ITV

Category: Kids

  • Nick to launch Nick Main Bhi Kinng contest

    MUMBAI: Nick is set to launch the ‘Nick Main Bhi Kinng’ contest, the winners of which will be given the opportunity to meet Akshay Kumar, protagonist of the forthcoming Bollywood flick Singh is Kinng.


    The contest will begin from 14 July and continue till 27 July. To participate in the contest, kids will be required to tune in to Nick from 3 pm to 5 pm and answer one question, asked during those hours.



    There will be 10 winners declared each day with one “chosen winner”, who will get a chance to meet Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. The “chosen winner” will be felicitated by the actor at a ceremony in Mumbai on 5 August, where he will be crowned by Akshay Kumar.



    10 other winners will also get a chance to be present at the ceremony, says Nick.



    Furthermore, winners will also win other prizes including tickets to the movie Singh is Kinng along with music CDs, cassettes and other merchandise of the film.

  • CN partners Crisp Thinking to guide children during ‘FusionFall’

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network (CN) New Media has partnered with Crisp Thinking, the online child protection specialist, to integrate its net moderator system into Cartoon Network Universe:FusionFall.


    Cartoon Network Universe:FusionFall is CN‘s first massively multiplayer online game also known as MMOG.


    FusionFall is a re-imagined and futuristic three-dimensional adventure, set during an alien invasion of the CN universe. Thrust into the role of a cartoon boy or girl, the players team up with other players and CN characters to visit more than 60 different playable areas and defend the CN universe from an alien invasion of epic proportions.



    This partnership represents a complete suite of safety features in an online game, geared toward kids between 8-14 years of age.


    Launching in autumn 2008, FusionFall targets the growing and “sophisticated” kids‘ interactive gaming market. The game aims to bring CN‘s characters, like the stars of Foster‘s Home for Imaginary Friends,Ed, Edd n Eddy,Dexter‘s Laboratory,Ben 10 and The Powerpuff Girls to the online gaming realm.


    The additional safety features in the game include moderated character names, chat filtering, chat monitoring, forum filtering and short game missions.


    “One of the critical design aspects for Cartoon Network during the entire FusionFall development process has been to establish a safe online environment for children while still allowing them to have a robust community experience,” said Turner Broadcasting System Animation Young Adults and Kids Media Group SVP digital Paul Condolora.


    “With Crisp Thinking‘s expertise and substantial safety features we believe we are delivering an experience kids have come to enjoy online, while providing parents a very safe environment they rightfully demand,” Condolora added.

  • Disney Music signs Universal Music as licensee in Asia

    MUMBAI: The Disney Music Group has teamed up with Universal Music to distribute and market its products in Asia, excluding Japan.



    The agreement will be effective in India from October 2008. But in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand it will be effective immediately.


    In the coming months, Universal will also release albums of Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, Vanessa Hudgens and Hilary Duff.


    Universal will also release soundtracks from Disney Original movies like The Cheetah Girls, Camprock and High School Musical 3.


    EMI, the British music company, was Disney‘s previous licensee in Asia. EMI will continue to serve as licensee for Disney and Hollywood in Australia and New Zealand.

  • Walt Disney to promote High School Musical 3 from 13 July

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has revealed its plans to promote its yet to be released original movie High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

    The company will showcase the movie‘s global first look on 13 July, on Disney Channels Worldwide.



    Hosted by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, and including the song ‘Now or Never‘ from High School Musical 3: Senior Year, the trailer features all new footage from the movie, which is slated for release on 24 Oct.


    Beginning 13 July in select countries, the trailer of the movie will be aired in locales around the globe, including US, Canada, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia, Southeast Asia, India, Taiwan, Brazil and Mexico, among others.


    The worldwide online launch will also kick off on Disney.com on 14 July at 12:01 am (ET).


    Performed by the cast from the movie, “Now or Never” will debut on Friday, 11 July at 7:15 pm (ET) on Radio Disney.


    “We‘re paying homage to the fans by debuting our first look on the very network that launched the franchise. High School Musical‘ is a worldwide phenomenon and as such, it is important to pursue a nearly simultaneous launch of the first look to fans everywhere, employing our online venue, Disney.com, as well as our international Disney Channels and Jetix platforms,” said Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group president Mark Zoradi.

  • Nick to serve Olympic-themed episodes on animated shows

    MUMBAI: With the Olympic games approaching, US kids broadcaster Nickelodeon is set to premiere four sports-themed episodes of animated shows The Fairly OddParents, The Backyardigans, Dora the Explorer and Ni Hao, Kai-lan from 1 August. The Fairly OddParents special episode called The Fairly Oddlympics will feature Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton as his toon self and in a live-action sequence.


    The Backyardigans will kick off Nick Jr.‘s sports-themed premiere week from 4-8 August. Meteorologist Tyrone and sportscaster Pablo will play basketball with Grecian gods Austin, Uniqua and Tasha in Match on Mt. Olympus.


