcasing the preschool animation at MIPTV. “We have closed some strong sales,” she says. “We are building some great partnerships.” Bredin says that the series “taps into fun-filled boy adventure!”

Guru Studio also has several other properties in the works. Bredin lists Agency 13, a buddy comedy for 7- to 11-year-olds; and the live-action series Pop It!, which offers dance tips to kids. For the preschool set there are Little Movers, which Bredin says “gives broadcasters a fresh take on shows about vehicles,” and 1,2,3 Go! Also on the slate is the live-action sitcom Shawn vs. Ben, about a blended family.

“ We are really looking forward to talking to new broadcasters for Justin Time.”

—Mary Bredin

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TV KIDS

I.M.P.S. www.smurf.com • The Smurfs • The Smurfs and the Magic Flute

This August, Sony Pictures releases its 3D live-action and animated hybrid feature film The Smurfs Movie, based on the 272x30-minute classic series that continues to bring in deals for I.M.P.S. around the world.

“This movie will introduce the brand to a new generation worldwide and create a lot of new promotional and licensing partnerships,” says William Auriol, the CEO of I.M.P.S. Auriol notes that for the original series, as well as the first animated Smurfs feature, The Smurfs and the Magic Flute, the priority is to “expand business in territories where there was less exposure in the past. For the last decade, the focus has been on Europe for the most part.”

Auriol adds, “As The Smurfs are a worldwide brand, I.M.P.S. has started to develop again the markets which were not explored enough [before], not only in the audiovisual field, but also in terms of licensing and book publishing.”

The Smurfs

“ Audiences everywhere are in for a Smurfy good time as the Smurfs make their first 3D trip to the big screen.

”

—William Auriol

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TV KIDS

The Jim Henson Company www.henson.com • • • • •

Sid the Science Kid

Dinosaur Train Sid the Science Kid Pajanimals Fraggle Rock Labyrinth

The first seasons of the PBS KIDS preschool shows Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid have already fared well on kids’ channels worldwide. At MIPTV, a new set of 26 episodes for both shows will be available from The Jim Henson Company. “These highly acclaimed series are both visually stunning and offer high production values with story lines and characters that are compelling and appealing to children in the preschool age range,” says Peter Schube, the president and COO. “We have new themes, new characters and even some celebrity talent to introduce that keep the series fresh and engaging.”

The Henson sales team will also be introducing clients to Pajanimals, with 11 two-minute episodes available and 26 half-hours in development. The company’s library continues to generate interest as well, with Fraggle Rock and the fantasy features Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal.

“We feel we can offer something for everyone.”

“ Our goal is always to meet with as many buyers as we can and to bring their attention, if they aren’t already aware, to the breadth of our library.

”

—Peter Schube

Mediatoon Distribution mid.mediatoon.com • Quiz Time • Tintin • The Garfield Show • Taratabong • Contraptus

“ It is our pleasure to come back to MIPTV with 1,500 hours of high-quality programs. ”

—Jérôme Alby

Mediatoon Distribution has some 1,500 hours of programming to showcase at MIPTV, according to Jérôme Alby, the deputy general manager, with a mix of new fare and “all-time classics,” he says.

There’s the 39-episode Tintin, featuring the intrepid reporter and his colorful friends; and the 104x11-minute The Garfield Show, a CGI series that first rolled out on France 3 and has since expanded to Cartoon Network, among other broadcasters.

New for MIPTV is the edutainment series Quiz Time, a 52x4-minute production. Another short-form series is Taratabong, which teaches the importance of music to preschoolers. Mediatoon’s portfolio also includes Contraptus, a 78x8-minute comedy; three feature films in the Asterix brand: Asterix the Gaul, Asterix: The 12 Tasks and Asterix & Cleopatra; the interstitials series Yummy Toonies; and the 156-episode Cedric.

Quiz Time

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TV KIDS

Mondo TV S.p.A. www.mondotv.it • • • • •

Puppy in My Pocket

Dinofroz Playtime Buddies Power Buggz Beast Keeper Puppy in My Pocket

Mondo TV S.p.A. has seen tremendous gains in its revenues over the last few years, according to Matteo Corradi, senior VP of international sales, in part due to the company shifting its strategy to branded properties. For example, there’s Dinofroz, based on a hit collectible toy line from Giochi Preziosi.The series is due to be released in fall 2012.

In tandem with Visual Picnic and Licensing Works, Mondo is producing the preschool series Playtime Buddies. With MEG Toys is Power Buggz, which is being directed by Mondo’s founder and CEO, Orlando Corradi. Another new series is Beast Keeper, targeting kids 7 to 12, which Corradi says “is a little bit more Manga style.”

At MIPTV, Mondo will also be looking to do more deals on Puppy in My Pocket, co-produced by Mondo with Giochi Preziosi and MEG Toys. “This is a key property for Mondo TV because it is the first time that one of our shows has been sold in a pan-[regional] deal to Cartoon Network Europe.”

“ Mondo TV is giving priority to properties that

were already well known in the toy and licensing worlds, and turning them into animated series.

”

—Matteo Corradi

Motion Pictures www.motionpic.com • Glumpers • Hero Kids • Van Dogh • LMN’s • Boom & Reds

“ We are eager to find new interesting ideas for co-production.”

—Tony Albert

With more than 30 years’ experience, Motion Pictures is among Spain’s most prolific animation producers, and its international profile is rising. “We are looking to position ourselves as producers of high-quality animation, so [clients] find our content visually appealing and perfectly executed,” says Tony Albert, the sales director.

Albert notes that Motion Pictures’ properties can appeal to a broad range of young viewers, from the preschool-targeted Van Dogh, Boom & Reds and Glumpers, a series of 90-second slapstick comedy shorts, to the adventure animation series LMN’s and Hero Kids.

The company, Albert says, has tried to “diversify our range of targets so you can find content appealing to all of them from preschool to tweens.” At MIPTV, Motion Pictures will be seeking out new potential coproduction projects, and looking to broaden its client base to include more new-media platforms.

Glumpers

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TV KIDS

Nerd Corps Entertainment www.nerdcorps.com • • • • •

Rated A for Awesome League of Super Evil Endangered Species Slugterrainea Storm Hawks

“ We’re always looking to bring strong comedies to our broadcasters that will appeal to their core kid demo.”

—Ken Faier

Endangered Species

Building on its reputation for delivering action-adventure comedies to the global market, Nerd Corps Entertainment is bringing Rated A for Awesome to MIPTV. The 3D series is currently in production for YTV in Canada and Disney XD in the U.S. and EMEA. Also in the works are scripts for season three of League of Super Evil, which will head into production late this year. “We’re continuing to support the rollout of that series’ second season worldwide,” says Ken Faier, el presidente at Nerd Corps.

Some territories are still available for Storm Hawks, recently acquired by Disney XD in the U.S., Faier notes.

Also on the slate are the development projects Endangered Species and Slugterrainea.“Broadcasters want to deliver great laughs and big excitement to their audience, wrapped in fun stories that kids can relate to. Nerd Corps has consistently delivered on this promise through a combination of innovative animation and strong storytelling,” he says.

PGS Entertainment www.pgsentertainment.com • Jungle Report • Le Petit Prince: A New Journey Begins • The Gees • I.N.K.: The Invisible Network of Kids • Mr. Otter

“ With the size of our catalogue, we have the

ability to attend 10 to 15 markets around the world.

”

In 2008, as the economic recession was beginning to make its impact on the television business, Philippe Soutter set up PGS Entertainment as a “kids’-centric distributor” focused exclusively on representing the best properties available from independent producers.Today, the company’s library is large enough to support PGS attending a host of television markets across the globe to seek out new opportunities.

The company has also assembled a stable of well-known, iconic properties, such as Le Petit Prince: A New Journey Begins, which Soutter, PGS’s CEO, says “brings a lot of coviewing potential.” New for PGS at MIPTV is Jungle Report, from France’s TAT Productions, which is set up as a series of short news segments about quirky animals in the wild, including a penguin who thinks he’s a tiger. Other MIPTV highlights include Studio Hari’s shorts series The Gees, the comedy I.N.K.:The Invisible Network of Kids and the educational offering Mr. Otter.

—Philippe Soutter

Jungle Report

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Portfolio Entertainment www.portfolio-ent.com • The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!

• Jobi’s Room • Carl Squared

Earlier this year, Portfolio Entertainment announced a string of new deals on The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, based on the much-loved Dr. Seuss property. Disney Channel in Spain, Norway’s NRK, Finland’s MTV Oy and Al Jazeera Children’s Channel were among the latest to scoop up the show, which launched on Treehouse in Canada last summer as well as on PBS KIDS in the U.S. It has consistently ranked as a top-rated show for kids 2 to 5 on both networks. Continuing sales on the show is a key priority at MIPTV, says Louis Fournier, theVP of sales and acquisitions.

