ITV

Category: Kids

  • Nick expands cruise partnership with Royal Caribbean International







    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon and global cruise brand Royal Caribbean Intrnational announced plans to once again set sail together on two new, exotic cruise adventures in summer 2009.


    Based on the success of the first-ever sold out Nickelodeon Family Cruise with Royal Caribbean, the two companies are teaming up to offer families new cruises from each US coast — one on Mariner of the Seas to the Western Mexican Rivera, and another on the Freedom of the Seas to the Eastern Caribbean. The announcement was made just after the completion of the first-ever Nickelodeon Family Cruise with Royal Caribbean ( 10-17 August).



    Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group president Cyma Zarghami says, “The first Nickelodeon cruise was a homerun. Populated by Nickelodeon families eager to spend time together, the combination of Royal Caribbean’s expertise and the Nick brand experience set the stage for next year. Our plan is to add a second cruise in 2009 and build on the great event we created this year with our partners at Royal Caribbean.”


    Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Adam Goldstein says, “Coming off the success of the first Nickelodeon cruise this past week, we’re thrilled to build upon our relationship with the announcement of two additional themed cruises.


    “Royal Caribbean International constantly works to give our guest unparalleled vacation experiences which provide every family member with a very special and memorable cruise. Our partnership with Nickelodeon helps build upon this foundation”


    The 2009 Nickelodeon Family Cruises will depart from the East and West coasts: the first cruise will sail from Los Angeles on 26 July, 2009, on Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas, the largest ship to be homeported on the West Coast, and will travel to the exotic Mexican Rivera.


    The Eastern Caribbean itinerary will leave In August.


    Traveling to exotic destinations, the Nickelodeon Family Cruise is designed for every member of the family–kids, parents and grandparents. It brings together the entertainment expertise of Nickelodeon with the cruise specialists, Royal Caribbean.


    On-board, Nickelodeon will provide families with such experiences as interactive game shows; meet-and-greets and performances by their favorite Nickelodeon stars; screenings and premieres of new, original Nick TV shows and movies; visits with favorite Nick characters including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Diego and Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender; and plenty of Nickelodeon’s signature slime.


    On the two new cruises, families will enjoy all of the luxurious accommodations that Royal Caribbean cruise liners offer. Mariner of the Seas offers guests revolutionary amenities, such as an on-board ice-skating rink, full-size basketball court, inline skating track, the cruise line’ iconic rock-climbing wall and the Royal Promenade, a boulevard of shops, restaurants, bars and lounges that runs nearly the length of the ship.


    Freedom of the Seas, the largest ship in the world, also offers a multitude of activities, including the FlowRider surf simulator, the H2O Zone water park, an ice skating rink, a nine-hole mini-golf course, 10-route rock-climbing wall, as well as the line’s other signature amenities.

  • 4Kids to premiere new episodes of Dinosaur King at Mipcom







    MUMBAI: 4Kids Entertainment will premiere 26 new episodes of Dinosaur King at Mipcom 2008. The announcement was made by 4Kids Entertainment EVP international Brian Lacey.


    The global broadcast line-up for the top-rated Dinosaur King series includes Mediaset (Italy), RTL2 (Germany), France 3 (France), Canal J (France), TV2 (Denmark), TV4 (Sweden), MTV 3 (Finland), TVI (Portugal), LNK (Lithuania), Neljas (Estonia), Jetix (UK, Scandinavia, Spain and Latin America), MNET (South Africa) and YTV (Canada) among many others. New markets expected to close at Mipcom include the UK, Ireland, Australia and a number of central European countries, according to Lacey.



    In the U.S., Dinosaur King airs Saturday mornings in the 4KidsTV block on Fox.


    In addition, the Dinosaur King property will be supported with a video game, a trading card game and an extensive toy line, all expected to roll out in Spring 2009.


    The fantasy adventure series chronicles the adventures of Max, Rex and Zoe, known as the “D Team,” who race around the world to uncover secrets that bring dinosaurs back to life. The biggest challenge for the three young heroes in this unforgettable global race is to find all the dinosaur cards before the nefarious Alpha Gang. Set in the present time, Max, Rex and Zoe are able to transport themselves anywhere in the world to hunt down the coveted cards that have been lost by the time-traveling Dr. Z and his bumbling team of bad guys.

