A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM DISNEY ABC KIDS NETWORKS

Source: Nielsen (Galaxy Explorer), *8/29/05-1/29/06 vs. 8/30/04-1/30/05 Based on (000)s **(NPower), Primary co-viewing share MSU 7p-11p vs. Nick and Cartoon Kids hours only Qual. Avail. upon request

CYNTHIA TURNER’S
Cynopsis: Kids!

02/23/06

Good morning. It’s Thursday, February 23, 2006 and this is your first early morning Kids! briefing.

In a decision that could greatly impact video game advertising, the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), a customer-focused group founded by the UK ad industry, has upheld complaints that the graphics used in two TV ads for Activision were misleading.  According to ASA’s broadcast files, three viewers complained that the ad for Call of Duty 2, “was misleading because the quality of the graphics in the ad were superior to that of the game itself,” and the consumers surmised that people might have purchased the game based on the footage.  In its decision the ASA said, “…the ads did not include any indication that the images shown did not reflect the quality of graphics of the games. While the scenes communicated the themes of the game, they were not accurate representations of the graphics in the games themselves. We considered that this was misleading.”  In the ASA report, Activision said that it believed the use of such footage to be “common practice” and they were not aware it was unacceptable.   The ads were subsequently pulled off the air.

NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Midway Games Inc., Vin Diesel’s Tigon Studios, MTV Films, Paramount Pictures and MTV Games are teaming up to develop the action-entertainment property, The Wheelman.  Midway will develop The Wheelman video game, and MTV Films and Paramount have picked up the rights to develop an action adventure movie based on the game.  The Wheelman is the second of three titles under the new strategic relationship between MTV Networks and Midway to market and jointly sell in-game advertising and collaborate on soundtrack development.

Batman will begin again and Superman will keep on coming back as Warner Bros. moves forward on sequels to Batman Begins and Superman Returns, per Variety.  Christopher Nolan and Bryan Singer will return to directors their respective movies.  Warner Bros. has sealed a deal with Nolan’s brother Jonah Nolan, to write the screenplay for the next Batman movie. 

MORE KIDS STUFF

Joining YTV in April is Nickelodeon’s animated spy series The X’s and the anime series Case Closed.  The X’s will premiere within The Zone programming block on Thursday, April 6 at 430p.  Case Closed will bow Friday, April 7 at 1030p, during the Bionix anime block.

Genius Products and The Weinstein Company have entered into a deal which makes Weinstein the exclusive domestic distributor for Wellspring Media’s theatrical releases.  Wellspring is a distributor of arthouse films in the US and is a subsidiary of Genius.  Additionally, the Wellspring home entertainment distribution division will now be housed under Genius Products’ Santa Monica offices.

The 4th Annual TRL Awards will air on MTV Saturday, February 25 at 12p. Hosted by MTV VJs Damien Fahey, Vanessa Minnillo and Susie Castillo, the show highlights some of the best moments and performances on the series.  The show will include appearances by a cavalcade of celebrities, including in-studio interviews with Christina Aguilera.  Madonna will receive a lifetime achievement award and Bono the Most Inspired Artist award.  Winners were selected by viewers who voted online.  The red-carpet, backstage and last year’s show are available on MTV.com and MTV Overdrive.

FUNimation Entertainment signed an agreement with Rainbow Media for Samurai 7 to air on IFC on April 1 at 1030p and on VOOM HD’s Animania HD on March 1 as part of its Wednesday Animayhem block.  The HD series, inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, looks at the epic of a small, feudal Japanese village.  GONZO Digimation produced.

MARKETING/LICENSING

Champion Custom Products has entered into an exclusive agreement with Sesame Workshop to create a range of collegiate apparel featuring Sesame Street characters. The line will be available beginning January 2006.  Champion Custom Products is a GEAR For Sports company.

Education software company Riverdeep has partnered with InfoSource, Inc. to distribute its e-learning solutions.  Under the agreement, Riverdeep will be responsible for school distribution, marketing, and customer support of InfoSource’s How To Master online training content, assessment, and learning management tools for K-12 schools around the world. Additionally, Riverdeep plans to market the training content on CD-ROM.

Sometimes it really pays to be a big time celebrity.  Among the items that Oscar nominees will receive in their bag o’ swag this year are M&M’s. Sure you can buy your own, but these M&M’s are personalized with nominee names and various messages (e.g. Congrats and Best of Luck) on the candy.  If only I had paid attention in drama class.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Abigail McAden joins Scholastic as Editorial Director/Point, its teen paperback line.  McAden will be responsible for acquiring fiction teen related titles for both hardcover and paperback, as well as develop publishing programs for the line.  She will report to Craig Walker, VP/Editorial Director.  McAden was most recently an Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Polly Cohen has been promoted to EVP/Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.  Cohen had been SVP/Production and will continue her oversight of movies including the Harry Potter pictures, Superman Returns among others.

