Cynopsis: Kids!
12/22/11

Good morning. It’s Thursday, December 22, 2011, and this your first early morning briefing.

Richie Rich goes digital.  Ape Entertainment and Classic Media unveil the digital comic debut of Richie Rich for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.  Developed by Ape Entertainment’s digital partner iVerse Media, the Richie Rich app will feature digitally restored and color corrected original master copies of the comic as well as new adventures under the title of Rich Rescue.  The Richie Rich digital comic app is free to download and features a free preview of the first issue.  The app includes four full-color issues of the all-new Rich Rescue series ($1.99/each) and the Richie Rich Classics series ($.99/each), each with a color cover, one 5-page story in color and the rest in classic black and white.  These new adventures are available digitally within the app as well as in print at comic book shops nationwide.  The first four new Richie Rich adventures are: Rich Rescue, Issue #1: The Boon Under The Bay!, Richie Rich: Rich Rescue, Issue #2: The Pursuit of Pesos!, Richie Rich: Rich Rescue, Issue #3: Just Desserts Deserts, and Richie Rich: Rich Rescue, Issue #4: Yen for a Yeti!  Richie Rich made his comic book debut in 1953 and has since starred in his own comic book series, syndicated comic strip, and animated TV series. There have been 50+ Richie Rich comic titles and 2,000 issues under his name.

LICENSING

Monsuno, the Boy 6-11 action adventure property, is set to head to Japan as Dentsu inks a merchandising rights deal with Bandai.  Additionally, Jakks Pacific enters into a manufacturing deal with Bandai for the Monsuno toy line.  The Monsuno (52×30) animated TV series is currently in production with co-producers Pacific Animation Partners, a joint venture between Jakks Pacific and Dentsu Entertainment USA, which is a subsidiary of Dentsu, with FremantleMedia Enterprises and The Topps Company.  Under the deals, Bandai will exclusively distribute and market toys based upon the Monsuno TV series in Japan, with Jakks Pacific manufacturing the Monsuno toys that will be distributed by Bandai in Japan.  Nickelodeon will launch the Monsuno series first in the US on Nicktoons and in select English speaking countries, and then on its channels around the world.  FremantleMedia Enterprises is the exclusive worldwide distributor of Monsuno TV series (excluding Asia) and is also acting as the Master Licensing agent for the brand outside of Asia. Jakks Pacific plans to debut the Monsuno toy line at retail in the US to coincide with the launch of the animated series, slated for spring 2012.  The Topps Company has signed on to produce Monsuno trading card games, confectioneries and related products.

LeapFrog Enterprises gets more branded digital downloadable content for its new App Center under a new partnership with HIT Entertainment.  The deal will see HIT’s preschool-aimed educational content featuring characters from its popular Thomas & Friends and Fireman Sam available via LeapFrog’s App Center this month.  The first six apps will include three Thomas & Friends videos and three Fireman Sam videos, focusing on lessons relating to self-esteem, building friendships, and health and safety.  Apps can be purchased at the LeapFrog App Center and be used for the LeapPad Explorer and Leapster Explorer.

American Greetings Properties (AGP) and licensing agent CPLG Benelux sign a deal with licensee Beetosee for a Care Bears plush promotion with Unilever in supermarkets throughout Belgium.  Participating supermarkets include Makro and Cora.  Here’s how the promotion works  customers who purchase any ten Unilever products (including food, personal care, or household products) will be able to get one of two free Care Bear plushes, Funshine Bear or Cheer Bear, throughout December 2011.  Then, customers will have the option to donate the plush bear to charity, including Moeders voor Moeders for Flanders and Rode Kruis (Red Cross).

MARKETING

The USDA Forest Service and the Ad Council team up with Universal Pictures to encourage kids to spend more time outside connecting with nature through a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) featuring characters and footage from Universal and Illumination Entertainment‘s upcoming 3D-CG animated conservation-centric Dr Seuss’ The Lorax.  Created pro bono by Universal, the new TV, radio and outdoor PSAs are available in English and Spanish.  The new PSA campaign directs kids/families to the Forest Service and Ad Council’s two-year-old Discover the Forest (www.discovertheforest.org, www.descubreelbosque.org) initiative, which aims to inspire kids and their families to get outside and experience nature, thus becoming lifelong stewards of the forest and nature.  DisocverTheForest.com also offers outdoor activities, an interactive map tool, which is powered by Google and nature Find, which allows users to look for nearby forests and parks, as well as downloadable activities.