Another goal for the market is to secure broadcaster interest in Jobi’s Room, which Portfolio recently secured the rights to.The 52x1-minute animation, which is from Brazil’s 2D Lab, follows the adventures of a 10-year-old boy and his best friend, a talking frog. Portfolio is also representing the tween animation Carl Squared. “[We want to] continue to add to our catalogue of quality programming through selective acquisitions,” Fournier says.

Jobi’s Room

“ Overall production quality, strong brand

power…and resonance with the audience [makes these titles appealing].

”

—Louis Fournier

Rainbow S.p.A. www.rbw.it • Huntik: Secrets & Seekers • PopPixie • Winx Club specials • Mia and Me • Gon

Driving sales on season two of Huntik: Secrets & Seekers is one of Rainbow’s top priorities at MIPTV. “We hope to communicate that it is not just another boys’ TV show, but the truly epic saga, with thrilling action, exciting fights, enigmatic mysteries and strong teamwork, [and] also rich with comical situations to make the series even more entertaining for the audience,” says Iginio Staffi, CEO.The promotional efforts at MIPTV include an exhibit “featuring beautiful, detailed illustrations of the characters and settings.”

Straffi notes the first-season success of the show across Europe. “The second season will be even more impactful, with a $10-million budget and a master toy deal with our long-time partners in the toy business, Giochi Preziosi.”

Rainbow also aims to sign up more territories for PopPixie. Four specials for Winx Club will also be on offer, as well as Mia and Me, a co-production with m4e and March Entertainment, and Gon.

“ All of our content has always had four

important qualities that make them globally appealing: high entertainment values, consistently good ratings across the globe, 360-degree multiplatform [elements and] integrated marketing support.

”

—Iginio Straffi

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Saban Brands www.sabanbrands.com Power Rangers: Samurai

• Power Rangers • Power Rangers: Samurai

One of the most successful kids’ franchises ever, the Power Rangers, is back with a new series from Saban Brands, which last year reacquired the rights to the property. Power Rangers: Samurai launched on Nickelodeon in February to strong ratings, and MarVista Entertainment has been busy securing international slots for the reboot, which has Bandai Toys as the master toy partner.

“We have a lot of unique special effects and action in our show,” says Elie Dekel, the president of Saban Brands, of the new season. “And when you see it in the hi-def format, it pops so much more and it adds a texture and a gloss to the show that hadn’t been there, and is reminiscent of some of that campy charm the show had. In our research, we found it was an improvement of the show; it was better than what they remembered.” Focus groups, Dekel says, already revealed the “remarkable impact Power Rangers has on the target audience, which is 6- to 8-year-olds, boys and girls.”

“ It’s the first time the series has been shot in high definition, which is really quite a remarkable visual impact, because the show is so rich in color, props, rubber monster aliens and miniature buildings!

”

—Elie Dekel

Skywriter Media & Entertainment Group www.skywritermedia.com Camp Lakebottom

• Camp Lakebottom • Vivi • On the Run • One

Less than two years after its formation, Skywriter Media & Entertainment Group has built up a catalogue of completed series for the kids’ market, and has a host of new shows in development. These include Camp Lakebottom with TELETOON, Vivi with TVO and One with CBC. “They are at a point, or fast moving to the point of, being ready for greenlight,” says Kevin Gillis, CEO and executive producer, of the development slate. “We see this market as being a ‘tipping point’ to put these projects into production.”

Skywriter is also pitching a new live-action mystery based on the On the Run books by Gordon Korman.

“With every project we undertake, we endeavor to create the best show that will appeal to the tastes of the audiences we are targeting,” Gillis continues. “Skywriter’s strategy is to always work with the best and most suitable creative talent, to imbue each project with writers, directors, actors and animators that can deliver for the broadcaster and ultimately the audience.”

“ We believe in creating shows that are

leaders and makers of taste, rather than trying to follow the trends of existing programs in the marketplace.

”

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—Kevin Gillis

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Studio100 Media www.studio100media.com Maya the Bee

• House of Anubis • Maya the Bee • Woodlies • Florrie’s Dragons • Enyo

Studio100 Media is working on updated 3D versions of many of its veteran German brands, beginning with Maya the Bee. The property, according to Patrick Elmendorff, managing director, “has enchanted three generations of viewers and has reached cult character status. Maya is one of the best-known brands throughout Europe. We believe that the new modernized classic will continue to be watched now and by future generations and appeal to buyers.”

Elmendorff notes that the overall Studio100 slate covers “many different formats and techniques, ranging from 3D animation, hybrid animation to live action. We have character-driven stories offering comedy, action and adventure with strong story lines targeting both girls and boys.” Top properties include House of Anubis, its liveaction tween format, which recently launched in the U.S., Florrie’s Dragons, Woodlies and Enyo.

“ With our extensive library of new and

existing programming, we expect to sell our key properties into an increasing number of European markets and internationally.

”

—Patrick Elmendorff

Switchover Media www.switchovermedia.it • GXT • K2 • Frisbee

The evolution of the DTT market across Europe has created new opportunities for companies like Italy’s Switchover Media.The company was formed in 2009 following the management buyout of some of Jetix Italy’s assets. Today, it operates the DTT channels K2 and Frisbee, among other networks. “Switchover Media is now the leading kids’ channel provider in Italy,” says Francesco Nespega, the managing partner, citing K2 and Frisbee’s combined audience share of 8.2 percent among kids 4 to 14 in February.“We’re an independent company operating in a market with over 20 different dedicated channels.”

The ratings, Nespega continues, illustrate the quality of the programming schedule, which is based entirely on acquisitions. The company is now setting up Switchover Media Licensing,“which will manage the consumer-product rights of the properties we acquire.We think that the coordinated synergy among all the levels of exploitation, from multiplatform promotion and broadcast to licensing, could represent an even more interesting solution for our partners.”

“ Switchover Media’s

strategy is to manage a portfolio of complementary TV channels offering a wide range of compelling entertainment.

”

—Francesco Nespega

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Scan2Go on K2

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TV KIDS

Telescreen www.telescreen.nl • Mia and Me • Conni • Rudolf • Ask Lara • Frog & Friends

With its acquisition by Germany’s m4e in 2008,Telescreen has been tapping into its parent company’s expertise to develop strong licensing and merchandising campaigns around the shows it represents.That is the strategy for Mia and Me, which is slated to hit screens in the spring of 2012.

The show is being co-produced by Lucky Punch—a joint venture of m4e and Gerhard Hahn’s Hahn Films—with Canada’s March Entertainment and Italy’s Rainbow. ZDF and RAI are already on board, and Telescreen will be looking to sign up broadcasters in the Nordic territories, Central and Eastern Europe, and Asia at MIPTV (Rainbow holds the rights to select other markets).

“A series about unicorns has never been made before,” says Sjoerd Raemakers, managing director of TV sales worldwide.Telescreen will also be talking to clients about the preschool animation Conni, based on a successful book series.

Also available are Ask Lara, Frog & Friends and Rudolf.

Mia and Me

“ We want Mia and Me to be a [major] success.”

—Sjoerd Raemakers

Your Family Entertainment www.yf-e.com • Oscar the Balloonist • Wakkaville • Mission Odyssey • Adventurers: Masters of Time • Enid Blyton Adventure Series & Secret Series

With its roots in book publisher Ravensburger AG, Your Family Entertainment has built a reputation as a provider of high-quality, educational content for kids and families.

The company, which also operates a successful kids’ channel, is home to more than 3,500 hours of programming. At MIPTV, a key priority will be shoring up new deals on Oscar the Balloonist, which already has ZDF in Germany as a broadcasting partner. “It’s trying to give educational content within entertainment,” says CEO Stefan Piëch about the series, which, he says, “shows that education can be integrated into entertainment in a very positive and successful way.”

Other shows on offer at MIPTV include the comedy Wakkaville, the action-adventure Mission Odyssey and Adventurers: Masters of Time as well as Enid Blyton Adventure Series and Enid Blyton Secret Series.

Wakkaville

“ Your Family Entertainment produces

and distributes nonviolent, family-oriented TV programs that parents trust.

”

—Stefan Piëch

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m4e and Rainbow’s Mia and Me.

Despite tight budgets, intense competition and lots of product in the market, many independent children’s producers are finding ample opportunities globally.

Bringing Back the

Magic

By Bill Dunlap It has been quite a while since independent producers of chil-

dren’s programs have said their business was anything but tough and challenging.

