ITV

Category: Kids

  • Nick Jr’s ‘The Wonder Pets!’ showcases Bollywood angle

    MUMBAI: US kids broadcaster Nickelodeon has announced that Nick Jr‘s show The Wonder Pets! will have a Bollywood-themed episode Save The Bengal Tiger.



    Nandita Das will voice the Bengal Tiger. Salim and Sulaiman Merchant have composed the musical score. The episode airs next month.


    A DVD that will feature the double-length title episode, in addition to two extra adventures from The Wonder Pets! will also be released. Bonus features on The Wonder Pets!: Save The Bengal Tiger DVD include the music video for “I Like Being Small” and a Teamwork Tips! photo gallery.


    The Wonder Pets! chronicles the adventures of three funny, singing classroom pets: Linny the Guinea Pig (Sofie Zamchick), Ming-Ming Duckling (Danica Lee) and Turtle Tuck (Teala Dunn), who travel the world and use teamwork to save baby animals in distress.

  • 4Kids to introduce new series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brand in 2009, 4Kids Entertainment will introduce the new series TMNT: Back to the Sewer to global broadcasters at this year’s Mipcom.


    The announcement was made by 4Kids Entertainment EVP International business Brian Lacey.



    In the UK, cITV has just acquired 13 half-hour episodes of the series, which is anticipated to launch in the first quarter of 2009. Additionally, 4Kids has already secured broadcast deals with leading programmers including Alter (Greece), DRTV (Denmark), MTV3 (Finland), Children‘s Channel via UCOI (Israel), Indosiar (Indonesia) and RTE (Ireland).



    “We’re delighted to be continuing our TMNT relationship with ITV, particularly as we build toward the 25th Anniversary of the Turtles. TMNT has been a strong performer on cITV, and we’re confident that kids will be thrilled with their newest series of adventures,” said Lacey.



    4Kids Entertainment will also be initiating consumer activities internationally that include competitions, cross-promotions with licensees, in-store promotions and displays.



    Several events will also highlight the milestone, including one in London, England, in which 4Kids will work with the Animation Art Gallery at County Hall to put on an exhibition of the original Turtles comic artwork from creators Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman.



    The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made their public premiere in May 1984 in a comic book published and distributed by Mirage Studios. A hugely successful TV series quickly followed, along with a licensing program and three successful theatrical films. In 2003, the Turtles were re-introduced to a new generation through a fresh TV series, a CGI theatrical film and new merchandising program.



    In the new series, Ninja Turtles arrive back in their own time (present-day NYC), but are shocked to find that Master Splinter didn’t make the trip with them. It seems that on the harrowing journey back through time their beloved Father was digitally decompiled into hundreds of tiny “data bits” which were then scattered through the vast nether regions of cyberspace. Now, to save Master Splinter, the Turtles must enter cyberspace and collect all of his lost data bits – only then will they have a chance of making Splinter whole again. Cyberspace is a dangerous place with a wide assortment of megabyte baddies lurking around every encoded corner. The stakes are high, the challenges are many, and the fate of Splinter hangs in the balance.

  • Hannah Barbara’s Banana Splits to return on TV

    MUMBAI: The children‘s classic The Banana Splits is all set to make a come back on the TV screens.


    Hannah-Barbera‘s Banana Splits has undergone a modern makeover. It will start airing as comedy shorts and music videos on Cartoon Network from 2 September. It will also air on Boomerang channel.



    The show will have also have a website. DVD, CD and music will be available for download on iTunes and Amazon.com.


    “Everything that made The Banana Splits hugely popular in the 1960s is back, including the group‘s terrific humor and hit music. We take great pride in having carefully updated the look and feel of the original show for today‘s kids while retaining all of the elements that made the original Banana Splits such a hit,” said Warner Brothers consumer products EVP new business initiatives and international licensing Jordan Sollitto.


    The series originally ran on NBC between 1968 and 1970.

  • Turner partners with iScreen to distribute content on mobile

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific has formed a distribution and content partnership with iScreen Corporation, a mobile service provider in Taiwan, for Cartoon Network mobile services.


