Category Archives: Highlight

WildBrain Television appoints Katie Wilson to the role of VP channels and curation

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WildBrain Television has appointed respected industry executive Katie Wilson to the newly created role of vice president, channels and curation.

Wilson will be responsible for curating content and providing editorial direction across WildBrain Television’s Family Channel, Family CHRGD, Family Jr. and Télémagino and its multiplatform/VOD extensions. Wilson joins WildBrain Television following six years as Director of Programming, Kids, at Corus Entertainment.

Based in Toronto, Wilson will report to Deirdre Brennan, executive vice president of content partnerships at WildBrain Ltd.

Brennan said: “Katie has a remarkable track record in delivering successful content and platform strategies and this expertise, combined with her talent for building strong teams and partnerships, will make her a vital part of the content management team at WildBrain Television. I look forward to working closely with Katie to drive viewer engagement for our channels as we continue delivering best-in-class programming for Canadian families.”

Central to her role, Wilson will spearhead WildBrain Television’s content acquisition and original production programme. Working closely with WildBrain’s global content, distribution and brand teams, Wilson will also provide critical strategic insights for the company’s core business of creating engaging entertainment for kids and families worldwide.

Wilson said: “I am thrilled to join WildBrain Television and excited to work with such an internationally respected team. As someone deeply committed to engaging and entertaining kids and families, I look forward to connecting with Canadian audiences and to also helping drive global opportunities for outstanding local content.”

Previously, as director of programming, kids, at Corus, Wilson’s remit included commissioning original content and overseeing programming strategy across the company’s flagship kids’ networks, YTV, Treehouse and Teletoon.

She also oversaw the management and scheduling across partnership channels, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Disney Channel in Canada. Wilson was elevated to the director role at Corus in 2014, after serving as manager of programing for Teletoon from 2010, where she managed programming across Teletoon, Télétoon, Teletoon Retro and was integral in launching Cartoon Network Canada.

Fears surrounding pensions surface as Debenhams puts administrators on standby

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With the accountancy firm KPMG on standby to handle an insolvency process, Debenhams has reportedly failed to make a top-up payment to its pensions scheme this month, meaning that around 10,000 members could be worse off if the company enters administration.

On Friday, April 3rd, news emerged that the 242-year-old retailer was preparing to make a decision on whether to file for bankruptcy. This would be the second time the struggling retailer had fallen into administration, following a process 12 months ago when its current owner launched a CVA.

The potential administration would come just days after Debenhams put the vast majority of its workforce on furlough after it was forced to temporarily close its stores due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The department store has said that it intended to reopen the business after the lockdown and will continue to trade online for the time being.

However, for some 10,000 employees, an additional worry has emerged when The Sunday Telegraph reported that Debenhams had failed to make its April top-up payment – something that had previously been agreed with trustees.

A Debenhams spokesman said that the money had not been transferred as per the agreement, and that permission had not been sought from the Pensions Regulator.

The company’s pension scheme is also reportedly in significant debt.

It has been outlined, however, that filing a notice of intention to appoint administrators would be designed to protect Debenhams from legal claims from creditors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pensions Regulator has also recently announced that companies could access a three month pension contribution holiday over the COVID-19 disruption period.

It is expected that Debenhams will detail its decision surrounding administration this week. The retailer has been left with hundreds of millions of pounds of inventory on order from suppliers that it no longer requires due to the temporary closure of all non-essential shops to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

The Wizarding World launches Harry Potter At Home hub of activities, videos, puzzles and more

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The team behind the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has detailed the launch of its Harry Potter At Home hub, a free online collection of child-friendly activities, videos, puzzles, illustrations, quizzes, creative ideas, and more.

The new hub has been designed to bring the Wizarding World into the homes of children and families across the globe as the world continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic through self isolation and social distancing measures.

Harry Potter At Home has taken on the mission of celebrating reading for pleasure, as well as introducing children to Harry Potter and his friends for the first time. Visitors to the hub will find an array of games to keep users entertained, including special activity kits from Bloomsbury and Scholastic.

There’s also a collection of arts and crafts videos, as well as updated activities, quizzes, and articles. There will also be an ever-evolving collection of new resources that are easy for parents, teachers and carers of children to find and access.

“The Harry Potter At Home hub aims to help inspire you, your family, your friends, and especially children all around the world to read for pleasure and enjoy the stories, as well as bring some magic-infused joy and entertainment to all the family,” read a statement from the Wizarding World team. “But the hub is also a place for those of you who have loved Harry Potter for decades: a place for you to feel the warmth of the fire in the Gryffindor common room or a much-needed hug from Mrs Weasley.

“For over twenty years, Hogwarts has always been there to welcome you home, so whether you’re starting Chapter One of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Sorcerer’s Stone for our US readers) with your child for the first time, or you’re halfway through the audiobooks, or you’ve just finished the seventh book (again), the Harry Potter At Home hub is here for you.”

You can visit the Harry Potter At Home hub here.