It was tough and challenging long before the global economic slump of the past couple of years. It was tough and challenging even before Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon grew to the level of global dominance they share today by means of multiple channels, owned programs and their own merchandising arms.

That being said, some recent conversations with independent producers finds them saying that business, while still far from easy, is showing some signs of improvement.

And they’re not too critical of the big three.

“I’m actually feeling more optimistic,” says Arnie Zipursky, the president, CEO and co-chairman of CCI Entertainment.

“I’m feeling things are better than they were 12 or 18 months ago. Going into 2011, I’m seeing more opportunities than a couple years ago.”

Tom van Waveren, the CEO and creative director of CAKE Entertainment, has detected some renewed inter236

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est by broadcasters in quality animation.

“In the last 9 to 12 months, there has been a return by broadcasters that give an important place to animation,” he says. “They are interested in picking up good shows. We feel the middle market has disappeared. Fifteen years ago, if you made nice shows—nice ideas properly executed— there was a market for them. But the volume has gone down and there is more competition for fewer slots, which has raised the bar.”

A CLEARER PICTURE

Some mid-level companies have disappeared, van Waveren says, which helps those still standing. “At the same time, channels that have animation central to their schedule need and want strong independent shows in the mix,” he says.

“That has created more of a focus on smaller groups of very focused and professional producers working with very focused and professional broadcast organizations. To me, there is less noise and more focus. That doesn’t make it easier, but it makes it clearer.”

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tion. Our distribution arm skyrocketed. The success of Ozie Boo! being sold in 160 markets helped us do this. For years we put a lot of effort into development, maybe even developing too many shows. Even if only two or three go on the air it will pay for all the development. And being French, we are protected from the world crisis.”

HELPFUL HANDOUTS

Bare necessities: CAKE, which represents a portfolio that includes the hit Eliot Kid, is seeing strong demand for high-quality animation.

Lionel Marty, the president of worldwide distribution for Moonscoop, calls the market “tough” and attributes much of the toughness to European terrestrial broadcasters moving kids’ programming to their digital channels.

DIGITAL MAZE

It’s not surprising that many of the companies with reason for optimism are based in countries that offer subsidies and tax credits, or are involved in co-productions with such companies.

“Ultimately, if you add up all the license fees around the world that are being paid for animation, you do not cover a budget,” CAKE’s van Waveren says, pointing to the leg up that producers can get in Canada, France, and, to a lesser extent, Australia and Ireland. “They can bring 30 to 40 percent of the budget to the table. You need those kinds of funding mechanisms.”

Cathy Payne, the CEO of Endemol Worldwide Distribution, says there wouldn’t be an Australian kids’ business without subsidies and quotas. “In Australia we’ve always had content laws that required broadcasters to carry local kids’ content,” she says. “The networks wouldn’t have children’s programming if they weren’t forced to. It’s not a commercial business for them. The market that’s really suffered in kids’ programming in recent years is the U.K. There just hasn’t been money available from the broadcasters for commissions.”

“The [time slots] on digital terrestrial channels dedicated to kids don’t have the same budgets as those on analogue television,” Marty says. “We saw that in many major Western European countries, which in the past had always been the most lucrative markets.” Nevertheless, he sees improvement coming. “We are making every effort we can to get licensing revenues higher. The analogue switch-off is coming soon and those [digital] channels will get more revenues. I expect license fees to increase again.”

Pierre Sissmann, the chairman and CEO of Cyber Group Studios, bemoans the complex, difficult kids’ market, but notes that his company grew by more than 60 percent in 2010 and it more than doubled its international television sales.

“We’re doing extremely well,” he says. “But it’s very complicated.You have to move fast.You have to [be active] in different parts of the planet. We have between seven and ten shows in development. We have a pure action show, a couple of adventurecomedy shows, a couple of edutainment shows and a pure entertainment preschool show. They’re all different. In the past you didn’t need to do this.The market is more complex because you have to address more targets. At the same time it’s more difficult because people have less money.”

Cyber Group is doing well for three reasons, Sissmann says. First, its strong distribution arm is increasingly drawing business from producers who have seen local market license fees dwindle and who need more international sales. Second, it invests heavily in the development of shows designed to serve specific channel needs in the children’s market. And, third, as a French company, Cyber Group benefits from the quotas requiring French broadcasters to carry French content and from the subsidies granted to French producers.

Sissmann elaborates on those points: “We Taking off: One of the strongest sellers in Breakthrough’s animated increased our volume of great series in distribu- catalogue has been the comedy Jimmy Two-Shoes.

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Producers also look to licensing and merchandising for help in turning a profit. The hurdle, naturally, is that merchandise success almost always follows a hit show; it doesn’t help a show get established.

Ira Levy, an executive producer and partner at Breakthrough Films & Television, calls merchandising a tough business. “It’s a very competitive area, and you need a lot of money and clout to truly compete,” he says. “We did pretty well with The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon, our first kids’ program, and later with Atomic Betty. For an independent to compete in that area is quite different now than it was 10 or 15 years ago. It’s an area that the bigger brands are very dominant in.

You have to have a lot of money to play in that game, in marketing and support.”

With little government support, Italian kids’ producer Rainbow S.p.A. relies heavily on licensing and merchandising. Its founder and CEO, Iginio Straffi, says Rainbow is not a typical independent in that regard. “We make about 35 percent from TV sales and 65 percent from merchandising,” he explains. “I’ve seen balance sheets of other production companies like us, and aside from the fact that they are struggling now and their revenues and profits are much lower than ours, for the most part their split is 85 to 90 percent TV sales and 10 to 15 percent licensing.”

Ancillary activities even include a theme park, set to open this spring in Rome. “Rainbow MagicLand is a theme park that will have all our characters, from Winx Club to PopPixie and Huntik to Monster Allergy,” Straffi says. “It is the most stateof-the-art theme park in Europe because we are buying all the most advanced technologies.”

PROFITABLE PARTNERSHIPS

Protective penguins: Following the success of the preschool show Ozie Boo!, Cyber Group spun off a new series, Ozie Boo! Save the Planet.

FremantleMedia, a company with roots in the U.K., German ownership through RTL Group in Luxembourg and RTL’s parent Bertelsmann AG, and operations worldwide, is using Canadian co-production, in one case, and merchandising tieins in another to launch its entry into the kids’ business.

Sander Schwartz, the executive VP and head of children and family entertainment at FremantleMedia Enterprises, says the company produces in 45 or 50 countries with partners in Europe, the Americas and Asia. “Our shows are co-productions done with partners in each of those three regions,” he says. It was almost two years ago that the company decided to produce for kids and teens, a sign of optimism that the market would get better.

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“We announced our first show in June, in production right now, called Monsuno, a traditional 2D animated show that we are producing with JAKKS Pacific, a major toy company located in Malibu, California, and Dentsu Entertainment USA, the U.S. production arm of Dentsu, the large international,Tokyo-based advertising agency.” No subsidies or tax credits are involved.

“At MIPCOM we announced our participation in a live-action and CGI project called My Babysitter’s a Vampire,” Schwartz goes on, “a production of Fresh TV in Toronto for TELETOON in Canada. We are in the process of distributing the show as well as the ancillary rights related to the show.” The series qualifies as Canadian content.

The need to generate merchandising revenue has prompted Moonscoop to alter its production strategies to get more exposure for key brands in competition for scarce shelf space at the retail level. “We have to concentrate our production efforts and our marketing on fewer properties and produce more episodes of those properties,” Marty says. “That’s where we are now with a new season of Hero: 108, a new season of Chloe’s Closet. We have four seasons of Code Lyoko, three seasons of Titeuf, two seasons of SamSam and two seasons of Dive Olly Dive!”

PUBLIC SUPPORT

The publicly traded producer and channel owner Your Family Entertainment (YFE), which is based in Munich, has neither subsidy help nor aggressive merchandising, yet it saw revenues grow by 17.1 percent in the first nine months of 2010. Its CEO, Stefan Piëch, explains that YFE relies on license fees from public broadcasters and subscription fees from its noncommercial channel and several mobile-phone services.

“Our programs are a little more educational, a little less violent,” Piëch says. “The language and dialogues have roots in literature like Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson, Enid Blyton Adventure Series and Enid Blyton Secret Series. Oscar the Balloonist is a co-production with ZDF. As a public company we are appraised as an ethical investment.”

Selling to public broadcasters less affected by a weak economy has helped YFE, Piëch says. “What we have is a normal license fee, which we are being paid with no strings attached,” he says. “We do have merchandising rights, but at the moment we’re not monetizing them for the most part.”