    In a multi-year agreement, iScreen will distribute, market and promote Turner’s Cartoon Network-branded mobile services to operators, serving Taiwan mobile users via downloads and streaming.


    The partnership between Turner and iScreen has already resulted in a major collaboration with Taiwan Mobile, introducing the first Chinese Cartoon Network mobile site in Taiwan. A raft of Cartoon Network mobile downloadable services, including the first Cartoon Network e-comic books in the world, will be exclusively available to Taiwan Mobile’s subscribers.



    “Turner is excited about this partnership with iScreen, as it will bolster our presence in the robust Taiwan mobile market. iScreen’s expertise as a distributor as well as a content developer makes us well-positioned to combine our iconic Cartoon Network brands, such as BEN 10 and The Powerpuff Girls, to innovate and present first-in-market services that will appeal to Taiwan’s mobile consumers,” said Turner International Asia Pacific VP wireless, interactive content development and distribution Ringo Chan.


    iScreen also served as the content developer for the mobile site and Cartoon Network’s first-ever content on the latest mobile innovation in the world, the e-comic platform, enabling consumers to enjoy their favorite Cartoon Network shows and characters, BEN 10 and The Powerpuff Girls, in comic format and complete with sound and vibration effect on their mobile phones.


    “iScreen is pleased to partner with Turner, a key leader in branded content, and we hope to explore more collaborations in other territories. In the past few years, iScreen has been continuously developing innovative and highly- technical mobile services, winning the confidence and trust of our partners around the world. Most recently, we introduced mobile book service solutions into Taiwan from Japan. We will continue to provide such first-in-market mobile services,” said iScreen Corporation GM David Chou.


    Cartoon Network’s mobile content is widely distributed in more than 15 countries and territories in the Asia Pacific region. In addition to wireless content and linear broadcast, Turner also pursues content aggregation across multiple platforms including interactive media, publishing, consumer products and promotional licensing.

  • Nick in deal with ‘Zoey 101’ star Victoria Justice

    MUMBAI: kids broadcaster Nickelodeon has signed 15 year-old actress Victoria Justice Zoey 101 to an overall talent and music deal. The announcement was made by Nick executive vice-president, talent Paula Kaplan.



    As part of the new pact, Nickelodeon, in partnership with Sony BMG Music Entertainment, is developing a comedy series as a starring vehicle for Justice. Created and helmed by tween hitmaker Dan Schneider the new project will be set in a modern day school for the performing arts and feature original music. The network has also tapped the former Zoey 101 star for a co-starring role in the upcoming Nickelodeon original television movie Spectacular!, a story set in the competitive world of show choirs.


    Kaplan says, “Victoria is a rare kind of actress. She’s beautiful, yet takes a fearless approach to acting. Kids loved her on Zoey 101 because she could boldly take a pie in the face or just as easily tackle a dramatic scene. It is this versatility combined with her musical talent and real-girl qualities that make her someone we are excited about”


    Columbia Records senior VP Jay Landers says, “Victoria is the real deal. Besides her acting skills which are already well-known to her fans, she has a terrific recording voice. When she steps up to the mic, her personality shines through. We are looking forward to working with her and to have everyone see her in ’Spectacular!’ and beyond”


    Justice joined Nickelodeon in 2005 when she was cast as a series regular in Zoey 101. For three seasons, she played Lola Martinez, Zoey’s artsy and dramatic roommate at Pacific Coast Academy.

  • Kids channels fight to protect turf, Cartoon Network rules South

    Kids TV is poised for expansion in India with Reliance ADAG‘s Big Broadcasting set to debut this fiscal.

    Anticipating an increase in competition, the existing broadcasters in the kids‘ segment – Disney, Turner and Viacom 18 – have left no stone unturned to woo their loyal audiences.

    Indiantelevision.com takes a look at what kept the kids channels busy in the first half of 2008.

    With six players fighting it out, there has been no major change in the ratings ladder. Hungama continues to lead in the Hindi speaking markets (HSM) while Cartoon Network stays second, according to Tam data (C&S 4-14 years).

