ITV

Tag: Cartoon Network

  • CNN in mobile initiative in Hong Kong

    CNN in mobile initiative in Hong Kong

    MUMBAI: CNN International has been made available for the first time as a live stream 24 hours a day to Hong Kong mobile phone users. Tapping strategic partner PCCW’s new service “now on mobile”, subscribers can access CNN’s breaking news as it happens directly on their phones or other handheld devices.

    Turner International Asia Pacific VP wireless development Ringo Chan says, “This exciting extension of our partnership with PCCW represents the latest Turner initiative to roll out innovative wireless services in Asia Pacific. We continue to pioneer interactive products across the region and this launch further cements Turner Broadcasting’s corporate alliance with PCCW, one that now encompasses mobile and IPTV services”.

    In addition to the live CNN stream, four hours of Cartoon Network’s original programming block will be looped to provide service 24 hours a day via “now on mobile” to PCCW mobile subscribers. CNN International’s live stream made an inaugural launch in Asia in July through a deal with Korea’s largest telecommunication company SK Telecom, while other Asian markets are to be targeted in the coming months.

    CNN Mobile is CNN International’s service for mobile devices. Launched in 1999, it was the first mobile telephone news and information service available globally with targeted regional content. The service delivers CNN news content to mobile phones in a wide of formats.

  • Cartoon Network Enterprises unveils branded merchandise ‘Pogo Wheels’

    Cartoon Network Enterprises unveils branded merchandise ‘Pogo Wheels’

    MUMBAI: Following on the heels of the announcement of the two theme parks slated to launch next year, the Cartoon Network Enterprises’ (CNE) merchandising programme has rolled out a new range of Pogo branded consumer products, ‘Pogo Wheels’.

    The consumer products division was launched last year in India and following the success of the Powerpuff Girls, Dexter and Johnny Bravo merchandise, they are now focusing on extending the width of consumer products. Following the success of Beyblade, this eight-product range represents a sophisticated version that combines Formula 1 racing and the Beyblades concept. As the company forsees a strong competitive streak in Indian kids these days, they believe such toys will be a big rage.

    The range will be priced between Rs 399 (Basic Launcher) to Rs 1129 (Turbo Launcher) and will be available at multi brand retail outlets with over 450 retailers across 38 cities such as Lifestyle, Shoppers’ Stop, Pantaloon, Pyramid, Landmark, Hypercity and Crossword. Pogo Wheels will be manufactured and distributed by Cybershop Marketing Pvt. Ltd. Besides the main metros, it will also be launched in cities like Ahmedabad, Pune, Indore, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bhopal, Gwalior, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Nasik, Aurangabad and Surat amongst others.

    The consumer products division has specifically kicked off with toys. However, they have plans to launch more Pogo merchandise across other categories inculding apparel, innerwear, stationery, gifts and novelties, bags and activity games amongst others.

    Commenting on the same, Cartoon Network Enterprises India and South Asia director Jiggy George said, “We decided to start with toys and thus, wanted to bring out a product with a brand like Pogo that has great resonance with kids. Pogo lends itself to extending properties and building brands therefore we decided to foray into the retail segment. We don’t however, want to continue within the space of toys with just a one off therefore, we will come up with a whole range of toys under Pogo. As most of the brands on Cartoon Network are TV property based, this would be completely on the brand level.”

    Although it appears to be catering more to the boys segment George said, “We have tried to keep this product as ‘gender neutral’ as possible, even in terms of packaging.”

    When queried as to the rationale behind the launch at this time, George said, “We are hoping that this will become the flavour for Diwali gifting, followed by December which is a peak season for toys. Secondly, we also needed to launch quickly enough in these and more categories before the summer launch of the Pogo theme park. As the key focus is that they will all be available at the theme park.”

    The toys will be rolled out in stores in the first week of October and it is estimated that 5 per cent of sales will be spent on marketing activities and giving a major push to this new category a TVC will be aired on both the networks. Also, the product will be placed within shows and given out via contests. Other on ground initiatives will include creating racing arenas at various stores like Landmark and Lifestyle where kids can play with the toy and get familiar with it. It is important to capture the consumer at the point of sale and thus, several retail outlets will have screens where the TVC will also be shown.

    Speaking to this website on their perception of the competition in this space, George opined, “The current toy market in India is approximatetly a 600 crore (Rs 6 billion) business, while only 40 per cent is organized. Within the 120 crore organsied space most of the share is maintained by Funskool and Mattel and a few smaller players. We will be a very small but significant player in this space.

