Discovery Kids and NBC revealed their programming line-up for the three-hour block that will debut this fall on NBC Saturday mornings beginning Saturday, October 5, 2002, and airing weekly from 10:00 am-1:00 pm ET/8:00 am-11:00 am PT. In addition to new live-action shows and kid-oriented reality series, Discovery Kids and NBC will air the documentary series WALKING WITH DINOSAURS and its sequel, WALKING WITH PREHISTORIC BEASTS.
AnimAction, Inc. will be presenting their 12th Annual TEAM (Tobacco Education Awareness Message) Awards on April 10, 2002, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. at the Wadsworth Theatre located in Brentwood, California. AnimAction is a production company dedicated to utilizing the art of animation as a way to educate children about issues of global concern. The company teaches kids to produce animated Public Service Announcements as part of their educational program.
Kids' WB!, has unveiled their 2002-2003 schedule and the network is introducing a "year-round" slate offering new programming beginning in summer 2002 and leading into the 2002-2003 television season. Debuting this summer is the new, entirely Flash-animated series ¡MUCHA LUCHA!, an over-the-top comedy-adventure set in the world of Mexican masked wrestling.
KidScreen Summit -
The international conference on kids entertainment! THE ONLY event where top kids execs will debate the issues of producing and marketing kids entertainment globally.
A fantastic opportunity to get crucial face time with key decision-makers in the kids entertainment industry.
Speakers include: * Joel Andryc, EVP, Kids' Programming & Development, ABC Family Worldwide * Finn Arnesen, VP, Programming, Development & Acquisitions, Cartoon Network Europe * Adam Bonnett, VP, Original Programming & Series, Disney Channel
Animated battling robots series MEDABOTS will have its U.K. television premiere on Fox Kids UK starting February 18, 2002. The 52 half-hour episodes, produced by Corus-owned Nelvana Ltd. in association with NAS/Kodansha and TV Tokyo, are set in a technologically advanced future where every child owns a "Medabot," a pet robot fuelled with artificial intelligence and an arsenal of weapons.
Entertainment group Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. has promoted Ken Faier to vice president, production, distribution and licensing, AAC Kids, the childrens label of Alliance Atlantis. In this new position, Faier will be responsible for developing and implementing the overall strategy for AAC Kids, including all aspects of production and distribution, as well as overseeing merchandising and licensing. Faier joined the company in 2000, heading up distribution for AAC Kids, working closely with production and merchandising and licensing. Prior to AAC Kids, Mr.
Kids' WB! has announced it will pick-up five animated series for its fall 2002 line-up. Beginning its fifth season, 52 all-new episodes of 4Kids Productions POKÉMON: MASTER QUEST will air six days a week. Both Sony Pictures Family Entertainments JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES and X-MEN: EVOLUTION, produced by Marvel Studios in association with Film Roman, return for their third seasons, with 13 new episodes each.
Kids' WB! announced the production and pick-up of ALL NEW SCOOBY-DOO! THE ANIMATED SERIES (working title) and OZZIE & DRIX, a new animated series based on the Warner Bros. feature film OSMOSIS JONES. The latest incarnation of the Scooby-Doo animated series from Warner Bros. Animation is a joint pick-up by Kids WB! and Cartoon Network and is slated to debut on Kids WB! in Fall 2002 and will air subsequently in the 2002-2003 season on Cartoon Network. Kids WB!
Apparel brand and licensing company The Cherokee Group has agreed to represent DIC Entertainment's property LIBERTY'S KIDS and engineer strategic licensing agreements for the animated show. LIBERTY'S KIDS, an educational series depicting the events and people surrounding the United States' fight for independence, will debut in the fall of 2002 on PBS. The show will be airing a minimum of five days a week for two years. The series will feature personalities such as Walter Cronkite, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller and Whoopie Goldberg in voice-over roles portraying historical figures.
Alliance Atlantis' Ken Faier discusses how today's marketplace is being impacted by L & M trends and what one can do to get ahead.
NBC has confirmed it will lease its Saturday morning block to Discovery Networks, beginning in fall 2002, reported VARIETY. Discovery is reportedly putting up $18 million for a three-year contract. "This is a strategic move to keep NBC competitive in the kids arena," explained NBC West Coast president Scott Sassa, who said that without a weekday platform, it was difficult to promote the Saturday morning block. The block is currently 2 and 1/2 hours of programming, and will be jointly branded by Discovery and NBC.
Orlando animation production company A&S Animation, Inc., has produced a series of animated bible story shorts called A MESSAGE FROM GOD. Created by Emmy Award winning producers J&B DiFrancesco, the shorts will be included in Raven Moon Entertainment's new video release called GINA D'S KIDS CLUB. Based on the DiFrancescos concept of having two animated kids telling bible stories, Mark Simon of A&S Animation, Inc. developed and produced the three one-minute shorts telling the stories of Moses and the Ten Commandments, David and Goliath, and Adam and Eve.
