CYNTHIA TURNER’S
Cynopsis: Kids!

05/11/06

Good morning. It’s Thursday, May 11, 2006 and this is your first early morning Kids! briefing.

Activision, inc. has unveiled its plans to open a new studio on the DreamWorks campus.  Activision will use the studio specifically to work in tandem with DreamWorks to co-develop video games based on DreamWorks’ CG feature films.  Last fall Activision inked an exclusive multi-year deal with DreamWorks Animation for the video game rights to current and future console platforms/PC/handheld devices for DreamWorks’ upcoming features films, which by the way includes: Bee Movie, Kung Fu Panda, Rex Havoc and How to Train Your Dragon as well as for the Shrek movie franchise.

Yahoo! Inc., NBC Universal Television Group and Telemundo will combine their U.S. Hispanic Internet properties to form a co-branded Internet business to be called Yahoo! Telemundo (http://telemundo.yahoo.com). It will integrate Yahoo! services with Telemundo content, replacing the existing Yahoo! en espanol and www.telemundo.com sites.  Further asset integration will be rolled out in phases over the coming months.  Yahoo! and Telemundo.com staff will be merged with ad revenue to be shared.  Luis Romero will head up sales for Yahoo! Telemundo.

NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Paramount and MTV Films have picked up the movie rights to the young adult novel It’s Kind of a Funny Story (Miramax), by Ned Vizzini, per Hollywood Reporter.  The movie will be produced by Misher Films.

MORE KIDS STUFF

Yu-Gi-Oh fans will get the chance to watch the watch 4Kids Entertainment Home Video, Inc’s new direct-to-DVD title Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters (90 min) online in advance of its release in stores.  The entire Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters will be streamed on the Yu-Gi-Oh website (www.yugioh.com) on Monday, May 22, 2006 beginning at 7p.  The DVD will be released the following day on May 23, which also includes deleted scenes from the story.

Cartoon Network programming highlights

• The second season of IGPX debuts Saturday, May 20, at 10:30p in the Toonami block.  IGPX is co-produced by Cartoon Network, Japan’s animation studio Production I.G and Bandai Entertainment.  Returning voice-over cast members include Michelle Rodriguez, Haley Joel Osment, Lance Henriksen and Mark Hamill.
• One Night in the Jungle, a special episode of its animated series My Gym Partner’s a Monkey, will air Friday, May 26 at 9p, during the Fridays block.
• Tomorrow night Caribbean singer Rihanna will perform her hit song SOS during the Fridays block at 8p, kicking off a series of appearances by music performers this spring and summer in the block.

E3  ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT EXPO

YouTube launched its new service feature that allows consumers to upload videos from their cell phones and PDAs to the YouTube website.  YouTube members can take video with their mobile device and send Multimedia Messaging Service messages, the technology that allows messages with text and image, audio and/or videos clip to be sent/received.  YouTube currently supports uploads from Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon wireless networks.

Microsoft has inked a license deal with GestureTek Inc. for its video gesture control technology, for use with the Xbox Live Vision camera for Xbox 360.  The Xbox Live Vision camera works pretty much like Sony’s Eye Toy: the person stands in front of the camera and it puts the player inside the game in real time, where they can play the game by moving around.  The company plans to release an advanced group of Video Gesture Control tools to Xbox developers soon.

Engage In-Game Advertising, an in-game media company, and Greystripe Inc., the mobile advertising network, have entered into a strategic partnership, under which Engage will incorporate Greystripe’s newly launched AdWRAP, a turnkey mobile in-game North America ad network, to implement and manage mobile in-game ad campaigns.  Together the two have launched a mobile in-game ad campaign for SpeeDee Oil Change & Tune-Up, an auto service retailer, this week in the US and Mexico.  Additionally, Greystripe has signed deals with advertisers including Zagat Survey, Modtones, and GPShopper.

GoPets, Ltd., the Korean-based online virtual pet and social network, has entered into a deal with PeerMe, Inc., a voiceover internet protocol (VOIP) company.  The deal provides GoPets users use their voices to chat with one another for free.

MARKETING/LICENSING

National Geographic Television & Film’s Kids‘ Programming and Production unit has acquired the worldwide entertainment and merchandise licensing rights (excluding publishing) to Lottie’s World, the book series by author/illustrator Petra Mathers targeted to younger kids. Under the deal, NGT&F’s Kids’ will develop and produce animated TV, film and video projects under the title Lottie and Friends.

Sesame Workshop and Sunkist are expanding their healthy choices partnership with the launch of a summer retail promotion to encourage kids and families to eat fresh berries.  The grocery store promotion will feature the Sesame Street Muppets and Sunkist strawberries and blueberries.  The newly-extended relationship is part of Sesame Workshop’s Healthy Habits for Life initiative.  Beginning in June and running through August, select Sunkist strawberry and blueberry packaging will feature labels with the Sesame Street characters Elmo and Cookie Monster.  The previous joint promotion featured the Muppets and citrus fruits.