    “We are not competing against the big boys but we know we will make a very important dent in the organized space. As a division we are growing year on year at 50 per cent and we contribute to 10 per cent of the overall Turner revenue but we are growing rapidly and so it is exciting times for us.”

  • ‘Galli Galli Sim Sim’ comes to DD & Pogo; Literacy Yatra culminates in Mumbai

    MUMBAI: On the eve of World Literacy Day Turner’s newest edition Galli Galli Sim Sim is all set to expand its outreach by launching the series on Doordarshan on 9 September during the Cartoon Network Duniya block on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. The pre-school television series will also air on Pogo at 8 am, with a repeat telecast at 4 pm, Monday to Friday, starting World Literacy Day- 8 September 2006.

    With the aim to make learning fun, Galli Galli Sim Sim promtes the philosophy “Seekhne ka Mastana Andaaz.” In connection with this and prior its launch on DD, the series has paved the way to create a nationwide awareness with the Galli Galli Sim Sim Literacy Yatra that kicked off on 15 August 2006. This initiative was strategically undertaken to spread its viewership before its entry into DD, thus attempting to access the most remote areas of the country.

    Galli Galli Sim Sim Literacy Yatra, is an educational initiative by Turner International India Pvt. Ltd (TIIPL) and Sesame Workshop, which was flagged off from New Delhi and culminated its journey in Mumbai today. Encompassing four states across the country including New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharastra, the Yatra is said to have travelled over 5000 kms attempting to reach out to as many children, empowering them with the educational objectives of the series.

    The Literacy Yatra arrived in Mumbai at the Guru Nanak Higher Secondary School, along with the adorable muppets Chamki and Googly from Galli Galli Sim Sim and actor Rahul Bose was given a cheerful welcome by the kids.

    TIIPL VP advertising and sales networks, India and South Asia Monica Tata said, “The uniqueness of Galli Galli Sim Sim lies in its 360-degree approach of combining the power of television and on-ground initiatives to spread education to children, aged two to eight in India. Galli Galli Sim Sim Literacy Yatra was our first on ground initiative to deliver the unique content of the television series to children who may not have access to television.

    “We are happy to announce that this Literacy Yatra was a success as we received a great response across different sections of society – from children as well as caregivers. We have already reached out to thousands of children through community screenings and with the launch of Galli Galli Sim Sim on Pogo and Doordarshan, we further hope to reach out to more and more children across the country.”

    With DD and Pogo being added to the roster, the show will continue to air on Cartoon Network at 1 pm. In addition, kids will also be able to catch Galli Galli Sim Sim on Saturday evenings in a segment called Sim Sim Shanivar from 4 pm to 6 pm starting 16 September on Pogo.

    Galli Galli Sim Sim set in an “Indian Galli” represents the reality of daily life for the widest possible range of Indian children and families. The series is targeted towards children between the age group of two to eight years, transcends socio-economic barriers and will feature animated segments and live-action films, with music, stories, and art drawn from various elements of Indian culture and regions of the country.

    Primarily to cater to Indian families and kids, the adorable residents, the Indian Muppets – Googly, Chamki, Aanchoo and Boombah, have been specially created with Indian characteristics and elements, along interesting and a well thought out human cast. In the first season, the series comprising 65 episodes of 30 minutes each will be aired in Hindi, with usage of some English words.

    Galli Galli Sim Sim is the Indian adaptation of the popular American series, Sesame Street. The series will help in developing social, emotional and cognitive skills in children, and become the catalyst to encourage children to pursue educational goals. It was born over 37 years ago as a new way to utilize the power of television to not only entertain, but to educate young children as well.

    Today, Sesame Street is the longest street in the world, reaching over 120 countries and serving as the largest informal educator. In India, Galli Galli Sim Sim will address topics such as early literacy, creative thinking and reasoning, family and community life, healthy habits and appreciating cultural plurality.

    Funding for the development phase of Galli Galli Sim Sim was provided through the generous support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Turner. Moving forward, the producers of the series will look to combine the strengths and resources of the public and private sectors for local development initiatives.

    Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit, educational organization making a meaningful difference in children’s lives around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching.

    Sesame Workshop is behind award-winning programs like Dragon Tales and Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat and ground breaking multimedia productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia. As a nonprofit organisation, Sesame Workshop puts the proceeds it receives from sales of Sesame Street, Dragon Tales and Sagwa products right back into its educational projects for children around the world.

