– Canada gets two new kids channels

Canada is getting a new children’s television service, and a national cartoon channel that should be in place as early as next fall.

The country’s broadcast regulator, the CRTC, granted licenses to Teletoon, an animation channel part-owned by animation studios Nelvana and Cinar Films, and TreeHouse TV, a service aimed at preschoolers and their caregivers. TreeHouse is owned by the highly successful children’s specialty service YTV, which is also a partner in Teletoon.

Nelvana and Cinar were part of a consortium that put in an unsuccessful bid for a national cartoon service when the CRTC issued its last round of specialty channels in 1993.

Teletoon and TreeHouse are among 23 new licenses, most of which will have to await the arrival of digital cable technology.

Teletoon, however, will likely begin broadcasting by next September. It was one of four new licenses that were allowed on the existing analog system used by cable companies.

Canada has 7.2 million cabled households.

– Turner/CNN takes kids to the polls

Turner Adventure Learning and CNN have developed an electronic field trip surrounding the final U.S. Presidential debate on October 15 and 16 called Election ’96: Behind the Scenes. Designed for classroom use, Election ’96 gives students access to up-to-the-minute information and forums with political analysts, reporters, campaign strategists and campaign insiders.

Educators can purchase a learning kit, which costs $149, containing a teacher training video, CNN video reports, data disks with primary and secondary resources, a teacher’s resource book, a poster guide and taping rights in perpetuity, for their students. The kit is intended to prepare, motivate and educate students in the electoral process. Election ’96: Behind the Scenes is the tenth field trip in the TAL series.

– Marathon/Lacewood partner on African tale

Lacewood Productions of Canada has partnered with Marathon Productions of France to produce Kassai and Luk. The new series looks at African cultures with tales of people, customs, religions, wildlife and the geography of Africa. Kassai and Luk is based upon the written tales of the former president of Senegal, Leopold Senghor. The program has recently completed post-production and will be aired on Canal G and France 2 in France. A Canadian broadcaster should be announced in the upcoming months.