ITV

Category: Kids

  • CN to air back to back episodes of Ben 10 on Environment Day

    MUMBAI: To celebrate World Environment Day, Cartoon Network will air back to back episodes of Ben 10 on 5 June from 2 pm to 6:30 pm.


    The action animated series follows the adventures of Ben Tennyson, a 10-year-old boy, who transforms himself into ten different alien-beings through the mysterious watch (Omnitrix), each with a unique power and incredible abilities, yet allowing him to keep his kid personality.



    Ben 10 has been one of the biggest and the most successful properties worldwide and its launch in the country has been supported by an exciting range of consumer products across multiple categories like apparel, toys, publishing, home furnishings etc.


    Given a power to change the world, 25 per cent kids would help reduce environmental problems and save endangered species, said an official release, citing an in house research done by Cartoon Network‘s New Generation.

  • Disney channel to become FTA in Spain

    MUMBAI: Disney Channel Spain will go free-to-air (FTA) from 1 July. The channel will launch on free digital terrestrial TV.


    Disney network of channels has 27 Disney Channels. It had made its debut in Spain in 1998 on pay cable. But the channel which presently carries no commercial, will become ad-supported and will be joining Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service as Spain will be switching from analogue terrestrial TV in 2010.



    Disney Channel‘s head (Europe, Middle-east and Africa) John Hardie stated that the decision to enter DTT and make the channel free is to basically reach out to a larger number of audiences, which will also improve brand-awareness. And the inclusion of advertisements will generate as revenue churners and will boost the sales of merchandising such as High School Musical CDs and Hannah Montana accessories.


    He added that Disney Channel Spain can increase its reach from 2 million households to more than 6 million on 1 July owing to its availability on DTT, satellite, cable and internet TV. But the Spanish free-to-air move will not be a roll-out programme for other Disney channels elsewhere in Europe, Hardie added.

  • Viz Media releases new movie on Pokemon

    MUMBAI: VIZ Media, a publishing, animation and licensing company, has announced the DVD release of the latest Pokémon movie – Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai.


    Pokémon remains one of the most successful children‘s properties worldwide, generating billions in global sales to date. In North America, the Pokémon television series airs seven days a week on Cartoon Network.



    Pokémon is also the top-ranked show on Toonami JetstreamT, an online service developed jointly by Cartoon Network and VIZ Media that allows users to watch streamed episodes from several of the network’s hit series.


    “For more than a decade, Pokémon has captivated millions of kids with positive messages about cooperation and friendship. VIZ Media was one of the first companies to bring Pokémon home videos and DVDs to a domestic audience and in coming months we plan on releasing a variety of new Pokémon DVDs, manga and puzzle books and we look forward to fans catching them all,” said Viz Media director product marketing Mark Chang.


    In Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai, young hero Ash may think he‘s seen everything when it comes to Pokémon, but is he ready to face the mysterious Darkrai in his latest awesome adventure? While touring Alamos Town – home of the Space-Time Tower – with the beautiful Alice, Ash and his friends discover that the town‘s special garden has been decimated! Baron Alberto, a dashing but arrogant fellow, immediately blames the destruction on Darkrai.


    As if it just overheard the accusation, Darkrai appears and confronts our heroes! Who is Darkrai? Is it a friend… or an enemy in disguise?

  • Pogo to air new season of C.I.A & M.A.D

    MUMBAI: Pogo has announced a new season for two of its original productions.


    Cambala Investigation Agency (C.I.A) will premiere on 14 June at 6 pm. Season II features the young C.I.A team solving and intriguing new mysteries.



    As a special treat, Pogo has announced that the first episode of CIA II will be simulcast on Pogo and Cartoon Network on 14 June at 6 pm. The show is being produced by Contiloe Films.


    Pogo will also air the sixth season of popular arts show M.A.D. (Music, Art and Dance) from 22 June on Sundays at 10:30 am. The show is produced by Miditech.

  • Disney holds Hannah Montana Pop Star auditions in Mumbai

    MUMBAI: Disney Channel‘s Hannah Montana -The Big Pop Star Dream auditions were held on 24 May in Mumbai.


    The closed door auditions selected 400 finalists from over 2000 kids. These kids sang and grooved to Bollywood hits and songs from Disney Channel Original Movies – High School Musica 1 and High School Musical 2.


    These performances will be reviewed by Anushka Manchanda, the pop star of the VIVA band fame.


    The final winner will feature in a music video that will play out for a month prior to the new season show of Hannah Montana. The winner will also get to meet Hannah Montana in US and feature on the cover of the Disney Adventures magazine.



    Disney Channel is touring Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata to “help tweens discover the star within themselves”. The channel will fly the four semi-finalists to Mumbai to give them a complete Hannah Montana makeover and record the Hannah Montana title track in Hindi. The vignettes of these four semi finalists‘ performances will then be aired on Disney Channel for an audience poll.


    Walt Disney Television International (India) AD and SVO Antoine Villeneuve said, “Hannah Montana – The Big Pop Star dream offers kids across the nation an opportunity to express themselves and pursue their dreams. We are extremely happy to see so many tweens across the country emulate Hannah Montana while they demonstrate their passion for music and dance.”


    One lucky fan among the Disney Channel viewers, who participates in the voting to select the final winner, will also win a chance to accompany the contest winner to meet Hannah Montana in the US.


    Other prizes to be won include guitars, accessories and loads of Hannah merchandise.