The mobile-phone business has been something of a surprise to Piëch. “Be cause Austria is a leader in the

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Family fun: Your Family Entertainment, whose slate of properties includes Wakkaville, has strong ties with European public broadcasters.

mobile business, we are about to launch our fifth mobile channel there. We want to bring it to Germany and Switzerland and other markets. We see it as a very strong business in the future. The market share of one of our mobile channels sometimes matches the public broadcaster in Austria.”

FINDING OPPORTUNITIES

Influencing the issues of both license fees and merchandising are the three gorillas in the room—Cartoon Network, Disney and Nickelodeon—and their tendency to negotiate aggressively with independents and to give their own shows more and better time slots than acquired shows.

Independent producers measure their words carefully when talking about the big three, and criticism is necessarily muted. But for the most part the independents say there are ways to deal successfully with the gorillas.

CCI’s Zipursky expresses some frustration with the big three, but he points out that no one knows where the next big hit is coming from.

“The three majors are going to promote their wholly owned shows first,” he says, “but we’ve seen the opposite happen, too, if the show fits their brand. That’s why the independent is surviving.”

Zipursky and others point out that network-owned shows seldom perform equally in all the territories the big three cover. “We’re still finding that the majors may buy an independent show that will work in certain regions. We did Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs. It was for Cartoon Network in the U.S., Disney in the U.K. and Nickelodeon in Asia. Sometimes we’ll work with them globally, but if it’s not a fit for them in all their territories, they’ll just buy it for specific territories.”

Moonscoop’s Marty says the big three can’t rely only on their own production and that when they build partnerships from the beginning with independents they will give acquired shows the exposure they need.

“Two seasons of Hero: 108 have been produced with Cartoon Network from the beginning,” Marty says. “It’s 242

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successful in the ratings and successful in merchandising with Playmates [Toys].

It’s on the air on Cartoon Network in the U.S. every day, twice a day. It has a large exposure in the U.K., too. This model of being a real partner with one of the three majors is a valuable scenario.”

Endemol’s Payne takes that a step further, suggesting that the way into the hearts of the majors is through commissions. “As the market becomes more competitive, it’s about producing for those networks as a local commission, as opposed to acquisitions,” she says.

“They do acquire programming, but all their big signature shows they either co-produce or get involved early because they want to editorially control the show.

If you were going to get something with the Disney Channel in America, where they own the tween genre, they would have to be involved very early.”

The networks are very selective with acquisitions, Payne says, but a breakthrough program can be sold. “We’ve done a deal for Bananas in Pyjamas with one of the big entities for large parts of the world,” she says.

CAKE’s van Waveren sees two opportunities for independents. “Most networks have things they are particularly good at and they have others that they would like to be good at, but they might not be as good at. If you want to be in there, you have to produce what they’re not successful at doing at the moment. The other [opportunity] is if you look at key markets over time, the people who are in the number three or four position in the market are always going to be more interested in getting the right show, whether it’s theirs or somebody else’s.”

BACKING A WINNER

The only real negotiating leverage the independent has is the performance of its shows, most executives say. “If you have a show that does what their other shows can’t, they’ll back it because they need the ratings,” van Waveren says.

“We had great success working with Cartoon Network in the U.S. with Total Drama Island. That became a big ratings winner for them and it reached a part of the audience that they wanted to reach. They backed it as if it were their own show. They did a lot of marketing around it. It’s now in its third season with a fourth season [in production].”

Breakthrough has Jimmy Two-Shoes and Captain Flamingo on Disney in various regions, Levy says, adding that it’s important to be in tune with the kind of programming a network does.

“If you’re an independent producer, you’re just trying to make the best show possible to reach out to kids,” he says.

“You’re hopefully complementary to, rather than in competition with, the other time slots. Every one of the big three, their time slots are very valuable real estate, and they don’t want a show that doesn’t perform. Often they’ll find they need a show from independent producers to get their schedule going. Hopefully, it will drive us all to make better shows. The smart ones know how to partner.”

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s c i s s a Cl DQE’s The Jungle Book.

Pounce Back market, shows In today’s risk-averse children’s as popular as ever. based on iconic properties are

By David Wood

There’s no doubt that classic characters are in vogue.

Developing shows that are based on known books or characters can be a more cost-effective and more dependable route to success when compared with the expense and risk of launching a new kids’ TV property.

That’s the view of many players on the global kids’ entertainment scene, including Patrick Elmendorff, the managing director of Studio100 Media. “It usually takes enormous effort to create new properties,” he confirms, “but with classic properties this effort can be significantly reduced. If you have a brand that is well known and has a popularity that spans generations, the characters are already established without [your] having to embark on advertising and promotional campaigns.”

The key to successful launches is developing brand recognition and awareness in the marketplace. Which is why many producers and rights-owners quickly opt for classic properties. They help cut through the clutter, they have built-in recognition and instantly gain mom approval, and in many cases, because Mom and Dad once loved these characters, classic comebacks give channels a chance to enlarge their audience as they attract a lot of co-viewing.

PGS Entertainment has been distributing a number of shows based on iconic characters, including animated versions of Marsupilami, Iron Man and Charlie Chaplin. A major production has been the CGI version of the classic book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The series Le Petit Prince: A New Journey Begins is attracting both children and their parents.

“It brings a lot of co-viewing potential, which is a trend that is starting to pick up as the audience is fragmenting 246

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because of so many channels and platforms,” explains Philippe Soutter, the CEO of PGS Entertainment. “A show that offers a co-viewing opportunity and a well-known brand has very strong appeal for a channel. So broadcasters have responded very positively to Le Petit Prince.”

In fact, PGS secured presales with a wide range of broadcast partners, including France 3, WDR/ARD in Germany, RAI in Italy, TV2 in Denmark, TV2 in Norway, MTV3 in Finland, ABC in Australia and more.

Co-viewing is a very strong draw for The Hub, the joint-venture channel belonging to Hasbro and Discovery Communications. One of the pillars of The Hub’s programming strategy is marquee-value properties, such as Transformers: Prime, Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Bitty Adventures and My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. “With a startup company, it’s imperative that we get properties that kids know about because they help steer kids to us,” explains Margaret Loesch, The Hub’s CEO. The added benefit of these marquee-value brands is that they attract children and families. “Percentage-wise, of all the four key networks—Nickelodeon, Cartoon, Disney Channel and ourselves—The Hub has the highest percentage of co-viewing,” adds Loesch.

GOOD TRACK RECORDS

Although classics have always been in demand, the current economic recession has reinforced the nostalgia trend, argues Classic Media’s executive VP of international, Chloe van den Berg.

“We have been through a bumpy couple of years economically in media and retail, which has resulted in much more enthusiasm for backing nostalgia titles, because they are seen as less risky. People are quite risk-averse right now, which is why classics are in.”

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“In a time of crisis and uncertainty, it’s reassuring to work on an existing brand,” adds PGS’s Soutter. “There is always a fan base, and when the show is well done, the risk is a little bit smaller than when building something new.”

The market is responding well to PGS’s CGI animated series Charlie Chaplin, because the late filmmaker is extremely popular and, as Soutter explains, “that is good because it draws an audience. Charlie Chaplin is something that will reunite the whole family around the TV because parents know him; he was the first clown on TV and he made millions laugh. It is always complicated to build a new show, but an icon is something that works well.”

Michael Dee, Coolabi’s director of content, agrees that one advantage of classic properties is that they can help mitigate risk and attract investment because they often come with a quantifiable track record.

“Any kind of evidence of sales or of a property’s inherent appeal gives you a leg up in terms of attracting investment,” explains Dee. For example, Coolabi’s The Worst Witch franchise is based on the successful books by Jill Murphy, which have sold millions of copies, including 250,000 in the U.K. in 2009 alone. The company is also currently in production on a new animated TV series based on Lara Jones’ classic children’s books Poppy Cat—which have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide—for Nick Jr. in the U.K. (with CAKE handling worldwide distribution).

An impressive publishing sales story is a good starting point to talk to partners about finance, insists Dee. Evidence that a classic has the ability to sell in multiple territories, especially key territories such as the U.S. and the U.K., is also important evidence of a property’s potential.

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“You don’t expect every territory to know [a given renowned brand] intimately, but it needs an anchor in one or two key territories,” Dee says. “We try to answer a series of key questions when deciding whether or not to develop a classic property: Will it resonate with kids today? Will it work in more than one territory? Is it merchandisable? Is it already successful?”

THE CREATIVE TOUCH

Of course, assessing the commercial potential of a classic property is only the preamble to the most important part—the creative treatment.

The secret to reinventing classics is staying close to the original, stresses Classic Media’s van den Berg. “Classic nostalgic titles present producers with an interesting doubleedged sword,” she says. “They come with a ready-made fan base that has a great affection for the property, which is fantastic, but it does present potential complications.

