CYNTHIA TURNER’S
Cynopsis: Kids!

05/09/06

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, May 9, 2006 and this is your first early morning Kids! briefing.

Kids TV real estate is growing again with the announcement of a new kids network that will feature bilingual programming content, from the combined efforts of Ion Media Networks (f/k/a Paxson Communications), Scholastic, NBC Universal, Telemundo, Corus Entertainment, and Classic Media/Big Idea.  The as yet unnamed network, which is being referred to by the consortium as Smart Place for Kids, will launch Saturday, September 2, 2006, and will air across multiple distribution platforms including programming blocks on Ion’s 60 broadcast stations, on NBC and Telemundo on Saturday mornings, the latter from October with plans to air the block on Sunday mornings come January 2007, and on a new 24/7 digital kids broadcast channel, as well as through video-on-demand services and a branded website.  Each of the content providing partners will produce on original series per year for the network, in addition to their existing programming content available to the network.  Ion Media Networks led the effort to establish the coalition and will hold 51% of the network, with the content partners sharing equally in the remaining 49%.  The network will be managed by a board comprised of people from all partners.  The programming line-up and the name of the network are expected to be announced soon.

BabyFirstTV, a new cable and satellite channel targeted specifically to kids 3 and up, launches this week with an event in NYC on Thursday.  As part of a plan to rollout the commercial-free channel nationally, BabyFirstTV will be available first on DirecTV, with other carriers to follow.  BabyFirstTV will be free to DirecTV subscribers throughout May.  The programming line-up is comprised of 80% original content.  The channel will feature interactive components to support the co-viewing experience between parents and kids.

Sony Computer Entertainment’s President Kaz Hirai presented the long awaited PlayStation 3 pricing, launch and other information last night in LA on as during a pre-event lead in to E3.  Okay ready, here we go… If you are looking to buy the new console, if you can afford it, Sony will release the PS3 in North America on November 17, almost a week after it debuts in Japan on November 11.  The company intends to ship 4 million PS3 consoles by December 31, of this year, with another 2 million expected to ship by March 31, 2007.

• The PS3 will be released in two different versions – the first a 60GB hard drive ($599) and the second version a 20GB hard drive ($499).
• The PS3 will play CDs, DVDs and also features a Blu-ray drive, in addition to sporting built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as Ethernet compatibility.
• The PS3 can also support up to seven wireless controllers simultaneously
• The new console features Dolby digital surround sound and supports high-definition video up to 1080p.
• The PS3 also supports USB, Sony Memory Sticks, and CompacFlash
• Sony also showed off its new PS3 controller, which looks a lot like the PS2 controller  but it is different from the one Sony had been showing last year.  That said, the controller features a six position motion sensitive tilt technology.

Nintendo will launch its new Nintendo DS Lite in North America on June 11, about two months after its debut in Japan where the handheld unit has proven very popular.  Nintendo has made a number of changes in the DS Lite including making the unit much smaller, about two-thirds the size of the original DS, and about 20% lighter.  Other significant alterations include the ability to adjust the brightness on both screens (4 levels), key control are better situated, and the microphone is now in the center of the unit.  For its domestic launch, the DS Lite will sell for around $129, and will only be available in white.  In Japan the DS Lite launched with three different colors.  Nintendo has timed the DS Lite launch to quickly follow next Monday’s the release of New Super Mario Bros.

Verizon has acquired an equity position in Super Computer International Inc., a provider of online video game-play related services, technologies, and portals.  The financial terms of the deal were not made public.  Together Verizon and SCI are developing PlayLinc, an online game browsing and messaging platform with a range of features including supporting a range of game platforms, messaging tools including IM and VoIP, server launching, server browsing, team management, buddy tracking, player invitations, and on-game controls among others.  Verizon and SCI will run give PlayLinc a public beta test over the summer.  Additionally, PlayLinc will be commercially available to other gaming providers through SCI and Verizon.

Viacom Inc. has completed the sale of Paramount Pictures’ DreamWorks film library to Soros Strategic Partners LP and Dune Entertainment II LLC in a deal valued at $900 million.

NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

As part of Pokemon 10th anniversary celebration, Pokemon USA, Inc. and AOL’s KOL have teamed-up for a new one-hour animated special The Mastermind of Mirage Pokemon, which will be available to KOL members.  The special will air in four segments with the first segment streaming on KOL beginning today, followed by the remaining three segments of the special, which will bow every other day following the first airing.  As of May 15 the full hour-long special will be available for viewing for one month.  Additionally, AOL has designed Pokemon area on KOL that includes a trailer for the special, a flash game, quiz, AIM Pokemon icons and so on.

Paramount and Nickelodeon Movies have signed-up Ray Romano to star in an unnamed movie, per Hollywood Reporter.  The screenplay will be penned by Dean Lorey (Arrested Development), which tells the story of a kid who enters his Dad in a Father of the Year competition, only he tells a few white lies in order to ensure that his Dad will win.

MORE KIDS STUFF

Teletoon has picked up a second season of the animated series Delilah & Julius (26 eps) co-produced by Decode Entertainment and Collideascope Digital.  Additionally, in a deal with Decode Entertainment, Nick Germany has acquired all 52 episodes of the series.  The first season of Delilah & Julius is currently airing on Cartoon Network Latin America, Nickelodeon Netherlands, M-Net’s kids channel KTV and has recently been acquired by TV12 Singapore and RTBF in Belgium. Decode holds worldwide distribution rights for the series.