RATINGS

Weekly Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported networks, Total Day and Primetime Rankings among K2-11 (000) 2/13-2/19/06:
Total Day          (000)   Primetime          (000)
NICK:                 1292   DSNY*:               1313
DSNY*:                870   CARTOON:          989
CARTOON:         724   NAN**:                  522
NAN**:                 522   TOON DIS:          132
TOON DIS.:         135   MTV:                      85
NOG/THE N:       116   BET:                       80
MTV:                      73   ANIMAL PLANET: 67
BET:                       50   DISCOVERY:        58
ANIMAL PLANET: 45   ESPN:                    54
NICKTOONS:        44   TLC:                       49
Source: Disney Research from Nielsen Media Research Data Live + SD Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.
**Denotes a network that broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24hr day.

Weekly Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported networks, Total Day and Primetime Rankings among K6-11 (000) 2/13-2/19/06:
Total Day         (000)   Primetime          (000)
NICK:                  664   DSNY*:               1023
DSNY*:               552   CARTOON:           643
CARTOON:        437   NAN**:                   398
NAN**:                398   MTV:                        64
TOON DIS.:          64   TOON DIS:              57
MTV:                     51   BET:                        52
BET:                      30   ANIMAL PLANET:  46
NICKTOONS:        28   DISCOVERY:         31
ANIMAL PLANET: 28   COMEDY:              29
NOG/THE N:         25   ESPN:                     28
DISCOVERY:        25  
Source: Disney Research from Nielsen Media Research Data Live + SD Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.
**Denotes a network that broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24hr day.

Weekly, Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported Networks, Total Day and Primetime Rankings among Tweens 9-14 (000) 2/13-2/19/06:
Total Day           (000)   Primetime         (000)
NICK:                   472   DSNY*:                912
DSNY*:                454   CARTOON:          476
NAN**:                 429   NAN**:                  429
CARTOON:          308   MTV:                    214
MTV:                    157   COMEDY:            109
COMEDY:              56   BET:                       84
BET:                       56   DISCOVERY:         58
DISCOVERY:         46   ESPN:                    53
TOON DIS.:            39   ANIMAL PLANET: 50
ESPN:                     30   THE N:                   43
ANIMAL PLANET:  30  
Source: Disney Research from Nielsen Media Research Data Live + SD Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.
**Denotes a network that broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24hr day.

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Friday, February 17, 2006, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:            K2-11 1391; K6-11 655; TWEENS 9-14 447
DISNEY CHANNEL:       K2-11   864; K6-11 555; TWEENS 9-14 434
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   677; K6-11 447; TWEENS 9-14 315
TOON DISNEY:              K2-11   157; K6-11   76; TWEENS 9-14   50
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Saturday, February 18, 2006, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:            K2-11 1571; K6-11 1026; TWEENS 9-14 748
DISNEY CHANNEL:       K2-11 1102; K6-11   705; TWEENS 9-14 541
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   909; K6-11   572; TWEENS 9-14 429
TOON DISNEY:              K2-11   148; K6-11     75; TWEENS 9-14   39
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Sunday, February 19, 2006, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:            K2-11 1309; K6-11 875; TWEENS 9-14 642
DISNEY CHANNEL:       K2-11   987; K6-11 676; TWEENS 9-14 549
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   860; K6-11 591; TWEENS 9-14 381
TOON DISNEY:              K2-11   134; K6-11   66; TWEENS 9-14   34
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Answer to Yesterday’s trivia question: Whose pet answers to the name Goddard?  JIMMY NEUTRON   Kudos to:  Paul Koenig-WETA/Washington DC; Mike Doyle-Time Warner Cable/Stamford; Maria Degnan-WTXF/Philadelphia; Jeanne Perrry-The Wildflower Group/NY; Terri Silverstone-MTV Networks/Chicago; Renee Ruetz-WT05/Toledo OH; Jim Smith-National Benefit Resources/Dallas; Sue Barrett-Determined Productions/Chicago; William Beaman-Soundelux Design Music Group/Hollywood CA; Phil Harnage/Santa Monica; Corrina Miller-RPA/Santa Monica; Donna Herman-McHale Design/Long Beach CA; Kevin Gamble-Studio B Productions/Vancouver BC

Today’s Trivia Question: Where might you skip a stone with a turtle, bear, otter and a Mr. Owl? (click here 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 Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis Kids!
02.23.06 – 3:53a
Ad Sales – Barbara Shapiro – 203-583-1224 / [email protected]
Classifieds – Trish Pihonak – 203.926-9878 (new number!) / [email protected]

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