The public loves the way it is and as a result you have to stay very close to its core values.”

“In terms of established brands, parents and children have expectations of the property and don’t want to be disappointed,” warns Studio100’s Elmendorff. “If a character loses his specific skill or characteristic or turns from a good character to a bad one, the new re-branded show or series will be rejected, no matter how popular the original has been.”

The trick, of course, is refreshing the concept and attracting a new generation of viewers without alienating that part of the audience that already has a relationship with the property.

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The cat is back: Portfolio has found a strong response from broadcasters for The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!

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Stars in his eyes: PGS has notched up a slew of presales on Le Petit Prince: A New Journey Begins.

Hello again!: CAKE is distributing the Coolabi-produced book-based property Poppy Cat.

But there’s no point in creating a new version of a classic property if the producers and rights-holders are not going to bring something new to the party, stresses Elmendorff. “Reinventing a classic property should not just be a simple remake of the series or show—you should keep the overall feel and look and the characters should be as true to the original as possible but ‘freshened up’ to fit in with current trends.”

Successful reinterpretations tend to involve close relations with the original creators.

“We have gone back to the originals and looked at them carefully, studied them, analyzed them,” says Elie Dekel, the president of Saban Brands, which is producing a new season of the Power Rangers. “We brought back our producer, Jonathan Tzachor, who helped us make those original shows, and we produced a new series called Power Rangers: Samurai that brings that essence, that DNA, into the new program.”

A REFRESHING APPROACH

In practical terms, successful reinterpretations of classics usually involve refreshing the design and introducing new story lines, characters and a pacing suitable for a contemporary audience while retaining the original feel and dynamics which first made it popular.

In creating the new version of Power Rangers, Saban Brands studied the original shows and, as Dekel explains, “We’ve really identified some core essential elements: teamwork is one, being good role models for kids is another, and bringing humor back into the show is essential. The show used to be so much fun, and that is what kids really responded to. We also have transfor248

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mation and action adventure and big giant robot battles in every 30-minute episode. There are plenty of ingredients in the show that have helped sustain it year after year, and now with more than 700 episodes from past series, and 43 new ones coming, we know that formula works very well.”

The zany antics of Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat have thrilled several generations of children. Portfolio Entertainment has brought the feisty feline back in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! Produced by Portfolio and Collingwood O’Hare Productions, in association with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Random House Children’s Entertainment, the Canadian channel Treehouse TV and PBS KIDS in the U.S., the series has been very well received.

The new twist on this classic is that the TV series sets out to appeal to preschoolers’ curiosity and engage them in scientific discoveries. Through silliness and fun adventures, the Cat in the Hat guides Sally and Nick on magical journeys—with a little help from the Fish, Thing 1 and Thing 2—that explore a range of questions, from how bees make honey to why owls sleep during the day.

The series launched last summer on Treehouse TV and PBS KIDS and has been sold to Disney Channels in more than 40 territories, as well as to broadcasters in several other markets across the globe.

“The success of The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! speaks to the value of well-established brands, strong partnerships and a talented production team in the creation of quality programming that resonates with audiences around the world,” says Louis Fournier, Portfolio’s VP of sales and acquisitions.

ENDURING VALUE

Other established brands that are finding new life include the reinvention of Classic Media’s 30-year-old kids’ property Postman Pat, as Postman Pat: Special Delivery Service.

“We injected a lot more pace into it compared to the original,” says van den Berg. “The series became much more mission-orientated, with more in-depth, multilayered stories. We expanded Pat’s world into the new town of Pencaster, plus we gave him new technology, from a mobile phone to a new helicopter.”

Another Classic Media property, Voltron, a robot animation series from World Event Productions that was a big hit in the 1980s, is currently being reinvented for Nicktoons in the U.S. and will be presented at MIPTV. 4/11

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Pou

Postman Pat’s helicopters and Voltron’s robots have clear merchandising potential, but while van den Berg admits that working closely with consumer products on merchandising is critical to the success of a reinvented classic, it’s important to make sure the tail isn’t wagging the dog.

“Properties do have to work off air in terms of gaming and toys, but it’s paramount to remember that the characters and storytelling are king.”

Reinventions are also notable for what they take out as well as what they add in, as Tapaas Chakravarti, the chairman and CEO of DQ Entertainment (DQE), points out. DQE has recently remade a 3D animated version of Rudyard Kipling’s classic The Jungle Book; is currently in the throes of a 3D adaptation of Peter Pan; and has also worked with PGS Entertainment on Le Petit Prince: A New Journey Begins and Charlie Chaplin.

You’ve got mail: Classic Media has brought back a familiar favorite in Postman Pat: Special Delivery Service.

Back

“We attempt to update the stories and language surrounding the characters to make them acceptable for today’s audiences,” says Chakravarti. “This means we take out any politically incorrect items or characters to ensure the project is suitable for this day and age.”

LOOKING AHEAD

One trend identified by Coolabi’s Dee is that the recent economic climate has made the owners of intellectual property ultracautious about what they develop. “People now pore over facts and figures and are being much more careful—they want to take fewer risks, identify fewer properties and make sure the ones they do develop succeed,” says Dee. But one of the biggest trends sweeping kids’ entertainment at the moment is 3D, a production technology that looms large in the plans of DQE. Chakravarti anticipates strong market demand for this new viewing experience. “With demand for stereoscopic 3D films clearly growing, we hope to bring the theatrical 3D experience into the homes of TV viewers worldwide,” he declares.

“Producing these iconic characters and properties in 3D is challenging since they have to be creatively adapted in design terms to make them suitable for 3D,” he continues. “And the 3D versions have to work across various platforms, thereby ensuring cross-media exploitation in terms of games, webisodes, mobisodes and several other options to drive licensing and merchandising.”

Whether in 2D or CGI or 3D, classic properties continue to find strong demand in the market, as broadcasters find them less risky than new ideas, and viewers love the nostalgia and shared experiences they provide.

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Studio100’s House of Anubis.

Now Playing Whether they depict everyday situations or fantasy worlds, live-action series are a hit with tween audiences. By David Woo

d

S

omething happens to children when they hit their tween years and it’s more than just the onset of hormones.Their tastes change, they become more sophisticated, friends and relationships become more important, and suddenly, being popular and accepted by the “in crowd” is essential. Not surprisingly, viewing habits shift. Silly, irreverent animated comedy isn’t quite enough. Tweens gravitate toward live-action shows because they depict real-life situations and issues that 9- to 12-year-olds can relate to and enjoy.

“Boys and girls are moving out of animation earlier and looking for programs that offer a wide viewing choice just as we adults expect; they want great stories and engaging characters,” says Bernadette O’Mahony, the head of development and production at the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF).

For years, from Lizzie McGuire and Drake & Josh to Round the Twist and H2O: Just Add Water, live-action shows have been a mainstay of children’s television channels. Certainly the bar was significantly raised with the creation of highly successful liveaction franchises by Disney Channel, with Hannah Montana, and Nickelodeon, with iCarly.

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“We’ve had so many fantastic live-action properties,” says Caroline Beaton, the senior VP of international program sales at MTV Networks International (MTVNI). “From iCarly to Big Time Rush we have not been short of breakout hits, but Victorious takes it to a whole new level again.” Victorious, created by Dan Schneider, who also gave life to the hit tween series Drake & Josh, Zoey 101 and iCarly, stars the new teen sensationVictoria Justice.

“When you think about what Nickelodeon stood for five or ten years ago, people back then were thinking of the Disney properties and now we’ve absolutely got that part of the live-action market established,” adds Beaton.

It’s the success of these shows and others which have cemented the popularity of live-action shows in the minds of broadcasters the world over.

“It’s not a fad—live action is here to stay,” says Josh Scherba, the senior VP of distribution at Canada’s DHX Media, the distributor of series such as How to Be Indie and Grandpa in My Pocket.

Patrick Elmendorff, the managing director at Germany’s Studio100 Media, adds that this demand for live action is also echoed in the German marketplace. “We have seen an increase in air time, in quantity and in the market share of live-action 4/11

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Powerful punch: MarVista has begun rolling out Power Rangers: Samurai, the newest season of Saban Brands’ hit franchise.

programs,” he says. “The reason is that live-action shows usually attract larger audiences.”

Suzanne French, the VP of children’s and family at the Canadian producer Shaftesbury Films, notes that the result has been a surge in the number of producers embracing the genre.“One indicator of the growth in live action is that it used to be our little niche.When we started with Life with Derek it was just us and DECODE [now DHX] in Canada—everybody else was into animation. Now everybody’s into live action.”