  • Nick launches ‘Let’s Just Play’ to encourage kids in outdoor play

    MUMBAI: In an effort to promote active lifestyle and outdoor play among kids, Nick and Boost have partnered to launch ‘Let’s Just Play‘.


    To encourage kids to step out and play outdoors, Nick will kick off this initiative by going blank for 30 minutes on 27 September.



    With this new initiative, Nick ails to motivate kids and parents to work towards a healthy and playful lifestyle.


    Speaking on Nick’s unique initiative, Nick India SVP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “As a responsible kids’ broadcaster, Nick endeavors to reach out to kids and their parents through ‘Let’s Just Play’ and reinforce the importance of physical play. Formative play is important for a kid’s overall growth and development and this movement attempts to reinforce our commitment to ensuring a healthier ‘generation next‘.”


    The kids’ broadcaster will also take ‘Let’s Just Play‘ on-ground through play events in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Eminent personalities like Priya Dutt, Pooja Bedi, Cyrus Broacha, Aditi Govitrikar, Smriti Irani and Chunkey Pandey have lent their support to this movement.


    Meanwhile, Boost has associated with Nick to support ‘Let’s Just Play’.


    GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH) India GM marketing other nutritional Pawan Sud said, “ Association with Nick for the ‘Let‘s Just Play’ movement is taking the brand‘s philosophy a step further by giving kids an opportunity to indulge in recreational sport. A time unencumbered by various in house entertainments that keeps them away from experiencing the adrenalin rush that physical activity gives. Through this association with Let‘s Just Play, we hope to reinforce the message that indulging in sports helps bring out the winner in youngsters.”

  • Walt Disney launches 5 titles on Blu-ray

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has announced the launch of platinum collection which includes five animated features films on DVD as well as on Disney Blu-ray Hi-Def.


    These include some of Disney‘s most beloved classics – Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Fantasia 2000, and Beauty and the Beast. The movies are available in multi-disc sets, featuring rarely seen footage and an array of new bonus features.



    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will launch Disney‘s worldwide BD-Live Network, a revolutionary technological breakthrough in home entertainment that will connect family and friends, allowing them to interact.



    Disney‘s BD-Live Network will be initially launched in the US only, with the first Platinum Edition Blu-ray release.


    Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Worldwide president Bob Chapek commented, “We are excited to announce a magical slate of Platinum titles for the first time on Blu-ray high definition, this celebrated collection of animated features demonstrates Disney‘s commitment to deliver great content.”



    “The landscape for the Blu-ray format is very healthy, and we believe that the enhanced movie experiences that the format provides, such as Disney‘s BD-Live network, offer consumers the chance to reinvent the experience of watching movies in their homes, and the interactivity and connectivity that is being provided will truly make the family room relevant again,” added Chapek.



    Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment VP marketing and business development Gordon Ho said, “Disney‘s BD-Live experience will enrich and deepen the overall consumer experience, and we are delighted that, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will be the one that will launch Disney‘s BD-Live network worldwide.”

  • Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids & Family Group elevates Jane Gould to VP consumer insights

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group has named Jane Gould to the position of vice president, consumer insights.

    The announcement was made by Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group senior vice president research and planning Ron Geraci. Based out of New York, Gould will report to Geraci.



    In this role, Gould will be responsible for coordinating consumer insights research for all Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group assets, including Nick Jr.; Noggin; The N; Nicktoons Network; Nick at Nite; and Nickelodeon‘s digital brands like AddictingGames, Shockwave and Nick.com.



    She will help understand the attitudes, lifestyles and behaviors of target audiences, and help the channels in creating complementary and focused business strategies. Gould also will be responsible for conceiving and conducting strategic consumer research on behalf of Nickelodeon‘s production, consumer products, and recreation and public affairs departments.



