ITV

Category: Kids

  • Turner’s Pogo makes headway into Thailand with Channel 3

    Turner’s Pogo makes headway into Thailand with Channel 3

    MUMBAI: Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific has partnered with Thai free-to-air broadcaster Channel 3 to host a daily two-hour programming block of Pogo-branded content from 30 March.

     

    The block offers a mix of animated and live-action original content from Pogo that was launched in India by Turner in 2004.

     

    The block will air in Thai on the Family Channel 3 from 4-6 pm on weekdays and 7-9 am on weekends. Its programming includes first-run and exclusive content with live-action shows such as M.A.D. (Music, Art and Dance) and F.A.Q. (a science show for inquisitive youngsters), and Chhota Bheem, one of India’s biggest ever animated homegrown franchises.

     

    Turner International Asia Pacific SVP and managing director, North Asia and Southeast Asia Pacific Phil Nelson said, “For more than a decade, kids in India have loved Pogo and we are confident that its content will also work well in Thailand. It’s yet another example of how Turner is creating engaging local viewing solutions and we’re looking forward to working closely with Channel 3.”

     

    Channel 3 EVP Surin Krittiyaphongphun added, “We are excited to bring the Pogo brand to Thailand for the first time and local audiences are going to love it. The deal is a result of a great partnership – Channel 3 is one of the country’s most watched channels and Turner is a world leader in curating and creating content, with an impressive track record in delivering viewers in Thailand. We’re also looking forward to seeing how the brand evolves and develops in the coming months.”

     

    Although this is the first time that the Pogo brand has traveled outside India in this way, Turner has been very active recently in Thailand.

     

    This announcement follows successful launches in Thailand for Turner’s other kids’ brands Boomerang and Toonami as a result of a partnership with the Major Kantana Group. At the same time, Cartoon Network on TrueVisions opened Cartoon Network Amazone, its first ever branded waterpark in Bang Saray, near Pattaya.

     

    After the block’s launch, Turner and Channel 3 will explore opportunities for co-productions and local original production to offer even more tailor-made content to local viewers.

  • Pogo gets a magical twist with ‘Sabrina Secrets of a Teenage Witch’

    Pogo gets a magical twist with ‘Sabrina Secrets of a Teenage Witch’

    MUMBAI: Pogo ups the ante of humour and magic with the launch of a brand new animated series Sabrina Secrets of a Teenage Witch every Sunday at 8 PM.

     

    Sabrina is half-witch and half-human, and overall superhero as she leads two vastly different lives; one disguised as a normal, clumsy high school student and the other as the top sorcery student in the magical world. When her two worlds collide, Sabrina is the only one who has the power to battle her foes, while managing to keep her magical identity a secret from humankind.

     

    The animated series is based on the Archie Comics character Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

  • Nickelodeon mobilises Gen-Next with Big Green Help 2015

    Nickelodeon mobilises Gen-Next with Big Green Help 2015

    MUMBAI: Kids inspire, influence and hold the baton to the future of society. It is this kid power that Nickelodeon has sought to unleash with the Big Green Help 2015. Answering the nation’s clarion call for Swach Bharat and taking it a step further, the pro-socio environment initiative will empower and encourage kids to save the planet and its resources.

     

    The Big Green Help will provide information and tools to kids to understand various environmental issues like conserving energy, preserving nature and fighting pollution hazards, amongst many others. Nick will make this serious topic very relevant and kid friendly with the adorable Nicktoons spreading the key message of saving the planet.

     

    Viacom18 Media EVP and business head – kids cluster Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “Nickelodeon continuously engages with kids on issues that affect their lives and encourages them to take action. With The Big Green Help, we aim to provide them with the necessary knowledge so they can become part of the environmental solution and ensure a brighter future for themselves.”

     

    Post its success in the last couple of years, the Big Green Help initiative by Nickelodeon has now made its way into the digital space through an exclusive microsite (nickindia.com/BGH). The microsite will allow kids to learn more about the environmental issues and be the “Agents of Change” to make the world a healthier place.

     

    The on-air campaign further resonates this message and showcases kids taking the higher ground and encouraging adults to walk the right path.