    The southern region, however, has seen a change with Cartoon Network ousting Chutti TV to take the leadership slot.

    HUNGAMA CONTINUES TO RULE

    Hungama TV leads the pack with an average channel share of 28 per cent. This is followed by Cartoon Network, capturing a 23.3 share.

    Channel Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
    Hungama TV 25 29 29 30 27 28
    Cartoon Network 25 27 23 20 24 21
    Nickelodeon 19 17 17 17 19 21
    Pogo 17 14 18 19 18 19
    Disney Channel 9 8 8 9 7 7
    Jetix 6 6 5 4 5 4
    Source: TAM Peoplemeter System Mkt: HSM TG: CS 4-14 YRS Period: 1st Jan to 30th June ‘08

    Hungama TV has held on to its leadership status with the help of its ‘mad positioning‘ and ‘fun programming‘. The channel did not change its popular content much and mixed it with innovative ideas such as a search for ‘Sabse Bada Pyjama‘, to engage children.

    Doraemon and Shin Chan remained popular programmes on Hungama TV. During the on ground activation to promote the search of ‘Sabse Bada Pyjama‘, the two favourite characters toured the key cities across India to urge participation from kids.

    Cartoon Network, the oldest channel in the genre, maintained its second position. It displayed an impressive lineup of movies as a part its summer programming, but its channel share dipped in April and June (See table).

    Pogo, the sister channel from Turner, has seen a dip in February. However, it recovered quickly and ended the first six months of the year with an average channel share of 17.5 per cent.

    “In the summer period (mid-April to mid-June), Cartoon Network and Pogo‘s combined shares grew by 14 per cent (from 6 to 6.9 in absolute terms),” says Turner International India vice president and entertainment networks South Asia deputy general manager Monica Tata.

    Turner has long gone the localisation route and tied up with local production houses to churn out Indian shows like CIA, MAD, Sunaina and movies on weekend. It has also acquired a bunch of local Indian animated movies to air on both its channels. The titles include Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Gulliver‘s Travels and action-packed Trouble in Tokyo, as well as Ninja Turtles III and Bal Ganesh.

    “As far as ratings are concerned, we have always played fair and looked at long-term ratings rather than just a few weeks. Therefore, if you look at our overall performance through the year, it has been positive and we have been number one and number two channels right from January-June 2008, all India, all SECs, 4-14. Cartoon Network and Pogo‘s combined shares in 1 Jan 1 – 30 Jun 2008 stood at 43 per cent in All India;41 per cent in HSM and 48 per cent in South India,” explains Tata.

    Nick, which has grown consistently since the last one year, has settled with the third spot. The channel‘s average share in the HSM is 18.3 per cent, benefitting from its “Indianised” marketing initiatives.

    “Our shows are extremely filtered and suitable for kids and family watching. Children can connect to the characters readily. Importantly, we carry out monthly initiatives. Even during exams we had ‘Exam Popat‘ which has kept the TG engaged to our channel,” says Nick India VP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria.

    ‘Kaun Banega Valentoon‘, ‘April Fool is School‘, ‘Mother‘s day‘, ‘Masti Ki Pathshala‘ and ‘Nick Fundoo Superstar with Mandira Bedi and Saroj Khan‘ are some of the initiatives that Nick undertook in these six months.

    Movies like Stuart Little and Dinotopia augmented the growth.

    Kids viewing seems to have been marginally affected during the period when the IPL (Indian Premier League) matches were being telecast live. “IPL must have affected us marginally but not as much as the examinations have done,” says Jaipuria.

    Voicing similar sentiments, Tata says, “Cartoon Network and Pogo witnessed a 10 per cent growth during the IPL.”

    The next two players in the performance chart are Disney and Jetix. While the former stands at an average channel share of 8 per cent, the later has managed a share of 5 per cent.

    CATOON NETWORK BECOMES NUMBER ONE IN SOUTH

    The story in the Southern market, however, looks drastically different from what it was in 2007.