    Gould, a nine-year Nickelodeon veteran, was most recently with Nickelodeon Australia as director of programming, content development and research. She was responsible for implementing several key research projects including Brain Squeeze, a year-long research project aimed at kids 10-14 to generate critical data about tweens, and Australia‘s first research study into interactive pre-school television.



    In addition, she was responsible for all research for Nickelodeon Australia‘s target audiences, and applying the findings to key programming acquisitions.

  • Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids & Family Group president Cyma Zarghami to address at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group president Cyma Zarghami will present the MIPCOM Junior 2008 Keynote on 12 October.


    The sixteenth edition of Mipcom Junior, the specialist international screening marketplace and conference for children’s programming and merchandising will be held on the 11-12 October at the Carlton Hotel, Cannes.



    Zarghami will share her vision of how the localisation of global hit creative properties can result in a stronger worldwide brand presence.



    At Nickelodeon, she oversees all business operations for its divisions, including: Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, Nicktoons Network, Nick Movies, Nickelodeon’s consumer products, magazine and recreation businesses and Nickelodeon’s growing portfolio of digital properties including all of the Nickelodeon branded websites — Neopets, Shockwave, AddictingGames, ParentsConnect and Quizilla.



    She has also expanded the brand through the launch of hotels, theme parks and a new multi-year partnership with Sony Music Label Group.



    MIPCOM Junior’s two-day conference programme will also feature major industry figures such as: Walt Disney Internet Group EMEA MD Cindy Rose; KidsCo MD worldwide Paul Robinson; Cartoon Network chief content officer Rob Sorcher; Al Jazeera Children’s deputy MD Mostapha Mellouk; Dailymotion senior manager content and partnerships David Ripert; BBC Worldwide MD of children’s BBC Worldwide Neil Ross Russell; Magic Lantern Productions MD Anthony Lilly;



    Other key events include the fifth edition of the “MIPCOM Junior Licensing Challenge” in which a selection of the newest TV properties will be showcased. A jury of savvy industry experts will evaluate their licensing and merchandising potential.

  • Nick hits the campaign trail with election-themed content

    MUMBAI: Kids broadcaster Nickelodeon is throwing its hat into the political ring with a presidential and election-themed content in the fall season.


    Till 12 October 2008 the network will air new interstitial content about the US presidential campaign, along with two brand-new Nick News specials.








    Additionally, Lily Collins, Lil‘ JJ and Pick Boy — Nickelodeon‘s Kids Pick the President Election Connection Team — will follow the campaign trail by providing kids with an insider point-of-view at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.


    All this leads up to the Kids Pick the President kids‘ vote which begins on 12 October. Historically, kids have correctly chosen the next US president in four out of five presidential elections. This election year‘s vote follows Nickelodeon‘s first-ever kids‘ primary, held earlier this year, where kids correctly forecasted this year‘s candidates: Senators John McCain and Barack Obama.


    Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group executive VP public affairs Marva Smalls says, “This presidential election has ignited so many young people to become more involved,” said . “We want to connect our audiences to the process — the candidates and issues. Kids — although not legal voters — don‘t want to be on the sidelines.”


    A series of educational and humorous spots featuring the Kids Pick the President Election Connection Team will be introduced on-air and online in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention, on 25 August. The Election Connection Team will report from the conventions, profile the candidates, and get out the word about the Kids Pick the President kids‘ vote. Lil‘ JJ will also serve as blogger-extraordinaire on nick.com with up-to-the minute details of his experiences at the conventions.


    Leading up to the Kids Pick the President online vote, where kids can choose their presidential candidate of choice, the Emmy Award-winning Linda Ellerbee will host two new half-hour Nick News specials. In “Tales from the Trail,” premiering 24 August, at 9 pm (ET/PT), Nick News will follow kids who are rooting for, and actively campaigning for, Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. The special will provide a glimpse into what will take place at the Democratic and Republican Conventions. In the final Kids Pick the President special, which premieres in October, Nick News will take kids‘ questions to the presidential candidates and then encourage kids to go online to www.nick.com/kpp and vote for the next US president.


    Teachers can also find Nickelodeon‘s Cable in the Classroom programne‘s election-themed lesson plans online at www.teachers.nick.com.