  • ‘Barbie as Rapunzel’ to premiere on Cartoon Network on 10 Sept

    ‘Barbie as Rapunzel’ to premiere on Cartoon Network on 10 Sept

    MUMBAI: As part of the month long ‘Barbie special’, Cartoon Network will premiere the animated movie Barbie as Rapunzel on Sunday 10 September at 12 noon. In conjunction with the ‘Barbie’ theme this is the second Barbie blockbuster being aired on the network during the month.

    The story revolves around the life of Rapunzel, who is believed to have the most beautiful radiant hair the world had ever seen. She lived as a servant of Gothel, a jealous scheming witch who kept her hidden deep in a forbidden forest, guarded by the enormous dragon Hugo and surrounded by an enchanted glass wall.

    However, in a twist of fate, Rapunzel’s discovery of a magic paint brush leads her on a journey that will unravel a web of deception, bring peace to two feuding kingdoms and ultimately lead her to love with a handsome Price Stefan. She succeeds with the help of Penelope, the least intimidating dragon.

    An inspiring and magical tale, Barbie as Rapunzel touches every girl with the message that with courage and imagination, anything is possible. With Ken co-starring as Prince Stefan and with a host of endearing supporting characters, this exciting new Barbie adventure is also a story of romance and highlights the importance of friendship and loyalty.

    The movie has been produced using computer generated animation and features a song by Samantha Mumba and music by London Symphony Orchestra.

  • ‘Barbie as Rapunzel’ to premiere on Cartoon Network on 10 Sept

    MUMBAI: As part of the month long ‘Barbie special’, Cartoon Network will premiere the animated movie Barbie as Rapunzel on Sunday 10 September at 12 noon. In conjunction with the ‘Barbie’ theme this is the second Barbie blockbuster being aired on the network during the month.

    The story revolves around the life of Rapunzel, who is believed to have the most beautiful radiant hair the world had ever seen. She lived as a servant of Gothel, a jealous scheming witch who kept her hidden deep in a forbidden forest, guarded by the enormous dragon Hugo and surrounded by an enchanted glass wall.

    However, in a twist of fate, Rapunzel’s discovery of a magic paint brush leads her on a journey that will unravel a web of deception, bring peace to two feuding kingdoms and ultimately lead her to love with a handsome Price Stefan. She succeeds with the help of Penelope, the least intimidating dragon.

    An inspiring and magical tale, Barbie as Rapunzel touches every girl with the message that with courage and imagination, anything is possible. With Ken co-starring as Prince Stefan and with a host of endearing supporting characters, this exciting new Barbie adventure is also a story of romance and highlights the importance of friendship and loyalty.

    The movie has been produced using computer generated animation and features a song by Samantha Mumba and music by London Symphony Orchestra.
     

  • New range of “Back-To-School” by Cartoon Network

    Cartoon Network Enterprises, the licensing and merchandising division of Turner, has launched a special ‘Back To School’ products range in time for the new school sessions. The specially designed range features some of Indian kids’ most popular toon characters including The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter and Johnny Bravo adorning school bags, lunch boxes, water bottles, stationery, etc making going back to school, after the summer vacations even more exciting and fun. Available at multi-brand outlets such as Shoppers’ Stop, Lifestyle, Spencer’s, Pantaloon, Ebony, Piramyd and Hypercity across the country, are priced between Rs 28 to Rs 845.

     

    Price Points: The bags range including trolley school bags, horizontal bags, vertical bags and nursery bags, are priced between Rs 295 to Rs 845. The plastics range including water bottles, lunch boxes and mugs including insulated products are priced between Rs 28 to Rs 460.

  • Tata Sky and Zee Turner haggle on price

    Tata Sky and Zee Turner haggle on price

    NEW DELHI: Tata Sky’s talks with Zee Turner for its bouquet of channels have got stalled on the issue of price.

    While India’s second pay digital platform Tata Sky has evinced interest in the first two of the three bouquets of Zee Turner for Rs 42, the latter is insisting all its 29 channels should be taken.

    According to sources close to the negotiations, Zee Turner has conveyed that it’s ready to give all its channels to Tata Sky’s DTH platform for Rs 74 per subscriber, which is 50 per cent of the price that cable operators pay for the channels.

