Tagged With: Licensing

KIDSCREEN Magazine reports that 80 full-time employees of the newly merged DIC Ent./Cookie Jar Group have been let go. Plans to restructure the company came earlier in August, following the July acquisition.

Most positions were eliminated effectively immediately, according to Cookie Jar CEO Michael Hirsh. Some departures will occur as far away as six months from now to finish up current projects. The company now employs between 230 and 240 people, including staff at CPLG the European licensing agency that was part of the DIC acquisition.

Corporate Creative Licensing has signed a licensing representation agreement with U.S.-based Suppertime Ent. to spearhead a U.K. licensing program for the Emmy nominated preschool property TODDWORLD.

TODDWORLD is an animated children's TV series based on the best-selling books from author Todd Parr. The show focuses on the amusing adventures of a young boy named Todd and his friends, all in a world full of color, humor and quirky charm. TODDWORLD airs on Discovery Kids and TLC in the U.S. and on CBeebies in the U.K.

DECODE Ent. has followed recent major deals for hit preschool series FRANNY'S FEET with a third season commission from Family Channel, an Astral Media network.

The Canadian broadcaster has ordered a further 26x11 minutes, bringing the total to (104x11 or 52x22), and will air the new season on its Playhouse Disney and Family channels.

Recent deals for the property have seen the television series acquired by PBS Kids Sprout, following excellent ratings for the show in the U.S. on THIRTEEN/WNET where it airs daily, and in the U.K., a sale to the Disney Channel.

Aardman has secured a number of new licensing partners for its brand new stop-motion pre-school property TIMMY including Vivid Imaginations as Master Toy partner and Egmont as Master Publisher.

Vivid Imaginations, the U.K.'s no.1 British toy company, has acquired master toy rights and worldwide manufacturing rights for TIMMY and will be launching products across plush, playsets, games, puzzles and outdoor toys for autumn/winter 2009.

Lindberg Licensing & Promotions has been named the exclusive licensing agency for MARTHA SPEAKS by WGBH Boston and Studio B Productions, a subsidiary of DHX Media.

Lindberg Licensing & Promotions will develop the MARTHA SPEAKS licensing and merchandising program in North America, targeting kids 4 to 8 years old, across key categories including: toys, interactive, apparel, accessories and more.

BKN announced that several additional broadcasters have acquired the TV rights to its ZORRO: GENERATION Z property.

Telecinco and Clan TV/TVE in Spain, POP Channel in the U.K., ATV in Hong Kong, Star TV in Greece, SABC in South Africa, Solimac in Malaysia and TV7 in Bulgaria, have all signed up for this animated series (26x22) aimed at boys and girls ages 6 to 12.

Since the implementation of the European sales office in January this year, LazyTown has logged a slew of new sales and licensing deals across the territory.

In Austria Germany and Switzerland, LazyTown has secured licenses with SIGG Switzerland, Trade Mark Collections LTD, Euromic A/S, and across multi-territories, a deal with Original Buff headwear.

In the UK and Ireland, licenses are now in place with William Lamb Footwear for all children's footwear and with Zap Ltd for soft furnishings.

Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products have signed a deal with ZDF Enterprises for licensing and merchandising rights to the hit Australian live action kids' TV show, H20 -- JUST ADD WATER, in France and the UK.

NVCP in France and the UK will exclusively represent the property across publishing, interactive (PC and console games), apparel, accessories, toys, games and paper products.

The high-flying transforming action of Nerd Corps Entertainment's original series STORM HAWKS will soon come to retail stores in the form of trading cards, toys, apparel, bedding and footwear.

The hit 3D action/comedy series is currently airing on Cartoon Network five days a week during the network's afternoon programming block.