     

  • CBBC, CBeebies to be simulcast online in UK

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC has announced that BBC Four, CBBC and CBeebies will be available to watch live online from 16 September 2008.



    The channels join BBC Three and BBC News which are already simulcast, and can be watched online via their channel sites on bbc.co.uk through a wide range of internet enabled devices.



    They can also be watched through BBC iPlayer. BBC Vision director Jana Bennett said, “The launch of three more BBC Television channels further fulfils the BBC‘s commitment to increasing the accessibility of our content to licence fee payers.



    “Although still a relatively new phenomenon, watching programmes online is growing; now through simulcasting our channels, viewers can find and watch programmes as they are broadcast as well as having the option of catching up with them later.”



    Recent research by Ofcom (The Communications Market 2008, August) suggests that consumers of all ages are showing a growing interest in accessing audio-visual content online, with 17 per cent of those with broadband watching TV on the internet, up by eight percentage points on 2006.



    This trend is particularly apparent in younger people who tend to watch less television.



    26 per cent of those aged between 15 and 24 claimed they used the internet for “watching TV programmes” – up by 16 percentage points in 12 months.



    BBC controller of multiplatform and portfolio Simon Nelson said, “Simulcasting online is another step in making our channels true multiplatform brands accessible to audiences wherever they want and providing lots of opportunities to let them discover a wealth of related content through the channel and programme sites.”



    Simulcasting BBC Four, CBBC and CBeebies is being launched as part of a 12-month evaluation period. Video on the channel sites is GEOIP restricted, so can‘t be viewed from outside the UK.

  • Nick Jr to premiere new season of Dora the Explorer

    MUMBAI: Nick Jr will premiere the fifth season of Dora the Explorer with a special week-long celebration that will begin with brand-new episodes from 15– 18 September at 10:30 am. (ET/PT).



    The new season wll feature a new voiceover cast and new animated adventures. Dora will don an adolescent look in the new season.



    In every new episode, Dora will meet a friend from a different cultural background (French, Mayan, Guatemalan, German et al) who will teach her a special skill. In the new season, Dora will use more math to help solve problems and will also teach pre-schoolers multi-word phrases in Spanish.



    “Dora is an international icon and we are so excited to have fresh new talent to carry on her global legacy. It‘s our pleasure to welcome Caitlin and the new cast into the Nickelodeon family and we‘re confident that pre-schoolers will continue to play, explore and learn with Dora and her friends for years to come,” said Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group president animation Brown Johnson.



    Pre-schoolers can also see the new season with the Dora the Explorer Party Favorites CD, which will release on 9 September.


    In the CD version, Dora takes children on a musical adventure while traveling to a fiesta. Dora the Explorer Party Favorites consists of 16 tracks, including a special party remix of Dora The Explorer theme with ‘Travel Song‘.

  • Nickelodeon partners Imation for tween-themed electronics

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products have partnered with consumer electronics maker Imation Corp to launch electronics under the banner of Nickelodeon’s Npower brand.


    The tween-themed electronics line is inspired by iCarly, a live-action programme among kids ages six to 11 on Nickelodeon, and seeks to empower kids to express their energy, humour, intelligence, love of music and creativity using technology, digital communication and online tools.




    The iCarly assortment includes a digital video camera and the separately sold action cam accessory kit including a steady cam mount, on-camera lighting and detachable microphone. The assortment also includes a digital camera, a PC web cam, a micro photo viewer and a portable digital photo album. The products are designed for girls ages nine to 14.



    Also, Npower has introduced an expanded range of products, including speakers, boomboxes, MP3 players and digital photo frames based on the SpongeBob SquarePants theme.



    “This season, the all-new Npower line features technology that allows kids to unleash their creativity, express themselves and share digital content. Visual, audio and tactile elements are part of the design of every Npower product in a way that inspires and empowers kids,” said Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products president Leigh Anne Brodsky.



    Npower’s iCarly line is available exclusively at Toys R Us. SpongeBob SquarePants lines are available at Toys R Us, Target, Best Buy, Sears/K-mart, Walmart.com and Nick Shop.