    Bouquet 1 of Zee Turner comprises Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee News, Zee Studio, Zee Bengali, Zee Gujarati, Zee Marathi, Zee Punjabi, Cartoon Network, Reality TV, CNBC, CNN, Zee Café, Zee Trendz, ETC, ETC Punjabi, Zee Jagran, Zee Smile, Zee Telgu and Zee Music..

    The second bouquet includes HBO, Pogo, Awaaz, VH1 and Zee Business. Zee Turner is soft bundling Zee Sports at a price benefit.

    The third bouquet, called Breakfree, consists of Zee Action, Zee Premier and Zee Classic, which air movies of different genre and are primarily available on Dish TV DTH platform.

    Interestingly, Zee Turner wants to keep Zee Sports out of the negotiations with Tata Sky, saying a deal for the sports channel — holders of cricket rights for matches to be played by India on non-ICC recognised venues — could be done separately.

    According to the sources, Zee Turner has reasoned that its demand is based on a recent ruling of a disputes tribunal in Dish TV vs Star case wherein Star was asked to make available its channel to Dish at Rs 27 per subscriber, which is 50 per cent less than the price cable ops pay.

    Zee Turner has further said that in the Dish vs Star case, when Dish had wanted select channels of Star, the Hong Kong-based broadcaster was unwilling to accede to the proposal.

    Extending the same logic, Zee Turner has conveyed to Tata Sky that it would have to take all its channels.

    However, Tata Sky is only interested in the first two bouquets of Zee Turner for a price of Rs 42 per subscriber per month.

    On August 8, while announcing the commercial launch of Tata Sky service in 300 cities, company’s MD and CEO Vikram Kaushik had admitted that talks with Zee Turner had not been concluded.

    Amongst the 55-odd channels being offered by Tata Sky presently to its subscribers, Zee and Turner channels like Zee TV, Zee Sports, Cartoon Network and Pogo and some third party products like HBO, Reality TV, Awaaz and CNBC TV18 are conspicuous by their absence.

    Country’s first pay DTH platform, the Subhash Chandra-owned Dish TV, boasts of 1.25 million subscribers.

    Pubcaster’s DD Direct+ claims a subscriber base of 3.5 to 4 million for its subscription-free service of free to air channels.

  • Cartoon Network to premier ‘Krishna: The Birth’ on Janmashtmi

    Cartoon Network to premier ‘Krishna: The Birth’ on Janmashtmi

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network will premiere yet another Indian animation film Krishna: The Birth on 16 August at 2 pm. What’s more, the series will be launched on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtmi.

    Produced by Hyderabad-based Green Gold Animation Studio, the 75-minutes long, 2-D animation movie, Krishna: The Birth traces the birth of Lord Krishna, the avtaar of Lord Vishnu.

    This is Cartoon Network’s second acquisition from Green Gold Animation Studio, the earlier one being Vikram Betal in 2005. This will also the first of the four planned Krishna series to be showcased on Cartoon Network.

    Krishna: The Birth takes the count of local animations acquired and showcased by Cartoon Network to 12, with four of these launching in 2006 itself.

    Turner International India Pvt. Ltd managing director Anshuman Misra said, “We are extremely enthused by the response of our audience to local animations acquired and telecast by Cartoon Network over the years. Airing locally produced shows is one of the cornerstones of the Network’s localisation strategy and helps us contextualise the content for our Indian audiences. With the launch of Krishna: The Birth, the Network reiterates its promise of acquiring and showcasing over four local Indian animation products within this year itself, taking the total tally of home-grown animations acquired by Cartoon Network to 12! I am sure that this absolutely riveting and charming animated version of the birth of Lord Krishna, will be enjoyed by both parents and children, who have grown up listening or watching this enduring tale.”

    PMI Green Gold Animation Pvt. Ltd managing director Rajiv Chilakalapudi added, “We are delighted to be working with Cartoon Network and are thrilled at getting the opportunity to animate a personality such as that of Lord Krishna. Krishna gives us the platform to showcase Green Gold’s Creative and technical strengths in Animation. Since its inception Green Gold has been focused towards the development of original intellectual animation properties with the assistance of powerful digital animation software tools while pushing the boundaries of constant innovation.”