GSN and Fun Technologies Inc. are partnering to televise the first annual million dollar Worldwide Web Games championship, potentially bringing together millions of casual game players in an interactive platform. GSN will begin promotions for the event this month and direct viewers to GSN.com to compete in Worldwide Web Games qualifying tournaments. Hosted by SkillJam and WorldWinner, both subsidiaries of Fun Technologies, qualifying competitions are underway with players from around the world competing in three of the most popular skill-based games: Bejeweled 2, Solitaire or Zuma. The finals will take place September 9 at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood and the winner will be crowned World’s Best Casual Gamer and awarded the $1 million grand prize.

MARKETING/LICENSING

National CineMedia has entered into a non-exclusive content and marketing inked a deal with Live Nation, a promoter/producer of live entertainment events.  Under the agreement Live Nation events (e.g. concerts) will be offered across National CineMedia’s Digital Content Network, an in-theatre digital satellite distribution network that reaches approximately 850 movie theatres and 11,000 screens in 49 of the top US markets.  National CineMedia, LLC is a joint venture of AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA, Inc. and Regal Entertainment Group.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Eidos Interactive have inked a deal for the North American and European distribution of Tom and Jerry Tales for Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, launching in fall 2006.

THQ Inc. today plans to release the game Bratz: Forever Diamondz this fall 2006 for PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance and for Nintendo DS.  The game is based on the Bratz: Forever Diamondz doll line and the new Bratz: Passion 4 Fashion  Diamondz DVD movie, both also slated for release later this year.  THQ also released the first MGA Entertainment game, Bratz: Rock Angelz.

STONE SOUP

Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci, the Co-Creators/Executive Producers, the CBS series NUMB3RS, have been given the Carl Sagan Award for the Public Understanding of Science, presented by the Council of Scientific Society Presidents.  The Sagan Award honors people who have become concurrently accomplished as researchers, educators and magnifiers of the public’s understanding of science.  Previous winners include Carl Sagan, Popular Science Magazine, and Bill Nye “The Science Guy” among others.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Elizabeth Tumulty has been named SVP/Network Distribution, The CW.  She will be responsible for affiliate relations activities at the network.  Tumulty will report to John Maatta COO, The CW.  Additionally, Tumulty will work closely with Peter Schruth, President, CBS Affiliate Relations.  Prior to this, Tumulty has spent the last six years at The WB, most recently as SVP/Affiliate Relations and Communications.

Concrete Pictures’ creative and production services team welcomes three new members:

• Laura Gillespie has been appointed Broadcast Producer.  She will report directly to Concrete’s SVP/Production, Miles Dinsmoor.  Prior to this Gillespie worked in programming and acquisitions for Starz/Encore and Hallmark Entertainment Networks.  Gillespie produced long-form programming for HGTV, Food Network, Discovery and Fine Living.
• Tom Schiro has been named Designer/Animator and will report to Andy Hann, SVP/Creative Services.  Prior to this Schiro has held designer/animator roles at companies including NBC, Unisys Corporation and Modern Video Productions.
• Mike Yoon joins Concrete as Art Director, also reporting to Hahn.  A winner of numerous design awards, Yoon previously served in executive rules with Telenium, Element, Film-East and WPHL-TV.

A few moves at Scholastic:

• Elizabeth Whiting has joined Scholastic as National Account Manager for Borders and Walden book retailers.  Whiting most recently worked for the Perseus Book Group.
• Cecily Kaiser has been appointed Executive Editor, Cartwheel Books and Licensed Publishing Group, Scholastic Trade Publishing.  Kaiser will report to Ken Geist, VP/Editorial Director, Cartwheel Books and Orchard Books.  Kaiser most recently managed Scholastic’s Seesaw (K-1), Firefly (preschool-K), and Trumpet (pre-school-6 specialty) Book Clubs.

RATINGS

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Friday, May 5, 2006, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:            K2-11 1165; K6-11 542; TWEENS 9-14 398
DISNEY CHANNEL:       K2-11   911; K6-11 483; TWEENS 9-14 363
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   591; K6-11 375; TWEENS 9-14 263
TOON DISNEY:             K2-11   105; K6-11   53; TWEENS 9-14   28
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Answer to Yesterday’s trivia question: What game show was a variation of the dating game where as it introduced a bachelor or bachelorette to three prospective dates, but unlike the dating game it revealed what they looked like?  LOVE CONNECTION     Kudos to: Randy Rossilli-Instructivision Inc/Pine Brook NJ; Denielle Webb-HIT Entertainment/NY; Meredith Kawer-Media First International/NY; Robert Twilley-Jupiter Entertainment/Knoxville TN; Kerri Huyck-KIDK/Idaho Falls; Sarah Sarles-Union Products Group/San Francisco; Joshua Fisher-Brandissimo/LA; Ashley St. Sauveur-Nickelodeon/Burbank; Lisa Weiner- Random House Children’s Books/LA

Today’s Trivia Question:  What actor, who played a cop on tv during the 70’s, went onto be a Director for Miami Vice? (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!
05.09.06 – 3:48a

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