MORE KIDS STUFF

Canada’s Astral Media announces beginning this week Disney XD content is now available on Xbox 360 via Xbox Live.  Disney XD content on Xbox Live is free to Xbox Live Gold members.  Launching first are on Xbox live are episodes of the Disney XD series such as Kick Buttowski  Suburban Daredevil, Phineas and Ferb and What’s Up, Warthogs!, and will then move on to include regularly refreshed episodes from ten Disney XD series, adding Kickin’ It, Pair of Kings, I’m In The Band, Zeke and Luther, Baxter, Connor Undercover, and Life with Derek to the mix.  Fans will also be able to access some of the network’s extra content, such as Take Two with Phineas and Ferb and the real-time Disney XD schedule information.

Amazon.com‘s UK-based LoveFilm, a provider of home video and video rental via DVD by mail and streaming VOD in several countries, and Sony Pictures Television enter into a multi-year content deal under which LoveFilm’s UK members will have exclusive streaming access to new and upcoming Sony Pictures titles during the second subscription pay TV window, as well as catalog titles and TV series, beginning June 2012.  In addition to the many grown-up titles that will be available, the deal will also boost LoveFilm’s kid-targeted TV titles with new classic animated programming such as Transformers, Spectacular Spider-Man and The Karate Kid.  LoveFilm members will also have exclusive streaming access during this pay window to new releases like Sony’s Arthur Christmas.  LoveFilm has recently inked similar content deals for the UK with providers including Warner Bros., Entertainment One, StudioCanal, Momentum and Lionsgate.  The deal will also see Sony Pictures’ recent and upcoming releases, catalog titles and TV series added to the LoveFilm Instant service, which is available on the PC or via PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, the iPad and internet-connected TV sets and Blu-ray players.  Finally, LoveFilm will continue to rent Sony Pictures titles on DVD and Blu-ray via its mail service.

Head over to the Cynopsis: Kids !magination Awards to enter your preschool, kid and tween targeted TV series, TV movies, and websites, apps and games, and the marketing, public relations and advertising campaigns, which support that content, for our first annual awards program.  To enter the Cynopsis: Kids !magination Awards your kid-targeted content or support campaign must have taken place (in part or in full) between October 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011.  We look forward to seeing your entry and honoring the winners at the June 2012 Awards ceremony in New York City.

Program Call:  Cynopsis Media will be producing our annual NATPE Shopping Guide sent to all Cynopsis and Cynopsis Kids subscribers on Thursday, January 19, 2012, the week before NATPE Market and Conference 2012 opens at the Fontainebleau Resort, Miami Beach.  If your company is an official exhibitor at NATPE 2012, please send us only the following info for your top 5 shows:  title, availability date, number of episodes, length, type (i.e. series, special, movie, etc.), genre (comedy, drama, lifestyle, etc.) and your terms (barter, cash, etc.) as well as your company’s stand/booth location.  To be included in this free and highly-read special edition, please send your submission to Lisa Ball at: [email protected] no later than Thursday, January 12, 2012. A confirmation email will be sent following each submission from Lisa (if you don’t receive a confirmation email, please resubmit).

STONE SOUP

Bestseller Children’s Series & Tie-ins (top 10), Week of December 19, 2011: Title; Author (Publisher)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid; Jeff Kinney (Abrams/Amulet)
Hunger Games; Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
Inheritance Cycle; Christopher Paolini (Knopf)
Dork Diaries; Rachel Renee Russell (Aladdin)
Magic Tree House; Mary Pope Osborne (Random House)
Witch & Wizard; James Patterson & Ned Rust (Little, Brown)
Twilight Saga; Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown/Tingley)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians; Rick Riordan (Hyperion/Miramax)
Cars 2; N/A (Random House)
Pretty Little Liars; Sara Shepard (HarperTempest)
Compiled from data received from independent and chain bookstores.
Source: Publishers Weekly

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a division of Viacom, names Julia Phelps as SVP/Corporate Communications.  Phelps will oversee all communications and media relations for Viacom’s international multiplatform brands, including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, non-premium Paramount Pictures branded channels, VH1, VIVA, MTVHD, COLORS, Game One and Tr3s.  She will also oversee communications for business units including ad sales, and consumer products.  Phelps joins VIMN from Viacom, where she served as VP/Corporate Communications.  She will report directly to Bob Bakish, President and CEO of VIMN.