     

    Nickelodeon has also launched a new chapter in their environmentally friendly challenge by opening up an online game – The Big Green Game with a goal of kindling real-world action for environmental change. The popular Motu – Patlu Nicktoons characters will be featured wherein they will be on a mission to clean Furfuri Nagar and make it garbage free. The online kid’s game seeks to use social media as a tool to help educate today’s children about global environmental concerns.

     

    Launched with the goal of spurring a kid-led movement, the channel also encourages kids to pledge to be green ‘Refuse, Reduce , Reuse , Recycle’ and take actionable stops in the real world through projects in their communities and schools.

  • Aabid Surti to get lifetime achievement award at Comic Con, Bangalore

    Aabid Surti to get lifetime achievement award at Comic Con, Bangalore

    NEW DELHI: National Award Winning Indian author, artist, cartoonist and playwright Aabid Surti will receive the fourth Annual Comic Con India Lifetime Achievement Award this year.

     

    The Comic Con India Awards 2015 ceremony will take place in Bangalore for the first time, during the Bangalore Comics Convention 2015 at White Orchid Convention Centre on 4 April. The event is being held from 3 to 5 April.

    Surti will personally receive the award at the convention. For the competitive categories, nominations have been accepted and the winners will be announced at the ceremony.

     

    The Jury – CCI Awards consists of Neelabh Banerjee (author & artist), Vishwajyoti Ghosh (author) and Abhishek Sharma (writer & filmmaker). The jury will go through the submitted entries and eventually shortlist and announce the winners.

     

    Comic Con India founder Jatin Varma said, “We at Comic Con India are honoured to bestow our Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr Surti. His contribution to Indian comics has been phenomenal. We are very lucky to have him accept the award at the upcoming Bangalore show and interact with his legions of fans.”

     

    Comic Con India Awards is an initiative of Comic Con India. CCI Awards aim to recognize the work of all the professionals of India’s comics industry. It’s an attempt to bring into focus the novelty of this art form and acknowledge the efforts of numerous writers, artists and publishers in this field.

     

    “I am very glad to announce the nominees for the CCI Awards this year, a tremendous amount of talent was on display, it certainly wasn’t an easy task shortlisting the nominees. And I am very excited to host the ceremony at the upcoming Bangalore Comic Con, in midst of thousands of fans,” said Varma.

     

    So far, R.K.Laxman, Padma Vibhushan late Mario Miranda and Giant of Indian comics Pran Kumar Sharma have been honoured with CCI Lifetime Achievement Awards.

    A National Award Winning Indian author, Surti published his first story Tootela Farishtain Gujarati in 1965. Since then, Surti has written numerous short stories, novels, plays, children’s books, comic books, and travelogues. In 1993, he won a National Award for his short-story collection Teesri Aankh.

  • Cartoon Network bags Astra Award for ‘Monster Beach’

    Cartoon Network bags Astra Award for ‘Monster Beach’

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network’s first Australian content commissioned for global distribution, Monster Beach, has taken home the 2015 Astra Award for ‘Most Outstanding Children’s Program.’

     

    Cartoon Network premiered Monster Beach in Australia last Halloween. The special then aired across Asia became the number one show in its timeslot in markets including Taiwan and the Philippines, and was dubbed into several languages. Scheduled to air later this year, European audiences will be the next to enjoy the animated fun.

     

    The original movie was commissioned by Cartoon Network and created by Melbourne-based animation studio Bogan Entertainment Solutions (BES). Monster Beach follows two siblings who visit their uncle on a secluded island for the summer, only to find the island in danger and the locals are surf-crazed monsters.

     

    “The success of Monster Beach is a result of a collaboration between Cartoon Network’s executive production team in Hong Kong and BES in Melbourne,” said Turner International Asia Pacific chief content officer- kids content Mark Eyers. “It is a great example of how an international network can partner with Australia’s top talent to create locally-produced content that can reach audiences across the world,” he added.

     

    Cartoon Network made Australia its first port of call in Asia Pacific last year on its international search for animation talent with Monster Beach delivering Australian flavour to international audiences with its distinctive animation style through BES’ involvement.

