Cynopsis: Kids!

7/31/08

Good morning. It’s Thursday, July 31, 2008, and this is your first early morning Kids briefing, presented for the first time with graphic elements!  Let us know what you think!

Nickelodeon and National Amusements join to launch Nick Jr. at the Movies beginning today in 36 movie theaters across 12 states.  Targeted to preschoolers and their caregivers, Nick Jr. at the Movies is a 50-minute program running Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10a ($6/per person), each featuring two episodes of Nick Jr. shows, all of which have been reformatted for the big screen.  The movie theater program also includes sing-along music videos and international from Nick Jr.  To begin eight different programs will bow in 2008 followed by additional programs in 2009.

myYearbook.com, the teen-targeted online social network, has secured a $13 million second set of financing by Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), with participation from existing investors, US Venture Partners and First Round Capital.  myYearbook intends to use the funds to develop new services for members and continue to build revenue.  The site, which boasts 10 million unique visitors and 2 billion page views per month  with the average member visiting the site eight times a month for about 30-minutes each visit, was founded by the teen brother and sister team of Dave and Catherine Cook.

MORE KIDS STUFF

4Kids Entertainment picks up the license for the new CGI animated series RollBots (26×30) from Amberwood Entertainment for air on its new Saturday morning programming block, The CW4Kids, on The CW this fall.  Additionally, Amberwood appoints 4Kids as the worldwide merchandising and licensing agent and brand manager for the RollBots property.  Mattel was recently tapped as the Master Toy Licensee for RollBots.  Commissioned by YTV (Canada), RollBots is targeted to K6-11 and expected to premiere on in the US and Canada in February 2009.  Prior to the series debut the RollBots Online Gaming Experience, produced by Xenophile Media, will bow on www.YTV.com.  Finally, Amberwood will handle international TV distribution for the series, which it will showcase at Mipcom Jr. 2008 this October.

If you want to get an early look at Disney’s upcoming animated movie musical The Princess and the Frog (previously titled The Frog Princess, and based on the fairy tale of that name), then head on over to the new website for the movie where you’ll find a teaser trailer for the picture, which is currently slated for release on Christmas Day 2009.  Written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the team that brought us The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992) and Hercules (1997) among others, The Princess and the Frog features music/lyrics by Randy Newman, with a star voice cast including Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, John Goodman, Jenifer Lewis and Bruno Campos among others.

DreamWorks Animation is also showing off new footage for its upcoming sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa with a teaser trailer that can be viewed at http://www.madagascar-themovie.com/.  The movie, which again stars the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Andy Richter, and David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith among others, is set for release in regular and Imax movie theaters on November 7, 2008.

When Nickelodeon premieres the new Nick Jr. hour-long Go, Diego, Go! TV movie, Diego’s Moonlight Rescue, on Monday, August 18 (8-9p), it will do so with a simulcast on sister network Noggin.  Nick Jr.’s support plan for the debut of the special includes featuring a combination of a two-minute sneak peek and song clips from the movie as well as themed episodes from Go, Diego, Go! on Nick Jr. Video (available at www.nickjr.com) and through wireless carriers from August 11.  Additionally, from August 18, the entire Diego’s Moonlight Rescue movie as well as shorts and song clips from the special, along with other Go, Diego, Go! episodes will be available via VOD on Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Charter, Cablevision, Verizon Fios and Cox.

Gorilla Nation, an online rep firm, has been tapped as the exclusive worldwide sales rep for Zeeks.com, a kid-targeted gaming site owned by Kaboose Inc.

Miley Cyrus’s new album Breakout, her first album as herself and not as Hannah Montana her Disney Channel character, debuted at number one on the pop music charts yesterday, with her label Hollywood Records reporting selling 372,000+ copies.  Miley’s previous albums the Hannah Montana soundtrack (2006) debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, selling 280,000+ copies, and Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), a 2-disc release from Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, hit no. 1 with 325,000+ copies, per Nielsen SoundScan.  So, what up next up for the teen singer/actress?  She will head into production on seasons 3 and 4 of Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana next month.  Additionally, Miley will host the Teen Choice Awards on Fox on Monday, August 4 at 8p, and she lends her voice to Penny in Disney’s animated feature Bolt releasing November 26, 2008 (www.disney.com/bolt), followed by Hanna Montana The Movie, which recently wrapped production.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

MTV Networks International promotes Jules Borkent to the new position of SVP/Global Acquisitions and International Programming, Nickelodeon.  Borkent will head worldwide acquisition and programming strategies, adding to his responsibilities acquisition for Nickelodeon Networks in the US.  He will work with Nick US and other channels around the world across development, production and program financing, while also overseeing operations for Nickelodeon International.  Borkent, who relocates to NYC from London, will report dually to Steve Grieder, SVP/Nickelodeon International and Pete Danielsen, EVP/Programming, MTVN Kids & Family.  Prior to this he had been VP/Programming, Nickelodeon International.

Discovery Communications’ Discovery Education makes a handful of new appointments:

• Coni Rechner becomes VP/Digital Sales.  Rechner, who had been VP/Marketing for the division, is charged with overseeing digital sales in the Western, Southwest and Midwest regions.  Rechner launched the Discovery Educator Network (DEN) in 2005.  She is based at the company’s Evanston, Illinois office.  Previously, Rechner toiled for United Learning, which Discovery acquired in 2003.
• Kurt Fichtman is named Sales Director.  He will continue to be based in Discovery Education’s Charlotte, North Carolina office overseeing customer relationships across Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.  Fichtman has worked in the education industry for many years for The Princeton Review and his own educational company, Kurt Thomas Group.
• Jeanie Staton joins the company as Sales Manager.  A former Social Studies teacher and educational software consultant, Staton is also based in the North Carolina office, where she will work with Fichtman.
• Additionally, Lori McFarling Divisional Marketing Officer for Discovery Education & Domestic Distribution has been appointed to the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation Board of Directors.

RATINGS

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:         K2-11 1125; K6-11 768; TWEENS 9-14 587
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11 1113; K6-11 801; TWEENS 9-14 660
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   790; K6-11 510; TWEENS 9-14 359
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11   186; K6-11 110; TWEENS 9-14   67
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data