    Debuting as part of Cartoon Network Theatre on 16 August, Krishna: The Birth is the enchanting tale of the miraculous birth of Lord Vishnu in the form of baby Krishna to Vasudev and Devaki. The story is set in an era when the human race was overburdened by the demonic forces of different kings posing themselves as the royal order. Perturbed by this disorder and chaos, the predominating deity of the Earth, known as Bhu Devi, and along with other Gods approached Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu promised them that he would take birth on Earth as Krishna, who would destroy all evil on the planet before the dawn of Kalyug. Krishna: The Birth’ chronicles the events and incidents accompanying the birth of Lord Vishnu as Krishna.

    The first four parts of Krishna would cover the birth of Krishna, Krishna’s childhood, Krishna’s teenage, and Krishna killing Kansa. The first part of this series, Krishna: The Birth has been worked on by over 100 animation specialists and it took almost a year to make the same, from the stage of pre-production, with production taking six months.

  • ‘Galli Galli Sim Sim’ to launch on 15 August on Cartoon Network

    ‘Galli Galli Sim Sim’ to launch on 15 August on Cartoon Network

    MUMBAI: Turner International India Pvt. Ltd and Sesame Workshop will launch Galli Galli Sim Sim – the Indian version of Sesame Street – on 15 August. The preschool educational series will premiere on Cartoon Network at 1 pm.

    In the first season, the series comprising 65 episodes of 30 minutes each will be aired in Hindi, with usage of some English words.

    Galli Galli Sim Sim will address topics such as early literacy, creative thinking and reasoning, family and community life, healthy habits, and appreciating cultural plurality.

    With the launch of Galli Galli Sim Sim, Turner aims to create a new dimension in the realm of young kids’ programming by introducing the concept of using mass media to promote joyful, fun-filled learning through the theory – “Seekhne ka Mastana Andaaz.”

    Galli Galli Sim Sim aims to revolutionise kids’ programming in India with its well- researched content that will help in developing social, emotional and cognitive skills in children, and be the catalyst to encourage children to pursue educational goals.

    Turner International India Pvt. Ltd managing director Anshuman Misra said, “Having shaped kids’ television in India, with the launch of the leading kids’ channel, Cartoon Network, and subsequently the successful launch of Pogo, we, once again, aim to set a new benchmark in the industry with Galli Galli Sim Sim. As the leading kids’ entertainment player, we have consciously decided to focus on educational development as we realise our social responsibility towards shaping the future of our next generations. The social and emotional development of children is largely influenced by television today, and there is no doubt, that this is the best medium to communicate effectively with children.”

    “Harnessing the power of television, we aim to make Galli Galli Sim Sim an integral part of the lives of young children in India. Our aim is to reach out to almost every home, extending the reach of the series through the electronic medium and other multi-media initiatives. We are making a bold run at engaging millions of young children and we are confident that this unique series will change the face of kids’ education in India,” he added.

    Sesame Workshop executive vice president Daniel Victor said, “Sesame Workshop’s mission is to create innovative engaging content that maximises the educational power of media to help children reach their highest potential. We at Sesame Workshop are very excited about the launch of the Indian series. The series celebrates the vibrant cultural heritage of India with its uniquely adapted content, muppet characters, and a diverse human cast representing the commonalities and diversities of Indian society. We are optimistic that the Indian version of Sesame Street, Galli Galli Sim Sim will make a meaningful difference to the lives of children in the country.”

    Miditech president Niret Alva added, “We are delighted to have partnered with Turner and Sesame Workshop in producing this path breaking series that aims to create a new genre in TV programming for kids in India. It has been a very exciting and enriching experience for all of us at Miditech to produce this series that celebrates the cultural diversity of India. We have ensured that the portrayal of each of the characters and muppets is unique and meaningful as it is designed to create a long lasting impact on the lives of children.”

    Galli Galli Sim Sim, set in an “Indian Galli,” represents the reality of daily life for the widest possible range of Indian children and families. The series is targeted towards children between the age group of two to six years, transcends socio-economic barriers and will feature animated segments and live-action films, with music, stories, and art drawn from various elements of Indian culture and regions of the country.

    The Indian Muppet characters – Googly, Chamki, Aanchoo and Boombah have been specially created with Indian characteristics and elements. Along with them, a thought out human cast is also present.

    Taking the cause of spreading education and empowering children beyond the realm of television, Turner along with Sesame Workshop plan to undertake on-ground initiatives to reinforce the educational messages of the series and extend the project’s reach and impact.