RATINGS

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Tuesday, December 21, 2011, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11 1113; K6-11 729; TWEENS 9-14 597
NICKELODEON:          K2-11   972; K6-11 403; TWEENS 9-14 291
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   663; K6-11 392; TWEENS 9-14 310
DISNEY XD:               K2-11   180; K6-11 144; TWEENS 9-14 119
NICKTOONS:              K2-11   110; K6-11   73; TWEENS 9-14   72
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question: In what US city was Mr. Rodgers produced? Pittsburgh. Kudos to: Ed Casey-BBC Worldwide Americas/NYC; Mike Wood-WGBH/Boston; Dave Bourla-YGWG Inc/NYC; Sybil Berry-WNET/Thirteen/NY; Margie Hernandez-Hispanic Market Consultant/LA; Dirk W. van de Bunt-Guthy|Renker LLC/Santa Monica, CA; Stephen Kelley-9 Story Entertainment/Toronto.

Today’s Trivia Question: What cartoon animal was hunted by Major Minor? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: Only the second four correct answers from each time zone will be mentioned; and once you’ve been mentioned in any of the Cynopsis editions, you can’t be mentioned again that calendar week.)

Later — Gwen
Gwen Billings for Cynopsis Kids!
12.22.11

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JOB OPENING: MKTG COMM MGR/Weather Channel/NY: Exp Mktg Comm prof w/ ext creative/tech & prof presentation develpmt skills. Req excep written/verbal skills. Understanding of media rsrch & media exp a +.Resumes: [email protected] (1/4)

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JOB OPENING: DIR, DIGITAL AD SALES MKTG/Syfy/NYC: Oversee Digital Ad Sls Mktg campaigns across all platforms including On Air, Web, Games, Mobile and Social. Min 10 yrs Ntwk/Web exp. To apply, click: http://bit.ly/rIZd3i (1/4)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, MEDIA AD SALES RESEARCH/NY-Warner Bros. Media Sales: (Syndication) strong analytical and presentation writing skills. Adept w/Nielsen systems, MRI and Simmons. Email: [email protected] RE: UCTC/128416BR (12/24)

JOB OPENING: SR. RESEARCH ANALYST/nuvoTV/LA: Nielsen rating analysis, collect/evaluate audience & market research data, 3+ years TV media research experience, familiar w/American Latino market+, EOE/M/F/D/AAP [email protected] (12/24)

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JOB OPENING: VP, BUS & LEGAL AFFAIRS/RHI Entertainment/NYC: Neg. & draft documentation for variety of TV program/content. Knowledge of TV dev, prod & distrib. transactions. J.D. & 10 + yrs exp in the entertainment industry. CV & cover to: [email protected] (12/24)

JOB OPENING: CLIENT SRVCS MGR/WN/Queens NY: Mng client prod launches; provide training, acct mgmt & strategic support for clients; 2-4 ys exp in client services, acct mgmnt, project mgt or sales support. Apply: [email protected] (12/23)

JOB OPENING: DIR, MULTICULTURAL DIG SALES/NBC News/NY: Lead Sales efforts on behalf of theGrio.com and our new English language Hispanic News Website 7 yrs exp. To apply, visit: http://www.nbcunicareers.com/search_nbc/ Job#3250BR (12/23)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network/LA: 1-2 yrs exp in TV Research, detailed oriented, knowledge of Star & NPower required. Apply at: http://careers.own.tv/ (12/23)

JOB OPENING:  DIG. RSRCH ANALYST/LAS VEGAS: Track/analyze perf of company’s official website & digital dist. Proficient w/ Google Analytics. Exp w/ content mngmnt system reporting tools a +. More info/Apply to: www.ufc.com/jobs (12/23)

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SPRING INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY:  NON-FICTION TV DEV INTERNSHIP/NYC: Major TV Prod Co seeking creative interns interested in reality TV and motivated to research, write and develop new ideas for TV series. Res/cov let: [email protected]  (12/23)

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SITUATION WANTED: Jeanne Intile Burns, VOICE-OVER ARTIST/VOICE COACH, Cell: 845-721-9681, E-Mail: [email protected], Web Links: www.castingnetworks.com/jburns, http://jburns.voices.com, www.allegro-music.com (“American Biographies”) (12/24)

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