Canada - Competition for preschool viewers heats up with entry of new net

Playhouse Disney treads on Treehouse turf

Lay of the land: Operational since November, the new 24/7 commercial-free net targets the two to seven demo and features a mix of original Disney programming and Canadian-produced fare. With less than a year under its belt, Playhouse Disney Canada has so far achieved carriage in more than a million households, primarily through a deal with satellite service Bell ExpressVu. But with the Disney name behind the net, it's fair to say it has become a contender for Treehouse's once undisputed marketshare.

The goal: Kevin Wright, SVP of programming at PDC owner Astral Television Networks, wants to widen the channel's reach and integrate Disney fare with new Canadian content in order to gain a foothold in the

Canadian preschool landscape.

The strategy: The plan is to maintain a consistent mix of programming and

establish a viewing pattern that children and parents can grow accustomed to. "Essentially every day of the week, the same show is on at the same time," says Wright. "It helps to create a routine, and our viewers respond to that."

Of course, the strategy has to allow for the introduction of new series, which Wright says he likes to sandwich between established shows. As for blocks and scheduling, like Treehouse, Playhouse Disney is hamstrung by having a single feed to cover the vast expanse that is Canada. However, Wright believes that creative solutions, like repeating series in multiple time slots, can help mitigate the issue. For example, Disney's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is slotted at 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. everyday, thus hitting peak times across the entire country.

The standouts: In terms of programming plucked from Disney US, Wright singles out Mickey Mouse Clubhouse as being the rock of his schedule, repeatedly airing throughout each weekday. "Mickey Mouse is quite an icon, and this show has been great for re-introducing these classic characters to a new audience," says Wright. The second season of the musical series launches this fall and he expects it to remain a major drawing card for the net.

From the vault of homegrown programming, Wright says that Decode Entertainment's Franny's Feet has performed well and will continue to air on the net into 2009.

In terms of new series, live-action musical Imagination Movers from Disney Channel US is shimmying its way onto the net this fall. Its half-hour eps revolve around a New Orleans-style musical family. "It's quite funny," says Wright. "It's a fun mix of both problem-solving and music." The series will launch on weekends, and then, as more eps are made, the plan is to migrate it to strip daily. "In a perfect world, we would strip it in the same time slot seven days a week right away, but...we don't want to run the same few episodes over and over again," he notes.

Looking further into the future, Wright is awaiting Special Agent Oso, a 2-D/CGI animated series from Disney that features a bumbling teddy bear cum secret agent who tries to solve problems with the help of viewers. The show is currently in production and should start delivering next year.