The Spanish producer and distributor Imira Entertainment is just one of a number of companies recently moving into live-action production for the first time. Imira is launching a new live-action version of its international hit tween animation series Lola & Virginia at MIPTV with two other new liveaction series in the works.

Christophe Goldberger, the head of distribution and marketing at Imira, confirms the general opinion: “There’s no doubt that live action is growing in popularity.”

Another recent entrant to the live-action market is FremantleMedia Enterprises. Its senior VP of children’s and family entertainment, Bob Higgins, argues that attempting to emulate the success of Disney and Nickelodeon with high-concept series can be a risky business.

“Hannah Montana is extraordinarily well written, well cast, well produced and well marketed.The risk is that if you try and take Disney on with a show that isn’t equally extraordinarily well written, cast and produced, it won’t hold up. The risk is being a me-too show, which tries to live up to Hannah Montana but comes off a distinct second best.”

“The bar is going up every year when it comes to the level of writing on teen live action—comedy in particular,” DHX’s Scherba point out. “Disney has set the bar high and Nickelodeon is right there with iCarly.The writing on these shows is very sophisticated.”

Now kids’ TV producers have to hire the best Hollywood prime-time comedy writers and showrunners, explains Scherba, who is currently developing a series with Andrew Orenstein, executive producer and writer on hit comedies such as Malcolm 4/11

in the Middle. “There are plenty of high-end L.A. showrunners involved in children’s live action these days. It’s about finding the right writers for the right project and giving them the freedom to do what they do best,” he declares.

“Now you are seeing lots of really great writers who have come more from prime-time sitcoms to be showrunnners of sitcoms for kids,” confirms Ira Levy, Breakthrough Film & Television’s executive producer and partner, who is currently making a 13-part prime-time family comedy for TELETOON, Crash Canyon, with the Simpsons writer Joel Cohen.

THE RIGHT FIT

But equally important is brilliant casting, Levy adds.

“Casting is crucial, crucial, crucial in kids’ shows, just as much as in prime time. That’s why the Miley Cyruses and Selena Gomezes stand out—they have got it. So even if it takes embarking on a global talent search, it’s worth the effort, because it’s a hugely important part of a show’s chemistry.”

Another seemingly essential element of the genre’s biggest hits is the narrative twist, a familiar formula in which the central character is an ordinary teenager with a secret talent, making them stand out, become famous or display superhuman powers.

This works because kids and tweens have “stage fantasies,” explains Studio100’s Elmendorff. “They dream about being powerful wizards, celebrated rock stars, TV personalities or even just having something special that distinguishes them from the crowd. Whether they are wizards or princesses, it is about the search for identity and appreciation. There is no doubt that the so-called ‘twist’ may not be mandatory, but it definitely appeals to teens and tweens.”

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Point made: Skywriter is developing a new game show with Hulk Hogan called Hogan’s Court.

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It’s part of the appeal of Power Rangers: Samurai, a revamped version of the ’90s hit Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.“Every show has to have some sort of twist that makes it relevant or exciting—that’s as old as Shakespeare,” explains Fernando Szew, the CEO of MarVista Entertainment, which is handling international distribution of the series. “Kids want that and they want to be kept on their toes from a storytelling perspective.With Power Rangers: Samurai, it’s five regular kids who turn into superheroes.”

If anything, the Power Rangers franchise is even more appropriate to the present day than it was during the ’90s, insists Szew. “The world of kids has gotten more complex and the key attributes of the Power Rangers are more relevant than they ever were—fitness in particular is now in vogue, given the problems that a lot of societies are having [with childhood obesity]. The characters are all about good nutrition, active play, action sports and martial arts. They are good role models for kids.”

REAL-LIFE APPEAL

Many in the industry, however, are seeing a movement away from needing a gimmick to make a live-action show attractive to broadcasters.

“The Disney Channel series Good Luck Charlie changed the game a little bit, because this is a show with no gimmicks; it’s a straightforward family sitcom and it works so well on so many levels with characters kids can relate to and really funny situations,” says Tom McGillis, the president of Fresh TV, which is producing two live-action series, My Babysitter’s a Vampire, based on a successful TV movie, and the sitcom Really Me. (Both are represented worldwide by FremantleMedia Enterprises.)

“More and more, the rules that govern adult prime-time sitcoms are now governing kids’ live-action shows.They need to be really, really smart, with really high laugh counts, multiple plot lines, and characters who very consistently surprise you, even though they are very well-defined characters. So the whole gimmick thing is not as powerful a draw as it used to be.”

Australian producers have built a reputation for shows that are more in line with the real, daily lives of tweens. “We have explored many themes

Court is in session: Shaftesbury is a prolific producer of live-action teen shows, with a slate that includes Overruled!

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in our live-action series: family and a child’s place in it; the fun, trials and tribulations of growing up; being embarrassed by your parents; relationships; the use of fantasy and imagination in kids’ lives; superheroes; sport; and history,” says ACTF’s O’Mahony.

“We have also dealt with more serious issues such as depression of a parent, first love, puberty, and other teen issues in some programs— always from a child’s perspective. The themes are driven by the concept, and what’s realistic and relevant for that particular project and those characters, as well as what we can do in an entertaining, and sometimes thought-provoking, way.”

The Canadian producer Skywriter Media & Entertainment Group is also cutting a different path to the Hannah Montanas and iCarlys with its focus on action adventure, exemplified by its kids’ drama On the Run. “Showrun

by Daphne Ballon (Life with Derek, Baxter), it’s a kind of Bourne Identity for kids,” explains Skywriter’s CEO and executive producer, Kevin Gillis,“with lots of chases all wrapped up in a fun cool show with a conspiracy setup.”

Skywriter also has Hogan’s Court in development. It stars Hulk Hogan and will target real-life dilemmas in which 6- to 10-year-olds are able to take their siblings to court for misdemeanors such as using their toothbrush or tying up the bathroom for too long.

Whether a show is an adventure, a comedy or something else, engaging with audiences online is a crucial part of getting a buzz going about new live-action content, stresses Gillis. Live action needs to focus on the kind of subject matter that can be easily assimilated into kids’ social networks, which is becoming a vital component of the success of any new series, he says.

“Shows need Twitterability and have to be Facebook-friendly, because there’s a huge Facebook and Twitter audience out there. So you have to consciously put this stuff in.The trick is engaging with that community and harnessing its power without being exploitative.”

Because for sure, tweens not only need to see issues and situations that are important to them reflected in the live-action shows they watch, but, crucially, they need to constantly text, chat and comment about them.The more buzz there is around a show, the more its young fans feel “cool-by-association,” and that’s good for the whole life chain of the show: producers, distributors and broadcasters.

Making music: Nickelodeon’s newest crop of live-action tween hits includes Big Time Rush.

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Victoria Justice Victoria Justice is what is known in show biz as a triple threat: equally talented in acting, singing and dancing. She has been performing since she was a little girl and today she’s the star of the Nickelodeon hit series Vi ct oriou s, which tells the stories of a group of students at a performing-arts school.

By Anna Carugati

TV KIDS: What started first: acting, singing or dancing?

JUSTICE: When I was little I was always in dance classes and

would do little dance recitals. I loved that kind of stuff. I started out modeling when I was eight years old in South Beach. I did a lot of modeling, I got pretty lucky—I got Guess and Ralph Lauren and Gap, I did some really cool stuff.While I was modeling I also did a bunch of commercials. My very first commercial audition was for Ovaltine and I ended up getting it, which was very exciting for me. I have Ovaltine commercials on VHS in my house which are very much blackmail material!

When I was 11 I told my parents that I wanted to try doing TV and film. And my mom said, “I think all of that stuff happens in L.A.” So I said, “Let’s move to L.A.!” We agreed to come out to L.A. for one summer.

We did and I got a guest-starring role on a Disney show called The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. I also did a couple of independent films and short films, and a couple more things here and there and then went back home. I came back to L.A. the next summer and ended up getting a series-regular role on a Nickelodeon show called Zoey 101, which was created and executive produced by Dan Schneider, who also does my show now. That’s how the whole Nickelodeon journey started.

When I first moved out here I was enrolled in a performingarts middle school, so I was always in musical theater and I had singing and dancing and acting for an hour every day, so I got a lot of experience and vocal training from that.

TV KIDS: How long did it take to shoot an episode of Zoey 101, which didn’t have the music and dancing, compared to shooting an episode of Victorious, which does?

JUSTICE: It took the same amount of time to get one episode of Zoey 101 done—it was five days a week—but on Zoey we filmed every single day from Monday until Friday.