    Meteorologist Tyrone and sportscaster Pablo operate out of a classic TV station in ancient Greece. Tyrone forecasts a sunny day, and Pablo wants to play basketball until suddenly it starts to rain. In this new episode, which features a samba soundtrack, the duo travel to Mt. Olympus to try to convince the god of weather to make it stop raining.


    The new episode of Dora the Explorer will show Dora and her friends go on a “super adventure race” in We‘re a Team, while Kai-lan will attempt a T-Rex footprint jump in the Dinosaur Games in Sports Day, the new Ni Hao, Kai-lan episode.

  • CBBC, Twofour launch social networking site for kids

    MUMBAI: CBBC and Twofour digital, a media technology company, have teamed up to launch a social media networking site for children aged less than 12 years.


    The site called MyCBBC is designed to familiarise a young audience with the latest technologies. Visitors can personalise their own den by choosing from a selection of themed features. They can create their own profile and invite friends into their den to leave messages. Members can also profile their interests, which in turn will help the site to offer appropriate information about CBBC programmes.



    Children who create a MyCBBC den can add up to 16 friends to the “Friends Book” in their den. Only if two users are in each other‘s friends book can they visit each other‘s dens. This ensures that children are in mutual agreement about who they allow to view their space.


    MyCBBC has taken care of the kids‘ safety and introduced certain features. No one can determine child‘s identity by his/her nickname or name of the den. All the messages between friends are limited to specific set of comments.



    Twofour digital MD Paul Tarplee said, “Because we have designed the site to introduce some of the basic concepts commonly associated with web 2.0-type interaction, we have taken every opportunity to reinforce the message that whilst exciting, the internet can also be a dangerous place if the Stay Safe rules are ignored. This is one of the many ways in which the site will help children to build useful media literacy skills.”

  • Cartoon Network to launch Capeta on 14 July

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network is set to launch a new show, Capeta, on 14 July.


    Capeta, the award winning Japanese Sports anime series, will air daily at 8:30 pm.The series revolves around a ten-year old boy Capeta, who has an interest in racing cars. Realising this, his father (who works for a paving company) builds a rundown cart out of junk parts for him.


    Capeta’s interest in cars grows even stronger and with his “great ability” in racing, he overcomes the flaws in his car and finally makes it to the race track.

  • Disney channel to start ‘Talk Out Loud’ initiative on 12 July

    MUMBAI: Based on the channel’s programming philosophy of being a part of real kids’ lives and inspiring them to realize their dreams, Disney channel has announced a new initiative called Talk Out Loud. The initiative will give kids an opportunity to join their favorite Disney characters.



    Starting 12 July, as a part of the school relationship program, Disney Channel will engage 300,000 students aged 8-15 years across 400 schools in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Kanpur and Indore, in an interactive programme.



    During this programme, Disney Channel will organize interactive classroom and school auditorium sessions, where the channel will invite schools to send entries for the ‘Talk Out Loud’ and give students an opportunity to interact with their favorite characters.



    Shows-centric quizzes, games and on-the-spot contests will be hosted to spot Disney Channel’s biggest fan, which will be short listed for the Talk Out Loud city auditions. Viewers can enroll though SMS/IVRS or log on to www.disney.in



    Commenting on the back to school program, 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.”




    For Talk Out Loud, 50 short-listed participants per city will be judged on their stage presence, confidence, presence of mind, diction, and unique style. The second round of auditions will further challenge the participants on confidence, creativity, wit, and humor, gift of the gab, unique interests, and the Disney Channel quotient.



    Ten semi-finalists from each city will be groomed in communications and presentation skills during various workshops before the final selection round.



    The winners will get to host their favorite show on Disney Channel.

  • Pogo lines up movies & shows for weekends


    MUMBAI: Pogo, the second kids’ channel from Turner, has announced a new line up for the weekend.

    A fresh series of Chota Bheem will start airing on Pogo from 6 July.


    In the new episodes, to be aired every Sunday at 9:30 am, “mighty little Bheem” and his friends will take on new adventures and escapades. Together they will go on a treasure hunt, and save the kidnapped princess of Dholakpur. He will also save the villagers of Dholakpur from a Crocodile’s attack.



    Pogo will also showcase the animated series of Spectacular Spiderman during the weekends. The series will air every Saturday and Sunday at 5 pm.


    The channel will air Batman: Man of the Phantasm in the weekend movie slot on 12 July at 2 pm while The Hulk will be aired on 13 July at 2 pm.

  • CN & Pogo marketing head Bikram Duggal quits

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network and Pogo marketing head South Asia Bikram Duggal has quit.



    Confirming the news to Indiantelevision.com Duggal said, “I am moving out from Turner. I will pursue my own enterpreneurial initiative.”



    At Turner, Duggal provided strategic direction to both Cartoon Network and Pogo.


    Duggal also worked closely with other network units such as ad sales, Cartoon Network Enterprises, programming and creative services to drive awareness and demand for Turner’s properties.