Arsenal teams with Mudita Sports to launch GO And Learn with Arsenal app

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Arsenal FC has teamed up with Mudita Sports to launch its free-to-access officially licensed English language learning app, GO And Learn with Arsenal.

The launch has been engineered to provide supporters around the world with a platform through which they can provide homeschooling for kids currently handling school closures amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Arsenal supporters were given the chance to sign up for a one month free subscription to the GO And Learn with Arsenal app, currently available in French, Spanish, and Arabic. The app is the first to connect English language learning with official player content and exclusively features players from Arsenal’s men’s and women’s teams with interactive content and player-challenge games.

While Arsenal in the Community is providing free educational resources domestically, access to GO And Learn with Arsenal will ensure that the club’s global fanbase is also supported through this time.

“For over 35 years, Arsenal in the Community has been using the power of the Arsenal name to positively impact the lives of young people,” commented Alan Sefton MBE, head of Arsenal in the Community.

“More than 5,000 individuals a week regularly access our sport, social and education programmes, including our award-winning Arsenal Double Club Languages programme, which combines football and the learning of French, German and Spanish.

“It is brilliant that during this challenging time our global fanbase will also be able to feel the positive impact of combining a love of Arsenal with learning English through GO And Learn with Arsenal.”

Grounded in educational theory, the app uses the ‘Accelerated Learning Cycle’ model developed by renowned educationalist Alistair Smith. Based on cognitive science, this has been successfully used by the English FA and other organisations over the past 20 years.

“Science shows us how to improve the chances of recall through structured practice, spaced rehearsals and short tests,” commented Alistair Smith, director of learning, Mudita Sports.

“The GO And Learn app is a winner because it starts from an understanding of the process of learning. It links learning, fun and football.”

GO And Learn with Arsenal is free to download on the App Store and will be available on Android soon, with additional languages added over the coming months.

Once fans have enjoyed their one-month free trial they will automatically enrol into the paid monthly subscription of £3.99 a month. The app will send notifications to alert users that they are approaching the end of the free period and they can unsubscribe at that point should they wish.

Wizards of the Coast brings Godzilla to Magic: The Gathering in groundbreaking deal with Toho Co

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Wizards of the Coast has struck a groundbreaking new collaboration with Toho Co that will see the King of Monsters, Godzilla, make its debut in Magic: The Gathering this year.

Godzilla will be joined by the other iconic monsters from the franchise, marking a special feature of the upcoming premiere card set, Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths.

“Magic: The Gathering’s rich and engaging multiverse offers such unique opportunities to explore new worlds like Ikoria, filled with incredible monsters that are larger than life,” said Kyoko Yoshida, senior manager, Japan sales and marketing, Wizards of the Coast.

“Collaborating with Toho Co to bring the Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah and more onto the same world to battle with Magic’s Planeswalkers and new creatures for a first-of-its-kind collaboration is an extraordinary experience that we can’t wait for players to enjoy.”

 Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths is the spring 2020 premier card set for Magic: The Gathering and introduces players to a new world full of incredible monsters and the humans that bond with them. The set introduces players to Lukka, a proud member of the Coppercoats, the military unit that protects the city of Drannith from Ikoria’s savage monsters.

Lukka’s world is forever changed when he forms a connection with a ferocious, winged cat. Such bonds are treasonous in Drannith, forcing Lukka to flee from the very home he was sworn to protect. Now an outcast monster “bonder,” Lukka must survive the wilds of Ikoria with the help of planeswaker Vivien Reid.

Each Godzilla Monster Series card will feature a monster from the pantheon of the Godzilla franchise as a Magic card from Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths. There will be a total of 16 Godzilla Series Monster cards available in English, with three more available only in Japanese.

Anguirus – Armoured Killer, Babygodzilla – Ruin Reborn, Biollante – Plant Beast Form, and Bio-Quartz Spacegodzilla will feature alongside Destoroyah – Perfect Lifeform, Dorat – the Perfect Pet, Ghidorah – King of the Cosmos, and Gigan –  Cyberclaw Terror.

The line up will be completed by Godzilla – Doom Inevitable, Godzilla – King of the Monsters, Godzilla – Primeval Champion, King Caesar – Ancient Guardian, King Caesar – Awoken Titan, Mothra – Supersonic Queen, Rodan -Titan of Winged Fury, and Spacegodzilla – Void Invader.

Fans will only be able to obtain Godzilla, King of the Monsters (while supplies last) by purchasing a draft booster pack display through a Wizards Play Network store. Each sealed draft booster pack display will contain a random Godzilla Series Monster card.

The Godzilla Series Monster cards will also appear in Magic: The Gathering Arena as card styles. Players will receive the card styles as a special bonus when purchasing Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths bundles of six or more booster packs inside the Magic: The Gathering Arena client.

CITV picks up Jetpack’s animated comedy Buck and Buddy in newest broadcasting slate

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The independent kids and family distributor, Jetpack Distribution, has secured a string of new broadcast deals for its portfolio of children’s shows, including Daisy & Ollie, Emmy & Gooroo, Buck & Buddy, and Talking Tom and Friends.