     

    Channel Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
    Cartoon Network 23 27 26 23 30 32
    Jetix 26 26 24 26 24 25
    Pogo 20 20 22 24 22 22
    Chutti TV 25 20 21 18 17 13
    Nickelodeon 3 3 2 3 2 3
    Hungama TV 2 3 3 3 3 3
    Disney Channel 2 2 2 3 2 2
    Source: TAM Peoplemeter System Mkt: South Mkt TG: CS 4-14 YRS Period: 1st Jan to 30th June ‘08

    Chutti TV has dropped its share every month, ending with an average of 19 per cent in the first half of this year, down from 25.83 per cent in the year-ago period.

    Surpassing everyone, Cartoon Network has gone ahead to claim the numero uno position with an average channel share of 26.84 per cent.

    In the critical southern market, language plays an important role. Local feed of the channel in Tamil and Telugu has helped Cartoon Network to grow phenomenally.

    “We are specifically catering to the southern markets with Tamil and Telugu language feeds and the active viewing day-part of Cartoon Network is already available in these two languages, apart from English in the other two Southern states. This has helped us build strong bonds with kids in South India and provides us with an opportunity to showcase their favourite programming in their preferred language,” explains Tata.

    Cartoon Network‘s sister channel Pogo has also remained consistent throughout these xmonths. Its average market share stands at 21.6 per cent.

    “Of the top 100 transmissions for the first half of the year 2008, 73 have been from Cartoon Network and 4 from Pogo. Our top shows and characters include Tom & Jerry Cat and Mouse Full House, Ben 10 and from POGO the movie Krrish, Chhota Bheem and Mr Bean,” says Tata.

    Chutti TV, which ruled the market ever since its launch in April 2007, has declined to the fourth spot.

    Explains Chutti TV business head Kavitha Zubin, “We are still experimenting with shows. We will soon secure our position in the top slot.”

    The channel is banking on shows like Gloria‘s House, Me and Mow. It has also acquired movie titles from Southern Star, Sony Pictures which will be aired soon.

    “None of our shows are action-based. They are all educational and apt for family viewing. We have a variety of shows like puppets, 2D, 3D and clay cartoons and these are all educational and for family viewing,” says Zubin.

    Meanwhile Jetix, the action channel from Disney, has stayed consistent throughout the six-month period with an average channel share of 25.1 per cent.

    The channel, which also runs its feed in Telugu and Tamil, remained unmoved from the second spot.

    Perhaps, language disconnect is the reason why Nick, Disney Channel and Hungama TV feature in the bottom three.

    “We definitely have plans for the southern market but we first want to consolidate our position in HSM,” says Jaipuria.

  • Disney announces winner of Hannah Montana Big Pop Star Dream contest

    MUMBAI: Disney‘s all-India Hannah Montana Big Pop Star Dream contest has culminated with Mumbai‘s Shivranjani Singh winning it.


    Apart from winning herself a Gibson Guitar, she will feature on the cover of Disney Adventure Magazine and star in a music video which will play out before every episode of the new season of Hannah Montana for a month.


    That‘s not all! Shivranjani will also fly to the United States to meet pop icon Hannah Montana.


    The music video showcases Shivranjani living the ‘best of both worlds‘ between the glitz, glam of her pop star fame and her school girl life.



    The contest was judged by popular pop band Viva‘s Anushka Manchanda.


    Walt Disney Television International (India) SVO and MD Antoine Villeneuve said, “Hannah Montana – the Big Pop Star dream offers kids across the nation an opportunity to bring out their hidden talent and pursue their dreams. We are extremely happy to see so many tweens across the country relate to Hannah Montana while they emulate her music and dance.”


    Also Hanish Chawla a lucky fan among the Disney Channel viewers in Delhi, who participated in selecting the final winner through votes, won himself a chance to accompany the contest winner on this trip to meet Hannah Montana


    Over 400 finalists performed in malls across four cities to Bollywood hits and songs from Disney Channel Original Movies – High School Musical & High School Musical 2 during city leg auditions. Each of the finalists got a pop star makeover to brighten up their performance before they went up on-stage to live their dream of performing like a pop star.


