While we just launched our annual Television issue, let's look at someof the trends in the animation television market. Ten years ago, it wasoften the case that American producers cared little about the internationalmarket for TV shows. While they did not ignore it, the amount of revenuesthe global market generated seemed insignificant compared to what was generatedby licensing fees to US networks and syndication sales to independent stations.However, with the proliferation of new television outlets around the world,including cable and satellite services, the international market has becomemore than just a subsidiary one to producers. The available weekly nationaltimeslots for TV animation have increased by a factor of nearly 10 since1980. While this appears to be a boom in animation production, the futureremains full of uncertainties for all of these channels and depends on manyfactors such as their financial reserves and their ability to seduce cableoperators. Networks are starting to realize that to get ratings, they needto have their own identities or branding. By creating themed packages outof their shows, a network's cartoon lineup becomes a destination ratherthan just an assorted group of cartoons.
Read more on this topic in the following articles published in AnimationWorld Magazine:
- "It'sShow Time! The Fall TV Preview" by Amid Amidi
- "Inthe Belly of the Beast: The Advertising to Kids Conference" byBuzz Potamkin
- "AreKids Following Little Bo-Peep's Sheep?"
- "TheCost of Eyeballs: Advertising Dollars & TV" by Buzz Potamkin
- "MushroomsAfter the Rain: France's Children's Channels" by Marie-AgnèsBruneau
- "NickelodeonGoes Global," by Michael Goldman
You can also look back to our past television issues:
- September 1998issue
- September1997 issue
- September 1996issue