AMC Entertainment and Lionsgate have joined together to offer teachers in the US one free ticket to see Akeelah and the Bee this weekend, Friday thru Sunday, as a way to honor teachers for their work.  Akeelah and the Bee, from Lionsgate, 2929 Entertainment and Starbucks Entertainment, revolves around 11 yr-old Akeelah who makes her way from her south LA neighborhood to a chance to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.  Additional information can be found at both www.amctheatres.com and www.lionsgate.com.

STONE SOUP

Authors J.K. Rowling, Stephen King and John Irving will get together (kind of sounds like the start of a bad joke) this summer to present “An Evening With Harry, Carrie and Garp” at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall on August 1 & 2, at 7:30p. The evenings will feature all three authors reading selections of their own work along with some unannounced guests and a Q & A session.  All proceeds from the events will benefit The Haven Foundation, which helps freelance artists who are left uninsured and unable to work following an accident or illness, and Doctors Without Borders, an international independent medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people around the world.  Scholastic and Simon and Schuster/CBS Corporation are sponsoring the two evenings.  Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10a through Ticketmaster, with some orchestra seats available via a Ticketmaster online auction.  Check out any of the author’s websites for further information.

What is the greatest prime factor of 221?  You have 45 seconds to answer, and no calculators, and no, you can’t phone a friend.  Yeah, I know math gives me hives too, but some think it is actually fun and they are good at it.  Some of those folks are kids and 228 of them will take part in the final competition of the Lockheed Martin Mathcounts Competition-2006 all day long tomorrow, Friday, May 12, in Arlington VA, with the big action taking place between 1p and 3p.  Mathcounts is a national competition that encourages middle school kids’ interest in math through enrichment programs, and promotes math achievement through grassroots efforts, which of course means tons of volunteers every step of the process.  This year marks the 23rd annual Mathcounts, and during that time some 40,000 kids from 6,000 US schools have taken part in local, state and national competitions.  Lockheed Martin will serve as the sponsor for the Mathcounts national final competition this year through 2008.  Oh yeah, the answer is 17.  (www.mathcounts.org)

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Brian Offutt has been appointed SVP/Entertainment Products, Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products.  In his new post Offutt will oversee the home entertainment, publishing and music lines of business for Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Noggin, and The N, as well as the home entertainment, book publishing and videogame businesses for Comedy Central, Spike TV and TV Land and book publishing for Paramount.  Offutt, who was head of NVCP’s LA office, has relocated to NY and will continue to report to Leigh Anne Brodsky, President/NVCP.  Previously, he was COO, Broadway Video.  Offutt succeeds Stephen Youngwood, who was recently upped to EVP/Digital Media, Nickelodeon.

Double Fusion has appointed Jonathan Epstein as its CEO.  Epstein was a member of Double Fusion’s board of directors and he was at one time a consultant to the company.  Most recently, Epstein served as co-head of the digital media division of United Talent Agency.  Previously he toiled for GameSpy Industries, IGN Entertainment, was President/CEO, GameSpot.com and held Sr. management roles at IDG.  Double Fusion is an independent in-game advertising company. 

Lois Bridges has been named Publisher/Theory and Practice, Scholastic Educational, and will report to Terry Cooper, VP/GM, Scholastic Teaching Resources.  Bridges responsibilities include expanding Theory and Practice, a line of professional development books, and working in tandem with the division’s other books and editors.  Prior to this, Bridges was Literacy Publisher, Heinemann, where she developed early childhood, ESL, urban education and political issues publishing programs.

PorchLight Entertainment has elevated Peggy Lisberger to the newly created position of SVP/Business and Legal Affairs. She is responsible for overseeing all of the production company’s business and legal matters that involve feature films, television, acquisitions, international and domestic distribution, in addition to trademarks, merchandising and licensing agreements.

RATINGS

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Tuesday, May 9, 2006, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:            K2-11 1197; K6-11 544; TWEENS 9-14 403
DISNEY CHANNEL:       K2-11   743; K6-11 430; TWEENS 9-14 335
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   565; K6-11 314; TWEENS 9-14 227
TOON DISNEY:             K2-11   135; K6-11   58; TWEENS 9-14   36
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Answer to Yesterday’s trivia question: HM was the pilot of this gang and his first initials stood for Howling Mad. What show was he on?  Howling Mad Murdock was a member of the A TEAM    Kudos to:  Glenn Amdur-Cartoon Network/Atlanta; Paul Rubin-PR Productions/NY; Sherrie Brooks-Cartoon Network/Atlanta; Jeremy Rosenberg-Noodlesoup Productions/NY;Bryan Varga-HRP/Detroit; Gina Dierks-Pappas Telecasting/Omaha; Kurtis Humfeld-KMSP/Eden Prairie MN; Kevin Schmidt-National Cable Communications/Chicago; Rob Chatlin-FX Network/LA; Micki Barnett-4 Bucks Media/Bell Canyon CA; Denise Selby-HASBRO/UK

Today’s Trivia Question: What dog was “The Dog Kids Love to Bite?” ( 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!
05.11.06 – 3:42a