    In keeping with this, Turner today flagged off a “Galli Galli Sim Sim Literacy Yatra” to reach out to more and more children in India. This Yatra from New Delhi, recreating the magic of the show, will travel to various cities such as Lucknow, Bhopal and Mumbai, distributing educational material to children. The yatra will finally culminate in Mumbai on 8 September, coinciding with World Literacy Day. Additional plans to continue outreach activities will be coordinated by Sesame Workshop India, NGO.

    Funding for the development phase of Galli Galli Sim Sim was provided through the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and ICICI Bank. Moving forward, the producers of the series will look to combine the strengths and resources of the public and private sectors for local development initiatives.

  • ‘Culturally, linguistically diverse India is a test case for us’ : Sesame Workshop India ED Sashwati Banerjee

    ‘Culturally, linguistically diverse India is a test case for us’ : Sesame Workshop India ED Sashwati Banerjee

     For both Sesame Workshop and its newly-appointed executive director for Indian operations, Sashwati Banerjee, India is a big challenge. The US-based Sesame Workshop might have revolutionized pre-school education through various initiatives, including the path-breaking TV show Sesame Street, but replicating a global model here will be a tough task.

    Rather, if communications expert Banerjee is to be believed, Sesame Workshop is adopting an entirely new game plan for India, apart from innovating on some aspects that incorporate what it has done in other parts of the globe. She agrees that India may become the incubator for a model that could be replicated elsewhere too.

    Founded in 1968, Sesame Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programmes and products are engaging and enriching.

    For Banerjee, who’s dabbled in various assignments from India to Hong Kong to the US, the changeover to children’s education from healthcare communications is a step that was not taken easily. But after initial doubts were cleared by Sesame Workshop CEO Gary Knell, it has been hectic work for the lady who grew up and studied in Delhi, but spent quite a few years in Hong Kong doing “this and that”, as she would modestly say.

    In this conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s Anjan Mitra, Banerjee spells out her priorities and gives a glimpse into Workshop’s plans for India. She also cribs a bit on procedural delays and lack of readily available comprehensive data/research on government-aided education initiatives and child behaviour.

    Excerpts:

    What’s the aim of setting up Sesame Workshop India?
    Sesame Workshop India would primarily be the outreach arm to promote early childhood initiative and the educational curriculum of Galli Galli Sim Sim (the Indian version of Sesame Street) through a multi media platform, especially to children who are most in need or underserved. The educational curriculum of Galli Galli… has been designed by Indian educators, researchers and writers keeping in mind India’s cultural and social diversity and needs.

    How will that be done?
    What Sesame Workshop really brings to the table is technical knowledge and expertise in early childhood education and development. These are the two broad areas we are working with. How will it go about doing it? One arm of the education initiative is the television show Galli Galli… which is going to be broadcast on Cartoon Network, Pogo and (terrestrial broadcaster) Doordarshan. The other aspect of the initiative is to see how we can extend and reinforce that learning through a variety of other activities with the help of technology to bridge the digital divide.

    The target audience is children aged between two to six years and their caregivers, which include parents and teachers using educational materials that are fun and make learning engaging “because all children deserve a chance to dream and discover, to understand the world and their place in it, to reach their highest potential…”

    We would be working with other organizations that are already active in this field and our mandate is to help them develop programmes that will take such initiatives forward.
    ‘Seed Funding has been provided by Turner India‘

    How would Sesame Workshop leverage Galli Galli…?
    Television is just one of the ways in which the educational curriculum will be delivered is television. Sesame Workshop India will help to deliver Galli Galli… across other mediums – from print, training, interpersonal communication to high technology initiatives like the internet. While the television series is expected to reach audiences across India, there is still a large population who have limited or no access to television. It is through Sesame Workshop India’s outreach efforts that this population will be reached.

    Moreover, research has shown that children who watch Sesame Street or its various local versions in countries round the globe are better prepared for school in terms of cognitive learning and the show has helped prevent children from dropping out of school.

    When is Galli Galli Sim Sim likely to make its debut on Cartoon Network and Pogo?
    Galli Galli Sim Sim will premiere on Cartoon Network in mid-August after which it will be aired on Pogo. But for those broadcasting details, Turner is best placed to provide more information.

    How is Sesame Workshop funding its initiatives in India?
    Seed Funding has been provided by Turner India (a Time Warner company). Sesame Workshop India, like any other not-for-profit organization, will raise funds to support its activities in India.

    When Indiantelevision.com spoke to Sesame CEO Gary Knell, he had said corporate houses too would be roped in for funding activities. Has any development taken place in this regard?
    Those things would take place after we set up shop formally and get our basic act in place. Presently, we are in the process of getting our clearances from various government agencies.