     

    “Taking a project from the kitchen table through to international release has been an amazing experience. As has partnering with those whose belief in the concepts and the potential of Australian animation has been unswerving in its support,” said BES’ Monster Beach director Patrick Crawley. 

     

    “Working with Cartoon Network has meant we’ve had the opportunity to link some of the best Australian writing, design and animation talent with their contemporaries from around the world to deliver an outstanding project,” added Crawley.

      

    Cartoon Network’s hit series Adventure Time, which is now in its sixth season, also had received a 2015 Astra Awards nomination for Most Outstanding Children’s Program.

  • Turner India expands kids portfolio with Toonami

    Turner India expands kids portfolio with Toonami

    MUMBAI: In order to provide an extra dose of entertainment, Turner International India is expanding its kid’s entertainment portfolio with the launch of a new action-adventure channel – Toonami. 

     

    The channel aims to bring high-octane animated action to kids, superhero fans and their families across the country.

     

    The new channel, which is based on the programming block of the same name on Cartoon Network in the US, is a 24-hour English action and anime destination designed for viewers seeking a full tilt, rollercoaster ride of adventure, quips, drama and a whole lot more. 

     

    The channel has a significant presence in Asia Pacific across 14 countries including Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Sri Lanka amongst others.

     

    In India, Toonami complements Turner’s kids’ entertainment portfolio of Cartoon Network and Pogo.

     

    Turner International India managing director, South Asia Siddharth Jain believes that it will meet the growing demand for premium quality action-adventure and superhero content. 

     

    “It is a real proud moment for Turner to bring in a channel like Toonami to our young Indian audiences – we now offer a robust entertainment experience for all ages and interests,” he said.

     

    The channel will feature superhero franchises such as Batman, Superman, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Justice League, Inazuma Eleven Go, Dragon Ball Z and many more.

     

    Toonami is being distributed by Taj Television and is available on digital cable platforms like Siticable, Indusind Media (Incable), ICNCL, Home Cable and JPR Cable Network across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore.

  • Disney India’s ‘Friends For Change’ recognises stewards of change in Delhi-NCR

    Disney India’s ‘Friends For Change’ recognises stewards of change in Delhi-NCR

    NEW DELHI: ‘Friends for Change’, an innovative interschool volunteering program, initiated by Disney India in April 2014, witnessed its culmination today amidst much fanfare in the capital city. The event, held at the PHD Chambers of Commerce and Industry had students, teachers and principals from the nine participating schools, government officials, NGOs working in the conservation space and representatives from other schools in attendance. National Award Winning actress Vidya Balan, who was the Guest of Honour for the event, encouraged and congratulated the participating schools.

     

    At the culmination ceremony, all schools showcased their work tracing their journey of transformation in the adopted parks. The students captured their experiences on how they went about planning the activities, understood native species, and undertook soil testing and plantation drives within the gardens. They put up “street plays” to promote awareness and garnered support from the local authorities and communities.

     

    “Conservation is one of the key pillars of our Citizenship initiatives globally as well as in India. Drawing inspiration from the global initiative, we envisaged the ‘Friends for Change’ program for India, centred around the key issue of depleting urban greenery. We believe that today’s children are tomorrow’s future and as part of the programme, we involved them to be the champions of change. The participation and enthusiasm of students, teachers and schools, coupled with the support and encouragement received from local authorities and the community at large, has been phenomenal and motivates us to grow this initiative in the coming years,” said Disney India  managing director Siddharth Roy Kapur.

     

    Post the schools completing their work in December 2014, an eminent jury panel comprising of technical experts, representatives from Disney India and CMS,  visited all the parks and based on the evaluation parameters of infrastructure development, water source utilization, plantation, stakeholder involvement, sustainability and innovation, chose the winners.  Amity International School, Pushp Vihar was announced as the winner of ‘Friends for Change 2014-2015′, for bringing about an astounding change in Sector IV park in Pushp Vihar. Bal Bharati Public School, Brij Vihar, Ghaziabad was announced as the runners-up, for transforming the Tikona Park in Ghaziabad. There was also a Jury Special Mention winner – Delhi Public School Ghaziabad, Meerut Road for adopting Shaheed Smarak Park, a heritage site and modifying it.