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JOB OPENING: MUSIC CHOICE-DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH / NYC: Execute & manage VOD research studies.  Must be a self-starter with a min 8 yrs. exp in consumer research. Reports directly to SVP of Sales and Marketing [email protected] (5/18)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR PROGRAMMING-FINE LIVING/KNOXVILLE: Mng all aspects of original prod’s & acquisitions under VP/Programming. BA & 7+ yrs exp hands-on TV prod. Resume: [email protected] and ref job # 5076-U (5/18)

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JOB OPENING: PROGRAM DIR/KSBI TV, OK: Oversee all areas of programming.  Bachelors & 3+yrs exp. in TV programming/marketing required.  Must be organized, creative, deadline-driven and have knowledge of news media.  [email protected] (5/18)

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JOB OPENING: COORD MEDIA PLNG/Nickelodeon/NY: BA/BS; 1-2 yrs exp media plng, programming, traffic, scheduling. Detail-oriented, strong communic sk; handle updates and reports. EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (5/18)

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JOB OPENING: MEDIA BUYER/Wyeth Advertising Inc/ Madison, NJ: Negotiate cable and syndicated buys. BA & 2+ yrs national TV buying exp. req’d. Resume to: [email protected] or FAX: 973 660-7508 (5/18)

JOB OPENING: MANAGER SCRIPTED PROGRAMMING/Court TV, NY: For info go to: http://www.courttv.com/about/careers/ (5/17)

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JOB OPENING: MEDIA PLANNER Carat USA, NY: is looking for current media planner to join team working on packaged goods account w/ haircare, skincare, & specialty brands.  E-mail resume to [email protected].  Subject must be ‘AC Planner’ (5/16)

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JOB OPENING: ASSOC AD SALES PLANR/GSN/LA: Admin & Sales Plang. exp. as Ad Sales Asst or agency plang/buying. S trong org & analytical skills.Exc written/verbal comm a must.Proficient MS PP, Excel, Outlook.Res: [email protected] (5/13)

JOB OPENING: BRAND MGR, KIDS PROPERTIES/AG/NYC: 5-7 yrs Mktg/Brand/Strat. Passion for brand/biz building. Drive growth for creative Fortune 1000 co. Innov., collegial demeanor. Res/cvr ltr/salary careers.american.greetings.com (5/13)

JOB OPENING: VP PRESCHOOL/PARENTS ONLINE/Nick Digital/NY: Creative vision, strat, ops, P&L of Nick/MTVN kids & family onl bus, psn 4 brnds, innovator/strng editorial, 10 yrs media bus exp. EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com

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JOB OPENING: DIR,GLOBAL BRAND SOLUTIONS/NY/Major Ent. Co: Identify/dev/close & mng lrg scale multiplatform, global mrktng/advrtsng deals. 7-10yrs media exp. advrtsng, client mngmnt, bus. dev exp.Apply: www.mtvncareers.com .EOE (5/12)

JOB OPENING: VP OF DISTRIBUTION/STUDIO ONE NETWORKS/NY: 3-5 yrs exp in syndication clearance, content licensing, and/or partnership/affiliate development, and Internet experience is crucial. Resume: [email protected] (5/12)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/Zenith Optimedia/NY:2 + yrs. exp. ( agency, buying service, rsch.co consumer packaged goods,  kids brands exp. a plus.  Nielsen, TNS, IMS exp. [email protected] (5/12)

JOB OPENING: MANAGER NETWORK DISTRIBUTION & SERVICE/Hallmark Channel/Chicago: Grow distribution & revenue. See full posting & apply at www.hallmarkchannel.com (5/12)

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JOB OPENING: EXEC PRODUCER/WE/NYC: Resp for outside prod & dev of new series & specials. 8+ yrs TV/Ad ind exp nec. Creativity & Flexibility a must. Degree pref. resumes to [email protected] (5/12)

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SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: PR/MARKETING INTERN. Zilo Networks, Inc.  College entertainment/television/live events company based in NYC seeks summer intern/young adult to help with PR/Marketing for various projects. respond: [email protected] (5/18)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: INTERNSHIP (Los Angeles, CA): Boutique ad agency has opening(s) for students & new graduates in our MEDIA /POST-PROD / SALES & MRKTNG DEPTS. (Unpaid with potential for employment) [email protected] (5/18)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: INTERNSHIP (Derry, NH): My TV (WZMY-TV) in the Boston DMA has opening for a student looking for fun summer internship in the MRKTNG DEPT. For college credit only (unpaid). Email Alisha at [email protected] (5/13)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: Interns needed for busy NYC based TV PRODUCTION COMPANY specializing in food, travel and lifestyle programming. Start immediately. Contact: [email protected] (5/13)

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SITUATION WANTED: MKTG/GRAPHICS WIZ-12 yrs in cable ad sales, J.O.A.Trades. Strong with PowerPoint, Excel, Corel, Intel gathering, ad design, client retention, event planning. Moving to Chicago. Contact: [email protected] (5/13)

SITUATION WANTED: PROGRAMMING/ACQUISITIONS/DEVELOPMENT EXEC expert in lifestyle prgrming. Produced/developed series, specials, sports, etc. Negotiated deals/ contracts. Created Q Television Network. Relocation OK.  [email protected] (5/13)

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