    However, we’d like to tap big corporate houses for funds as part of a corporate’s social responsibilities. There are quite a few business houses that are involved in educational initiatives and we’ll look at partnering with them in various ways.

    What role would the Indian government play in Sesame’s scheme of things? What are those few things that Sesame must consider as it goes forward?
    In order to understand the critical priorities of the Indian government – where Sesame Workshop can collaborate, and highlight areas of concern – Sesame Workshop had organized a workshop that brought together a cross-section of relevant stakeholders in New Delhi in early December 2005.

    Briefly, the discussions were participative and each government department and agency, professional educational bodies, and the voluntary sector brought their own set of issues to the fore providing for comprehensive inputs towards future planning and strategy. In fact, there was a consensus around the fact that the media can help overcome constraints posed by the existing administrative structures across the country, which are highly segmented.

    We are hoping to work with diverse partners, develop and create innovative materials and build capacity at all levels. Our vision is to reach as many children as possible in India by partnering with government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan or Universal Education programme with material that will make learning joyful and help the government in reaching its educational objectives.

    Considering Turner International India had provided the money for a corpus, what would be its role?
    Turner is the TV series’ co-producer and distributor of Galli Galli Sim Sim. Together, Sesame Workshop and Turner are committed to making Galli Galli Sim Sim a break-through educational programme and brand. Sesame and Turner are working closely to ensure that India’s children will have access to this new show and its educational messages, and are actively pursuing promoting the show on multiple platforms across India.

    Is the telecast deal with Turner exclusive or can it be done with other broadcasters in other Indian languages too?
    As far as the agreement with Turner is concerned, all I can say is that it’s for at least five years or five seasons of Galli, Galli… I cannot hand out any financial details or presently comment on the fact whether we can work with other broadcasters or not.

    Generally, Sesame Workshop works with the public service broadcaster of the country concerned, but there had been some initial problems with Doordarshan, which, I am told, have been sorted out now by Turner India.

    India is a vast country and getting educational initiatives in all the local languages would not be possible. But we would certainly be exploring at least one South Indian language, if not two, apart from Hindi. The details haven’t yet been worked out and would be done in consultation with Turner.

    Will the Indian ops undertake merchandising activities too?
    We are focusing on the launch of the show and have nothing to announce at the moment.

    How are such merchandising activities done elsewhere in the world?
    Sesame Workshop operates in 120 different countries. The modus operandi varies from country to country and partner to partner.

    How is the revenue generated from such activities used and what will be the game plan for India?
    Like I said, Sesame Workshop is a not-for-profit organization. Any revenue generated through merchandising or licensing go towards providing quality early childhood education and development around the world – to those who are most in need.

    How important is India as a market for Sesame?
    Of the 103 million children aged 2-6 years, over 35 per cent in rural areas and 48 per cent in urban areas can’t access Early Childhood Care and Education. Roughly 100 million live in urban slums alone, which have no access to Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) that is the primary vehicle for Early Childhood Care and Education in India.

    While Early Childhood Care and Education is definitely a felt need and lot of efforts have been put in by the government and private institutions, other issues like malnutrition and child heath take precedence for ICDS. Demand has never been an issue in education. Supply is what we need to focus on.

    Does Sesame Workshop feel that the Indian regulatory environment requires too many procedural clearances impeding quick start of operations?
    Actually, the Indian regulatory environment has been extremely supportive for us. We have had representation from the government and other public education bodies right from conceptualization to production of Galli Galli Sim Sim, which is being produced for Turner by Miditech. We work closely with Indian educators to arrive at the educational curriculum that looks at ‘whole child’ approach and is very much in line with the education policy of this country.

    However, India is a test case for Sesame Workshop as it is uniquely ahead of most developing countries in terms of market and economy and the size of population. More importantly, India is not a donor funded country as sizeable infrastructure is being built by Indians. Then in India, we are not working primarily with the terrestrial broadcaster, unlike in other countries. We do hope that the time block on DD will continue airing Galli Galli… for a long time to come.

    I don’t see Galli Galli… broadcasting in 22 Indian languages. What we can do is to take the essence of educational initiatives and roll it out in outreach that can happen in multiple languages.

    In those terms, India is a learning experience for Sesame to see what kind of partnerships work best and how sustainable models can be built up for impact in a country that is culturally and linguistically diverse.