The Kids & Teens Interactive conference is about developing global interactive youth communities and marketplaces. Currently, kids and teens represent the fastest growing market segments in the areas of Internet usage, cellular phone usage and gaming. The Kids & Teens conference will provide the latest information on Internet and wireless usage, content development, marketing and revenue streams.
I knew this was a dirty assignment when I took it on. Reviewing TV animation isn't as easy as it sounds. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. This week I lose. Big time.
In its KIDS' WB! debut, the new Japanese anime series YU-GI-OH! ranked No. 1 among the broadcast competition in its time period in Kids 2-11, Kids 6-11, Boys 2-11 and Boys 6-11. The Japanese anime series follows the adventures of a young boy named Yugi, who morphs into a monster-fighting hero after piecing together the "millennium puzzle" given to him by his grandfather. YU-GI-OH! is represented world-wide outside of Asia, by 4Kids Entertainment.
In its KIDS' WB! debut, the new Japanese anime series YU-GI-OH! ranked No. 1 among the broadcast competition in its time period in Kids 2-11, Kids 6-11, Boys 2-11 and Boys 6-11. The Japanese anime series follows the adventures of a young boy named Yugi, who morphs into a monster-fighting hero after piecing together the "millennium puzzle" given to him by his grandfather. YU-GI-OH! is represented world-wide outside of Asia, by 4Kids Entertainment.
Margaret Loesch, founding president and CEO of Crown Media U.S., will be departing the company next month at the conclusion of her contract. On leaving her post at Crown, Loesch said I'm very proud of the many accomplishments made by the team that I've helped build. But, while the experience has been exciting, it has also been all-consuming personally and professionally. As I near the end of my contract, it seems like an ideal time to take a much-needed break and put some focus on my family, and then begin to pursue my other career goals.'' She will be replaced by Lana E.
Returning to New York, the annual Advertising & Promoting To Kids conference (APK) will feature the best line-up of kids experts ever. Speakers from the fields of advertising, promotions, psychology, licensing, retail, research, publishing, consulting and more will motivate, inspire and educate with their knowledge and experience in the kids market. Designed to cover the topics that are most important to the kids marketer, APK will help in the ongoing challenge of reaching kids, tweens and teens. The conference will take place at the Grand Hyatt in New York City.
Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing North America has named Anita Frazier as the new vice president of kids sales. Frazier will oversee the development of sales strategies for the company's kids software titles for the PC platform. In her new post, Frazier will head retail sales and channel marketing for the kids software category, working closely with Knowledge Adventure, Syracuse Learning and affiliate label partners such as Scholastic Inc.
* Kids & Teens Interactive: Monday, October 29 - Tuesday, October 30, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA.
Cartoon Network U.K.'s Scooby Week was a huge hit scoring a 1.8 overall kids rating, giving it the highest share of kids viewing at 10.3% over the week. The Mystery Machine gang scared 3.1 million people from August 6 to August 10. The special put Cartoon Network's share of kids viewing way ahead of all kids' channels including Nickelodeon, Fox Kids, Disney and Trouble as well as Sky One.
Kids World 2001, China is an exhibition focusing on animation, manga, education and entertainment for children. The event boasts 90 exhibitors from 12 countries. In the past, the event has drawn 30,000 public visitors and over 800 international guests. The event includes screenings of over 300 animated films, symposiums and an awards ceremony. Kids World 2001, China is organized by the China Oriental Culture Research Association - Manga Branch, China Artists Association - Culture Branch and China Publisher Association - Comic Books Branch.
Black Logic has created the special effects and graphics for the 30-second ZOOG MOVIE opening. The project was completed for ad agency PMcD Design and client The Disney Channel. The spot opens with several bouncing kids descending from a dark-blue sky. The perspective then widens to reveal a neon green trampoline that spells out "Zoog." As the children continue to flip, a filmstrip takes the viewer on a roller coaster ride through the air. "ZOOG is a main title animation disguised as a ride film," said John Mabey, head of CGI at Black Logic.
DIC Entertainment and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) have announced the debut of their newest children's animated series, LIBERTY'S KIDS. Premiering on Memorial Day 2002 on PBS, the series follows two young teenagers working in Benjamin Franklin's print shop as they tell the stories of the American Revolution. Walter Cronkite, one of the most respected American journalists of all time, will be voicing the Benjamin Franklin character. Dr. Jack Rakove, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, and Dr.
As the mergers continue, Disney answers the AOL Time Warner and Viacom call and grows for the first time since the 1996 Capital Cities/ABC merger. On Saturday, July 21, 2001, the LA TIMES Sallie Hofmeister reported that the Walt Disney Co. will buy Fox Family for $3.3 billion plus assume $2.1 billion of the troubled ventures debt. Long in the rumor mill, this new acquisition is supposed to be final and announced within a few days according to Ms. Hofmeisters sources. Obviously the true value for Disney in this deal is obtaining the fifty international Fox Family channels.
