Lianne Stewart
Behind the Suit – A thumbnail sketch of a wanna-be wrestler
NEWSAnyone who’s met Nicktoons VP and GM Keith Dawkins knows how passionate he is about football, boxing and basketball. But who would have guessed that his equally strong affinity for old-school wrestling antics à la WWF would land him a gig as a professional wrestler at the TWF. That’s right: Dawkins plays The Big Time on Thumb Wrestling Federation, the hilariously quirky short series Nicktoons co-produces with Animation Collective.
UpNext – What’s developing in kids production
NEWSSesame’s little Twiddlebugs hope to
Got it Need it – Profiles in programming strategy
NEWSIt’s not all black and white at Canal Panda
Jetix’s Kidometer gauges new media heat in Europe
NEWSHave you ever been stymied by the prospect of getting your brand message across in Europe, where each country’s kids are as unique as the local cuisine? Well, Jetix has come to the rescue with Kidometer, a new biannual study that takes an in-depth look at the lifestyle habits of kids living in every territory the broadcaster beams into, helping kids advertisers target their marketing dollars.
Made in Japan / Produced globally – Anime houses open up to copro partners
NEWSKid culture is going increasingly global. You need only look at the girls in Japan slipping on their American-style cowboy boots, and the boys scouring local bookshops for the latest translated manga in the U.S. to see kids fashion, entertainment and general pop culture references melding into a cross-Pacific hybrid. So it’s no wonder western industry giants such as Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon are becoming more interested in co-producing with Japanese-based animation and advertising agencies to create a new breed of programming designed to work across all continents.
Hard times – Kids programming in the U.K. faces an uncertain future
NEWSThere’s no doubt that there are turbulent times ahead for commercial kids programming in the U.K. Not only is the region’s broadcast and production community anxiously awaiting word on Ofcom’s decision about junkfood advertising and on ITV’s definitive plans for its terrestrial kids programming, rumors that the BBC may be shuttering its kids block on BBC1 have also surfaced in recent weeks.
Shifting strategies – Teutonic nets reshape the kids TV landscape for upcoming season
NEWSNick reaches internationally to build German presence
Broadband or Bust – Canuck nets ramp up non-linear strategies
NEWSBroadcasters want to be wherever kids are in order to survive in the ever-evolving multi-platform universe and Canada’s children’s TV players are taking efforts to a new level for the 2006/07 season. Just as kids squeezed in as much fun as they could over the last few days of summer, the country’s kidcasters kept their demos tuned in with supporting websites and teasers from the September linear sked – one even launched a whole new platform.
Staying the Course – French broadcasters continue to pack skeds with exclusives
NEWSCanal J pursues international first-run rights
The definitive kids ent resource.Photos
Kidscreen Summit 2010 -