  • Jetix Europe appoints Orion Ross as VP original content and creative

    MUMBAI: Jetix Europe has appointed Orion Ross for the newly created post of VP original content and creative. He will assume charge this summer and will report to senior VP of programming Marc Buhai at Jetix Europe.


    Ross will spearhead original content and creative strategy for the company, including the development of original series, the production of current series and branding across all platforms.



    Prior to this, Ross was based in Hong Kong as VP, creative and original content for Turner Broadcasting Asia Pacific.



    Since 2001 he has supervised the creative strategy for Turner‘s entertainment networks including eight Cartoon Network channels, Boomerang, and TCM.



    Prior to Turner, Ross was in the Star Group (including Star Plus, Star World, Star Sports, and Star Movies) and MGM for seven years working on channel branding and on-air promotions.


    The appointment of Ross follows that of Daniel Wineman, who has joined Jetix Europe earlier this month from Cartoon Network, where he previously worked as director of acquisitions and co-productions in the US.

  • Pogo to air sitcom Sunaina from 25 May

    MUMBAI: Pogo is set to launch Sunaina, a weekly half-hour sitcom, starting 25 May.


    The show, an in-house production of Pogo Original Production, will be aired every Sunday at 10 am.



    Sunaina revolves around a 15-year-old girl, Sunaina Mathur and her uncanny dream powers.


    Sunaina has an unusual gift – her dreams tend to come true, either in real life or in a philosophical manner.


    However, this strange ability is a closely guarded secret between Sunaina and her group of friends.


    Sunaina not only dreams about herself and those around her, but also about people whom she has never met but only read about like Shahrukh, Hrithik and Darryl Hair.s

  • Nick to organise jam session for kids at Mumbai’s Mega Mall

    MUMBAI: Taking forward the touch and feel factor, Nick has organised a jam session for kids in Mega Mall, Mumbai on 24 May.


    Kids have been invited to come and “shake legs” with Nicktoons like Spongebob and Patrick.



    Nicktoon stars will also interact and play with the kids.


    The jamming session with these characters is a part of the on-going kids festival “Fun in the Sun”, which is one of the activities of the 40 day fiesta- “Fashion Therapy”.



    Kids can register themselves at “Fun in the Sun” event, to play games at Jammin, Mega Mall‘s family entertainment centre. The event also has workshops like origami, mask painting, pot painting, paper quelling and clay art.



    Kids can also play on the “Spin – O – Wheel” machine on making purchase of over Rs 1500 and multiples from any participating store.


    Approximately 10,000 prizes will be given away and a designer chopper bike as a grand prize will be given to the winner.

  • Disney announces live action series Welcome to Mollywood

    MUMBAI: Disney Channel has announced the live-action comedy series Welcome to Mollywood with Demi Lovato (As the Bell Rings, Camp Rock) in the lead role. Disney Channels Worldwide president entertainment Gary Marsh announced the project.

    Marsh said, “Our success is completely driven by the talent we partner with — in front of, and behind, the camera. The entire “Mollywood” creative team is the best in the business when it comes to creating break-out kid and family comedy. And Demi Lovato – actress, singer and songwriter — is, without a doubt, the next big talent to emerge from Disney Channel.”


    Lovato was introduced to Disney Channel viewers last year in the short form comedy series As the Bell Rings. She next stars in two Disney Channel Original Movies, Camp Rock opposite the Jonas Brothers (premiering Friday, 20 June) and Princess Protection Program with Selena Gomez (premiering later this season). She has a solo recording contract with Disney‘s Hollywood Records and will perform this summer on the Jonas Brothers “Burning Up” concert tour.



    The series also stars Tiffany Thornton (of the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie Hatching Pete) as Tawni Hart, Brandon Mychal Smith as Nico, Doug Brochu as Grady and Allisyn Ashley Arm as Zora.


    In Welcome to Mollywood, Lovato stars as Molly, a talented 15-year-old Midwestern girl who, after a nationwide search, is chosen to travel to Los Angeles to join the cast of the most popular and long-running teen sketch comedy show on TV. Set around Molly‘s home and work life, the series will feature a show-within-a-show, with fully produced comedy sketches. The sitcom will begin production in September for premiere during the 2008-09 season on Disney Channel.


    Welcome to Mollywood is executive-produced by Brian Robbins and his producing partner Sharla Sumpter Bridgett, under the recently formed company Varsity Pictures.


    Varsity Pictures is a feature film and television production company formed by producer/director Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett. The company is currently developing numerous projects of which some Robbins will direct.

  • All India Radio’s kids programme bags best award at Iran

    NEW DELHI: Janiba, ame kama kariba’ (Think globally, act locally), an Oriya programme produced at All India Radio’s Sambalpur (Orissa) Unit, has bagged the top prize in the category of Children Programme in the 9th International Radio Festival of Iran.
    The programme produced by AIR Sambalpur programme executive Padmalochan Das was awarded in a glittering function in the Isfahan city of Iran. Das received a Golden Statue and a cash prize of Euro 2000 for his awarded programme.


    The programme disseminates the basic scientific information to children about the making of the solar system, the earth, and its environment in an entertaining way through musical rhymes. It enlightens the children about the factors leading to climatic changes and how to save it.


    Two children (Kuni and Mani) are in conversation with their mother in a garden. The sun, the tree, the pond, the butterfly and the fumes have been personified to interact with the children and speak for them.


    Das also got the first prize in the 8th International Radio Festival Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting in 2007 in the category “Other Structures” dealing with HIV/AIDS. An earlier programme by him was awarded Best Commonwealth Broadcasting Association Award in the Science Reporting and Programming earlier this year.