We never had rehearsal. We would just go in and film. I was a lot younger when I was on Zoey, so the hours that I worked were a lot shorter. On Victorious I have been 18 since the middle of the first season, so I’ve been working very long hours.

And it’s also different because the music element of Victorious makes it even more of a hectic schedule. We rehearse two days a week and then film three days a week. We have runthroughs on the rehearsal days. It kind of makes it like a play—you have to hold your script and go through the entire show and everyone is standing there watching you and listening to the jokes to see what works and what doesn’t so they can do rewrites that day. And when I’m done with that, if we have music in an episode I’ll go and record throughout the day and sometimes I’m recording really late into the night. Then there is dance rehearsal. There is a lot of stuff that goes into it, so I’ve been very, very busy since we’ve been filming this show.

TV KIDS: You are a role model to a lot of young girls. Is

that a heavy responsibility or do you feel that as long as you are doing your best work that’s a good message to give?

JUSTICE: I’m definitely aware of the fact that I have younger kids who are looking up to me and watching the decisions I make and the things that I do; I am always very conscious of that. It’s not really in my personality to do anything crazy. I’m not into partying. I’m more low-key.... But everyone is going to make mistakes, and I don’t judge people who have made mistakes in the past. It’s a part of learning and growing up. I’m going to try to make the best decisions that I can and be as responsible as I can and I’m definitely conscious of the fact that I am viewed as a role model now. That affects a lot of the choices that I make.

TV KIDS: What actors or singers do you admire?

JUSTICE: Right now I really admire Natalie Portman; she

was phenomenal in Black Swan. Christian Bale is an amazing actor. I really like Sara Bareilles—she’s a singer-songwriter and plays piano. I love her and also Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones, he’s such an amazing performer and so comfortable onstage. I hope one day to possess half as much charisma as he does!

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Cartoon Network has long been a leading destination for young boys thanks to its schedule of part quirky, part irreverent, often silly, always fun animated series. A couple of years ago it ventured into live action and is now continuing to broaden its programming. Stuart Snyder, the president and COO for Turner Broadcasting System’s Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media Group, talks about how the channel is extending its offering, building global brands and attracting big-name partners.

By Anna Carugati

TV KIDS: Last time we spoke, Cartoon Network had started to branch out beyond animated programming and was getting into live action—how has that strategy worked?

SNYDER: I’m pleased with our progress. Our strategy covered five areas. First of all, we set out to create great new content, including live action, and I think we have succeeded with it.We placed a lot of the live action on Wednesday nights. It’s our fun shows, Dude, What Would Happen; Destroy Build Destroy; and a new entry that we launched this year, Hole in the Wall. Our Wednesday night ratings have been very good, generating double-digit gains, and we’re building a nice franchise night there.

We’ve also brought new fresh comedy animation to the air, and we’ve done that on Monday nights led by Adventure Time, Regular Show and MAD, and that’s working. Adventure Time was the number one show throughout 2010 in its time period with kids and boys. Regular Show was number one in its time slot for 2010 in all key demos.We have action animation on Friday nights, led

by Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Generator Rex and Star Wars:The Clone Wars. All three of those nights, including our Saturday night movie franchise, have been driving our ratings. We’ve gained a lot of momentum and I’m pleased with our progress.

The other thing to mention is that we really set out to create event television. This [season] one of these key events was the Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster live-action movie. It was number one in its time slot on all television with kids and boys, and it became our number one telecast of the year.

Another big television event was Firebreather—a CGI animated movie—that was a tremendous success. It was the number one telecast of the night. We’re on this path of keeping to our core on animation but diversifying our programming, and I think we are moving well down that path.

In addition to diversifying our programming, we also introduced a new, bold brand expansion on all of our platforms. Just as our audience could see we were diversifying the programming, we also changed the look of the network on all of our platforms to match up with where we were going with our content strategy. We’ve got excellent feedback on that.

And, finally, we really wanted to broaden our leadership role on key health and wellness issues.We have our Move It Movement program, which is all about teaching kids to eat right, be healthy, exercise, and get out and play. We also have our Stop Bullying: Speak Up campaign.This is a critical issue and we are proud to take a leadership role with expert advisors and the network to help kids, parents and educators get out and talk about bullying.

It’s so important to get kids to speak up about bullying, even as bystanders, to help diminish and stop bullying. It’s really about empowering kids to do that.We did a lot this past year and we will continue to do more on this subject in the coming year. Last year we did a program with CNN—an Anderson Cooper 360º town hall—in partnership with CNN and People magazine.We’re working with the White House now on this initiative as well.

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Turner Broadcasting’s

Stuart Snyder Clubs of America and bringing this topic to the 4,000 clubs around the country. So we are doing a lot of good work on this important topic to empower kids to speak up about bullying. Research shows there are thousands of kids who are scared to go to school; if we can make an impact there, it’s about saving those kids.We did a lot on air on this topic.Tools and resources are on our website at cartoonnetwork.com and stopbullyingspeakup.com.

TV KIDS: Are the network’s ratings successes and the diversified programming sending a message to the creative community? Are more people coming to you pitching ideas?

SNYDER: The reality is yes and yes! We’ve always been a lightning rod for talent, especially on the animation side. Frankly, we lead the industry in animation—both in the numbers of hours we air and in the quality of our animated shows. We’ve always been known for cutting-edge and Emmy Award– winning animation. We have that cachet. Our brand strategy has taken hold—we’ve seen our audience respond to it. Now we have more creators coming to us with their ideas because they are seeing that our programming is really connecting with the audience.

For example, when we announced that we were diversifying our schedule and that sports was an important area for us—we had success with My Dad’s a Pro [a show that looks at the lives of children of professional athletes]—that led to the opportunity of doing the Cartoon Network Hall of Game Awards, which aired on February 25, was hosted by Tony Hawk, and had First Lady Michelle Obama present an award.

To me it’s more than just about resonating with kids—we’re also seeing that our shows are drawing more parents who are watching with their kids. Adventure Time on Monday nights is being watched by parents as well. They are also talking about shows like MAD. MAD magazine has been around for4/11

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Since this generation of viewers is watching television anywhere they want, we want to be there engaging them with our network brand and our shows on whatever platform they are using, whether it be the TV, their computers, their iPhones or their iPads.We want to be there with our content and our games and we are having very good success right now.

The world is moving at a much different pace than it was five or ten years ago.The saying “I want it when I want it” is more relevant now than ever before. With our [Time Warner] initiative of TV Everywhere, it’s our job Building an audience: Cartoon Network has expanded into the live-action space and has seen success with shows like Destroy Build Destroy. to really be connected to our kids, because they are leading the charge; ever, so it creates a warm feeling for parents who grew up they are the future in terms of how content is used. And it is with it, especially dads. Now all of a sudden that show is being important that we engage them. watched by multiple generations. On Wednesday, Hole in the So we have an iPad app—and you can ask how many kids Wall is a fun game show that families are watching together. really have iPads right now, but what’s most important is that Our core is kids, and we always want to talk to kids, but we are we are in place so when they do have iPads, and we know they really diversifying the audience, because the shows lend themwill, they are engaging with our brand and sampling our product. selves to pulling in kids and their families.

Having gaming is more important than ever as a touch point for kids, and we have to be ahead of them.We are always chalTV KIDS: How is Cartoon Network performing around lenging ourselves here about what’s next.With this audience it’s the world? always,What’s next?

SNYDER: Overall it’s a very healthy business.We are a worldwide brand. We’re doing more things together on a global TV KIDS: In what areas do you expect to see growth? basis, from developing original content to acquisitions and SNYDER: First of all, global franchise building is a key objective global branding. We work very closely with all the Cartoon for us. We have launched some amazing new shows: now it’s Networks. Even though each of them has their own success how do we take those brands to the next level, such as Adventure factors and performance criteria, we are working together Time, Generator Rex and others. How do we continue to grow more than ever with regards to global strategy, global launches those brands not only in the U.S., but around the world? We and global brands. also want to make sure we’re engaging with our audience on Regular Show or Adventure Time, these are examples of shows all platforms, not only the favorite platforms today but to be that we are marketing on a worldwide basis, and they will preahead of the curve so that miere and run on Cartoon Network worldwide. For the most we are anticipating whatpart, everything we do, we’re doing with Cartoon Network inter- ever our audience is nationally.We even look at projects from the Cartoon Network embracing. We have to be studio in the U.K. In fact, one show, The Amazing World of Gumthere with them.