    These performances were later reviewed by Anushka Manchanda. Four finalists flew to Mumbai to get a complete Hannah Montana makeover and recorded the Hannah Montana title track in Hindi. The vignettes of these four semi finalists‘ performances were aired on Disney Channel for an audience poll.

  • Buena Vista Concerts, Walt Disney Records Announce Launch of Cheetah Girls One World Tour

    MUMBAI: Disney‘s multi-platinum recording group The Cheetah Girls (Adrienne Bailon, Sabrina Bryan and Kiely Williams) will launch their nationwide “The Cheetah Girls One World Tour” in US this Fall. The 50-date nationwide concert tour follows the soundtrack and third Disney Channel Original Movie, “The Cheetah Girls One World.” The tour starts on 8 October in Austin, Texas and concludes in San Diego, California on 21 December.



    Most tickets go on sale on 23 August through Ticketmaster and online at CheetahGirls.AEGLIVE.com.



    “The Cheetah Girls One World” will premiere on 22 August as part of the Disney Channel Original Movie franchise. Its soundtrack features 12 hip-hop, R&B, Indian-influenced tracks performed by the tween superstars. The movie‘s ‘anthem‘ and the soundtrack‘s lead single, “One World” will be featured in The Cheetah Girls‘ set, along with favourites from the first two movies and soundtracks.



    The Cheetah Girls began as a 2003 Disney Channel Original Movie based on the bestselling book series for kids and tweens written by award-winning author Deborah Gregory (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children). Within two years of the movie‘s debut, the group gained a large fan base, topped the soundtrack charts with a double-platinum soundtrack and enjoyed a highly-rated DVD release.

  • Disney’s ‘Talk It Loud comes’ to Mumbai

    MUMBAI: Disney Channel’s ‘Talk Out Loud‘ is all set to groom its fans across Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Kanpur and Indore. One fan in each city will get to feature alongside his/ her favourite star on Disney Channel.



    As many as 200 participants were shortlisted at a city-level audition held earlier this month on their stage presence, diction, confidence, presence of mind, diction, and unique style.



    The second round of auditions further shortlisted 10 participants per city. The second round of auditions of these participants was held in Mumbai. These finalists were groomed in communications and presentation skills during various workshops such as ‘Theatre Workshop’, ‘Communications Workshop’ and performed in front of the camera before the final winner announcement.



    Walt Disney Television International (India) SVP and MD Antoine Villeneuve said, “Disney Channel’s ‘Talk Out Loud’ aims to connect with the audience through their own idioms while also providing a platform for fans to express themselves. Disney Channel fans have always been a part of the channel and now we are giving them an opportunity to be a popular face and voice on the Channel!”



    In July this year, Disney Channel engaged its fans across 10 cities through interactive classroom and school auditorium sessions where the channel invited schools to send entries for the ‘Talk Out Loud’. Viewers enrolled through a quiz played on IVRS, SMS and online.

  • Cartoon Network, Adult Swim on ICO’s lineup for mobile interactive media service

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System, Inc and ICO Global Communications ltd (ICO) have signed agreements to provide content from Cartoon Network and Adult Swim for use in ICO‘s mobile interactive media service, known as ICO mim.



    ICO mim is a fully interactive mobile video, navigation and emergency assistance service powered by the ICO G1 satellite, which launched in April 2008. The trials will take place in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina and Las Vegas, Nevada later this year.


    The ICO mim service will include a mix of news, children‘s, entertainment, and sports offerings.


    “Children‘s programming is an essential genre for any rear-seat mobile entertainment service,” said ICO‘s lead strategic content negotiator Sue Hamilton, “and we‘re pleased to add Cartoon Network content to Discovery Kids as we build out our programming lineup.”


    ICO mim is a converged mobile media service that addresses a variety of consumers‘ entertainment, information, and two-way communication needs: live mobile TV for vehicles and portable devices, interactive navigation, and roadside assistance, all with satellite coverage. ICO mim will provide eight to 15 channels of live mobile television to portable and larger-screen devices.