     

    “I strongly believe that parks are an integral part of any child’s formative growing years. As a child I have been fortunate to have easy access to parks, which have I believe have made a huge difference in my life. Since children are stewards of change, I think the idea of inculcating in them a sense of responsibility towards the environment through a participative process is bound to be more effective. While on the one hand, Disney’s Friends for Change is a unique initiative to instill qualities of compassion, creativity & conservation amongst kids, it is also a great platform for fostering team work, collaboration and understanding amongst them,” said Balan, who graced the culmination event and felicitated the winning school.

  • Decision on Nick proposal for buying entire holding in Prism TV deferred

    Decision on Nick proposal for buying entire holding in Prism TV deferred

    NEW DELHI: The Government today deferred approval to a proposal by Nickelodeon Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd., Singapore for purchasing the entire holdings of Shinano Retail Private Limited, India.

     

    Nickelodeon Asia Holdings plans to purchase the holdings of Shinano in Prism TV Private Limited.

     

    The Finance Ministry on the recommendation of the Foreign Investments Promotion Board (FIBP) approved a proposal of Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd. for the deletion of one condition in the amendment.

     

    However, this does not involve any foreign direct investment (FDI).

  • ZeeQ ties up with KGAF 2015 for Children’s Festival

    ZeeQ ties up with KGAF 2015 for Children’s Festival

    MUMBAI: Taking forward its motto of ‘Mind-full Masti’, ZeeQ has tied up with the 16th edition of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF). The channel is the sponsor for the Children’s segment of KGAF 2015.

     

    The festival kick-started from 7 February and will be on till 15 February in Mumbai. The nine day festival will see many workshops that will take kids to many different fun zones.

     

    Out of the events happening is a special workshop by skilled toy maker Lalon will take place on 12 February from 3 to 4 pm at the Museum Gardens. Lalon is an NID graduate and also the host of ZeeQ’s new upcoming show The Art Room, which launches on 13 April, 2015.

     

    The workshop will focus on handmade toys made using materials like bamboo, wood, terracotta etc. There will also be a fun filled treasure hunt designed for children between the age group of 9-13 years, where they will discover interesting facts about Mumbai city, its history, culture, governance and its people.

     

    The spot registrations for the Children’s Treasure Hunt will start at Horniman Circle, on 15 February at 10:30 am and each team will comprise one parent and one child.

     

    The channel also presents ‘The Genius of the Day’ wherein during these nine days, ZeeQ will select one ‘genius’ each day who shows exemplary talent at the workshops, ranging from art, storytelling, baking to Zumba.

     

    ZeeQ brand and communications head Ashwin Sashital believes that the festival is a great opportunity to engage with the young minds and share with them India’s rich and beautiful cultural heritage along with some fun and exciting games. “ZeeQ is happy to be associated with the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, 2015 as we saw a good synergy with the brand. We look forward to taking this association with KGAF to greater heights in the future and hope it gets bigger and better,” he said.

  • ‘Mighty Raju’ series to launch on Pogo

    ‘Mighty Raju’ series to launch on Pogo

    MUMBAI: Mighty Raju, a popular movie franchise co-produced by POGO and Green Gold Animation Pvt. Ltd., will now be leveraged into a brand new series scheduled to premiere on 08 February and thereafter air every Sunday at 10 AM and 3:30 PM only on POGO.

     

    The series is based on the funny and heroic adventures of a small boy Raju a.k.a. superhero Mighty Raju who lives with his parents and his pet dog Moby. Raju’s father, a very famous scientist, created a very powerful compound called Neutrino along with his friend turned villain Karaati. When pregnant, Raju’s mother accidentally drank the potion and inherently Raju was born with super powers! Watch him discover his newly discovered powers and beat the daylights out of Karaati and many other super villains.

     

    Launched in November 2011, the Mighty Raju franchise boasts of around 20 tele films that have rated exceptionally well on POGO to become the 2nd most popular local franchise after Chhota Bheem.