And finally, we’ve really ball, will be launching on a worldwide basis in 2011.We are colhit our stride with our anilaborating to find global brands that work. mated comedy. It continTV KIDS: Tell us about your online initiatives. ues to push the envelope a SNYDER: Cartoonnetwork.com continues to be a destination little bit.We need to create point for kids.We had 8.8 million unique visitors and 158 million more content that frankly page views just in the fourth quarter of 2010.We outperformed can’t be seen anywhere other competitive destination sites.What is really connecting with else. If you look at a show our audience, in addition to the shows, is our gaming strategy. like Dude, What Would We’ve launched two Adventure Time games digitally and they have Happen—you should generated more than 27 million game plays to date.And here is an know immediately that’s a amazing number: the Ben 10 Game Creator continues to be a top Cartoon Network show. game on the website, generating more than 330 million game Hole in the Wall—that’s a plays to date.

Cartoon Network show We have robust offerings, not only on the website, but I’m because it’s funny and it’s also proud of our new video app on the iPad.The app is free for whimsical and it’s engagdownloading and accesses video from all of our most popular ing.There is a bit of a wink shows. We also had a great year with regards to video streams there to it and that is a key and VOD. element of our brand.

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Packing a punch: Generator Rex has become one of Cartoon Network’s signature boys’ action franchises.

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The Hub’s

Margaret Loesch

By Anna Carugati

Last October, The Hub, a joint venture of Hasbro and Discovery Communications, took the place of Discovery Kids. Tapping into well-known properties from Hasbro’s stable of classic brands, The Hub set out to attract children and their parents. Industry veteran Margaret Loesch, who had already successfully run the Fox Kids Network, is the CEO of The Hub. She talks about the challenges and opportunities of launching a kids’ service in today’s media landscape.

TV KIDS: How are you balancing original productions and

TV KIDS:The Hub launched

TV KIDS: In your acquisitions, what kind of shows are you

into a very crowded environment. How did you decide the channel’s mission and what it would offer children and families?

LOESCH: First of all, you are absolutely right, it is a very crowded marketplace, and it is probably the toughest time ever to launch a new channel. However, our launch was facilitated and enhanced by the fact that we had some big marquee brands to bring to the table. So the process involved doing two things: evaluating the programming that we did have access to, and at the same time researching where there might be some white space, where there might be underserved audience opportunities.

We did qualitative and quantitative research and we kept getting the same response, and that was that the nostalgic marqueevalue properties were resonating on two levels—with kids and with their parents.We were also hearing two things from parents.

First, their opinion was that the 6- to 11-year-olds were still underserved, and they cited how Disney Channel and other kids’ services were skewing older, going more for tweens and a little older. Parents’ perceptions were and are that there is a growing white space, so that seemed to us an opportunity.The other thing we heard from kids and parents, interestingly enough, was that they both wanted more programming they could watch together. That piece of research surprised me, and I’ll tell you why. I wasn’t surprised about the parents’ sentiment; I was very surprised about the kids’ sentiment. When we were doing Fox Kids, what we heard loud and clear was that kids would control the set and they wanted to watch their stuff and they didn’t want to watch with their parents. So it’s interesting to see what’s happened in the last 20 years. I guess kids are time-constrained and so are parents, and they are looking for opportunities to do fun things together. Maybe that’s been facilitated by video games, the Wii, Nintendo DS, etcetera—whatever the reason for wanting to watch together, it’s a good sign. So from that research—identifying opportunity and listening to parents and kids—we started to form our mission and goals.

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acquired product? What percentage of original product do you want to reach and within what timeline, because that’s an expensive proposition.

LOESCH: It’s a very expensive proposition.A cable channel can’t afford to have all original programming.You have to rely to varying degrees on acquisitions.You have to analyze your needs and what’s available, and then cherry pick the best for your lineup.

Then you have to build on the success of those. The truth is, at The Hub we have a good deal of original programming, and we’d like to have more. Right now, of the 168 hours of programming we air each week, we have ten new series, so around 20 percent of our schedule currently consists of original shows.

I would hope within the next three years to get to between 30 and 50 percent. With 30 percent we would be successful, 50 percent would be fantastic.

looking for and what fits the Hub brand?

LOESCH: First of all, what fits the brand is programming that’s

really attractive to kids 6 to 11.And that’s the hardest to find, to tell you the truth.There is a tremendous amount of preschool programming available from around the world, and we have some of it already on The Hub with The WotWots!, In the Night Garden and Animal Mechanicals. But it is harder to find those programs that target the older child that would work for us. By that I mean programs that have that celebratory, upbeat attitude, or are iconic.

We acquired Batman Beyond because it fit our strategy of going after marquee-value properties, which as you know, with a startup company, it’s imperative that we get properties that kids know about because they help steer kids to us. So one comment that I’m often met with is, Gee, you don’t have many original productions? Well, who more than me loves original projects, having been a producer for so many years? But in building a network the marquee-value programs help drive audiences to us.

So what we’re looking for is either programming that attracts 6- to 12- year-olds that is either breakout because it is so unusual and offbeat and original, or it has some marquee-value attributes.

The second type of programming we are looking for is programming that will serve the whole family, kids and their parents.We’ve made some key acquisitions that tap into the nostalgia of the parents but whose stories might be interesting to kids, too. Happy Days is a great example. And that market is also very competitive. It’s hard to get those shows.

TV KIDS: What has been the reaction from advertisers?

LOESCH: Very positive, better than I had hoped originally.What

we learned first of all is that advertisers absolutely accepted and got the strategy of building our network off of nostalgic marquee-value brands. They recognized that nostalgia would provide mom and dad approval. The mom who loved Pound Puppies or My Little Pony or Strawberry Shortcake or Happy Days would be supportive of her children watching our shows. And because these are evergreen properties, the advertisers recognize that they would resonate with kids. So they liked the strategy.The other thing, quite frankly, is that our competitors are so 4/11

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strong and doing so well that they are driving very tough deals for the advertisers. So the advertisers have a duty to their clients not only to deliver reach but also to deliver value. What The Hub offers as the new kid on the block is a value for the clients; they knew that we would be willing to work with the advertisers and deliver some efficient value. So on the two levels, our program philosophy has been embraced, and the concept of delivering value for their clients has been embraced.

Now, our challenge is not to disappoint our advertisers, and being a startup it’s always a challenge to deliver the ratings that we promised. We are still working on that.

TV KIDS: How important are online videos, games, mobile apps

and other new media in complementing the linear channel?

LOESCH: They are very important, and we are still build-

Fight to the finish: The Hub’s lineup of original series includes Transformers: Prime.

ing out that area. The expectation of kids today is that they can find their favorite stories and their favorite characters everywhere. And it’s not just about importing it from one platform to another; it’s about each experience being gratifying on its own platform. We can certainly offer programs VOD and streaming and so forth, but...kids expect each platform to deliver its own unique experience. And that is very challenging. It’s so much more challenging than when we launched Fox Kids. A couple of years ago I realized that we actually had the precursor to online, and that was our Fox Kids Club, which was an actual club. It had a magazine and a radio show called Fox Kids [Radio] Countdown.

We were trying to reach kids in a variety of ways, and each experience had its own entertainment value. But today, kids are more demanding. I have seen kids go to their iPhone— yes, their iPhone—and if they can’t find one of our shows in some format, whether it’s a game or a clip or a show on their iPhone, they are disappointed. It’s like instant gratification. So we are working as quickly as we can. We are not

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nearly as robust as we will be a year from now and two years from now.

TV KIDS: What does it take today to get a breakout hit? Is

it more complicated than it was when you ran Fox Kids?

LOESCH: It’s more complicated. While we are fully distrib-

uted, we are striving to be in even more households with each of our cable and satellite providers. We are in approximately 60 million households. And at Fox Kids we were in 98 percent of the country, so the minute we put a show on, 98 percent of the American kids had access to it. It is more complicated in that it’s probably going to take larger distribution for us to have a highly effective breakout hit. But I do think that having successful marquee-value programs, like Transformers or My Little Pony or Batman, will help build our distribution, and that will help drive the hit-making process.

I think the short answer is time. People don’t remember that the first big hit from Nickelodeon was Rugrats. They played that show, they played it and played it and played it and slowly it caught on. It wasn’t an instantaneous hit.

Unlike broadcast television, on cable you have to create a new habit. And so the short answer to your question is, it takes the right brand or program combined with time.

TV KIDS: What do you know about the audience composition of The Hub? LOESCH: What we are seeing is really validating. We still have low ratings; however, we have doubled and tripled our audience numbers from Discovery Kids, which is a great start, and percentage-wise, of all the four key networks, Nickelodeon, Cartoon, Disney Channel and ourselves, The Hub has the highest percentage of co-viewing. Isn’t that amazing? They have larger audiences, but percentage-wise our co-viewing is the highest. So it is working.

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