A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM DISNEY ABC KIDS NETWORKS

Source: Nielsen (Galaxy Explorer), *5/2/052/5/06, vs cable, Prime-MSU 8P-11P, 51%+ hrs net pgrm.; rank-US AA%. Tie TOON wk 2. **Growth on (000): MSU 6A-12A, 8/29/052/6/06 vs 8/30/04-2/6/05.  Qualifications avail. on request.

CYNTHIA TURNER’S
Cynopsis: Kids!

02/22/06

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, February 22, 2006 and this is your first early morning Kids! briefing.

India’s UTV has completed work on a new state of the art animation studio at its main Andheri Studio in Mumbai, India.  The $5 million investment includes a 25,000 sq. ft. facility, fully-outfitted for HD TV production, 2D and 3D production, and has created 225 new individual workstations among other things.  UTV, which works with many US and European clients, is currently at work on 15 direct-to-video animated movies, a TV series (52 eps) and 20 short-form series. UTV says that in the next month it intends to announce the titles of two additional movies (for Asian audiences) that will go into production at the new 24/7 facility.

As Kellogg begins its centennial year, the company continues to take hits over the content of its kid-targeted products and advertising.  One of the most recent complaints was lodged in the UK this week with the Advertising Standards Authority by consumer group called Which? is about a TV ad for Kellogg’s Coco Pops Straws.  The voice over for the ad in question says, “How far would you go to get milk into your kids? Well here’s an easier way.…New Coco Pops Straws make milk more fun.”  Among its arguments, Which? claims the ad “sends a confusing message about what is healthy,” adding, “It is yet another example of the irresponsible and underhand marketing techniques used to push unhealthy food to children.”

NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Get the awwwwe meter out.  Hello Kitty is headed to TV, where she will star in the claymation series Hello Kitty, Stamp Village (26 episodes), according to Hello Kitty creator the Sanrio Company.  The series is being produced in South Korea and in addition to Hello Kitty it will feature other popular Sanrio characters including My Melody (a bunny with the red hood) and Bad Badtz-Maru, a penguin.  Production wraps this month and the show is expected to air initially in 15+ countries, including those in Asia, North America and Europe.  The production budget for the first season is $1.4 million, with Sanrio putting up 30% and a South Korean Investment and production company filling in the remaining 70%.

MORE KIDS STUFF

Nick Records/Sony BMG Strategic Marketing Group is set to release Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice, a compilation CD featuring hit songs from top music artists, in conjunction with Nickelodeon’s 19th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards, which will air live with host Jack Black on April 1 at 8p.   This is the second CD in Kids’ Choice music franchise.

Marathon has completed its merger with Finhera, the French subsidiary of Bridgepoint.  The combined companies will operate under the new holding company Finhera (a temporary company name), making it the second biggest production and distribution company in France.  Marathon and Tele Images’ Pascal Breton has been named Chairman of the new Finhera Group. Each of the groups’ production teams will also continue developing their own products and brands under their own banner and structure.

Monster Distributes has licensed three shows to Cartoon Network Latin America through its Latin American agent, HOLA Entertainment.  The 20×30 bro’Town from New Zealand’s Firehorse Films is an animated satire show about schoolboy misadventures.  Sunrise Media’s 13×5 Jungle Beat is a dialogue-free CGI production about a group of animals.  The third acquisition is the special Ape, which is a story about orangutan that escapes from the zoo and learns to live life as a person

MARKETING/LICENSING

HIT Entertainment has inked a license deal with Children’s Apparel Network to create apparel sets and separates based on the preschool property Angelina Ballerina, available at retail beginning fall 2006. Currently Children’s Apparel Network serves as apparel partner for HIT’s Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder and The Wiggles brands.

STONE SOUP

Bestseller Children’s Picture Books (top 10), Week of February 20, 2006: Title; Author (Publisher)
Fancy Nancy; Jane O’Connor (HarperCollins)
Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink; Diane De Groat (HarperTrophy)
My Fuzzy Valentine; Naomi Kleinberg (Random House)
The Hello, Goodbye Windo; Norton Juster (Hyperion/di Capua)
Owen and Mzee; Craig Hatkoff (Scholastic Press)
A Family of Poems; Caroline Kennedy (Hyperion)
Zen Shorts; Jon J. Muth (scholastic Press)
Fairyopolis: A Flower Fairies Journal; Cicely Mary Barker (Frederick Warne)
Dr. Ernest Drake’s Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons; Dugald Steer (Candlewick)
Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs; Robert Sabuda (Candlewick Press)
Compiled from data received from independent and chain bookstores.
Source: Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Children’s Fiction Books (top 10) Week of February 13, 2006: Title; Author (Publisher)
Small Steps; Louis Sachar (Delacorte)
The Eldest; Christopher Paolini (Knopf)
Eragon; Christopher Paolini (Knopf)
Ptolemy’s Gate; Jonathan Stroud (Hyperion/Miramax)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; J.K. Rowling (Scholastic)
Inkspell; Cornelia Funke (Scholastic/Chicken House)
Inkheart; Cornelia Funke (Scholastic/Chicken House)
Hoot; Carl Hiaasen (Knopf)
Flush; Carl Hiaasen (Knopf)
Avalon High; Meg Cabot (HarperCollins)
Compiled from data received from independent and chain bookstores.
Source: Publishers Weekly

EXECUTIVE MOVES

John Cucci has been upped to COO/Comedy Central/Spike TV/TV Land Entertainment Group, reporting to Doug Herzog.  John will be responsible for the corporate strategy and business development, production management, business and legal affairs and human resources and finances for the newly-formed group of networks. He moves over to the Entertainment Group from MTV Networks where he served as CFO for the last three years. 

Colette Chestnut has been named EVP/CFO, MTV Networks.  She succeeds John Cucci and will report to Michael Wolf President/COO, MTVN, as of March 20.  Colette will manage MTVN’s financial operations and will be a member of the MTVN Management Committee.  She joins MTVN from JWT where she served as CFO/North America since 2000.

Dan Scharf has been named VP/Business and Legal Affairs, The Jim Henson Company, overseeing business and legal affairs of all US film, TV and additional businesses.  He reports to Peter Schube, President/COO.  Dan make the move to The Jim Henson Company from Disney/ABC Cable Networks group, where he was Executive Director/Business Affairs.

National Geographic Ventures named Bernice Chu as VP/Business Development. In this newly created position, she will oversee analysis, negotiation and closure of domestic and international business transactions for broadcast, cable, home video, DVD, Internet, IPTV and broadband, from development through distribution.  She will report to Edward Prince, COO & president/distribution. 

Answer to Yesterday’s trivia question: Snuffles was hound dog who loved doggie treats and before putting his sniffing abilities to work to track down criminals, would always point to his mouth gesturing for a treat.  Who did Snuffles assist in finding the bad guys?  QUICK DRAW McGRAW     Kudos to: Steve Snyder-Brighter Minds Media; Jim Salicrup-Papercutz/NY; Michael Hawkins-Promodoctors/Irving TX;  Al Ovadia-Al Ovadia & Assoc/Calabasasm CA; Jonna Baker-MTV Networks/Santa Monica; Cynthia Kennedy-A & E TV Networks/UK; David Hiltz-Korhani of Canada Inc/Toronto

Today’s Trivia Question: Whose pet answers to the name Goddard? (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!
02.22.06 – 3:48a
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