The Jetpack shows will be airing this year across a series of international networks.

Discovery Kids (Middle East and North Africa)has boosted its pre-school offering with the acquisition of the pay TV rights for season three of Daisy & Ollie and season two of Emmy & Gooroo. It has also bought non-dialogue comedy animation Bucky & Buddy.

Meanwhile, AMC Networks International – Central and Northern Europe has acquired pay TV and video on demand (VOD) rights for five seasons of comedy animation Talking Tom and Friends, shorts from the same series and Talking Angela videos for its Minimax channels in Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia.

WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks channels including Boomerang and Cartoon Network in SoutheastAsia, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand has extended its offer to include series four and five of Talking Tom and Friends. The deal also includes Talking Tom Heroes.

Super RTL has acquired the SVOD rights for Talking Tom Heroes, while the UK’s CITV has bought the free-to-air rights for Buck & Buddy.

German channel KIKAhas acquired the free-to-air rights for animated show Wolf, and finally, United Media has bought the rights for Emmy & Gooroo and seasons one to four of pre-school live action Our Family for Pikaboo and seasons one to three of The Cul De Sac and seasons one and two of comedy animation Barefoot Bandits for Vavoom.

The deal covers Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Montenegro.

Jetpack’s CEO, Dominic Gardiner, said: “These are challenging and uncertain times for the TV industry as we face unchartered territory. These deals are testament to the enduring appeal of good quality kids and family content. Long may that continue.”

“We are really pleased to be working with such brilliant production and IP owners and doing business with prestigious international networks who remain as committed as ever to delivering great experiences for young audiences.”

HarperCollins to acquire Egmont Books UK for undisclosed sum

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HarperCollins has detailed its intention to acquire Egmont Books UK for an undisclosed sum, alongside Egmont’s book businesses in Poland and Schneiderbuch Germany.

The transaction is set to complete on 30th April but will not include Egmont’s magazine publishing.

According to the Bookseller, on completion, Egmont Books UK will be run as a children’s division led by its current MD Cally Poplak. Poplak will join HarperCollins UK executive committee, and will report to CEO Charlie Redmayne.

The division “will maintain its publishing autonomy and will remain in its offices for the immediate future”, HarperCollins said.

It’s been reported that the deal will create what is likely to be the biggest UK children’s publisher in terms of market share. Last year HCCB and Egmont had sales of £58.6m through BookScan in the UK, while Penguin Random House Children’s (not including DK) had sales of £57.1m.

Among Egmont’s bestsellers are its Minecraft licensed titles, including its Construction Handbook with sales of 621,014 copies, as well as Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse which sold 569,623 copies.

In Germany, Schneiderbuch will integrate into the children’s books group reporting to Carina Mathern, editorial director of HarperCollins Germany Children’s, who reports to Juergen Welte, MD of HarperCollins Germany. Egmont Books Poland will report through Agnieszka Baranska, MD of HarperCollins Poland.

Redmayne said: “The acquisition of Egmont will give us a huge opportunity to combine their existing profile and expertise in the UK and in Europe with the licensing experience and capability we already have in Suzanne Murphy’s HarperCollins US children’s business.

“This will enable us to unlock the potential of licensed publishing across the broadest international reach. We look forward to welcoming Cally and her team, and of course Egmont UK’s exceptional list, which includes iconic names such as Winnie-the-Pooh, Thomas the Tank Engine, Tintin and Mr Men, to HarperCollins UK where alongside Ann-Janine Murtagh’s record-breaking Children’s division we will continue to build an unbeatable children’s publishing proposition.”

Rasmussen added: “We have taken a  strategic decision to exit the children’s book business in UK, Poland and Schneiderbuch  in Germany, and we are pleased to announce that HarperCollins will be the  future owner of the business in these countries. I want to thank employees in all three countries that have done fantastic work over the years developing books and content at an international standard.”

Sesame Workshop expands its See Amazing in All Children initiative for Autism Acceptance Day

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Sesame Workshop is expanding its Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative with new video and content featuring Julia – its four-year-old Sesame Street character with autism.

The resources will be available for free in English and Spanish and will show children that ‘we can all be superheroes when we help each other.’ It has all been launched in honour of Autism Acceptance Day.

On top of this, at a time when many families are experiencing unprecedented uncertainty, the resources provide coping strategies for parents of children with autism, supporting them as they adjust to a “for-now” normal while still addressing their children’s unique needs.

Complementing the new materials, HBO and PBS KIDS will premiere a Julia-focused episode on April 6, the Fluffster Kerfuffle. The episode is centred around learning how to play well together—which might look a little different for Julia.

The resources released today include coronavirus-related tips for families with autistic children, an animation created in partnership with Exceptional Minds, original videos starring Julia, her family, and Sesame Street friends, and new articles and printable activities, including strategies for parents and caregivers to help children cope with—and even embrace—changes in their everyday routines.

“We’re proud to mark Autism Acceptance Day by celebrating the amazing in every child and continuing our commitment to autistic children and their families,” said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President of US Social Impact, Sesame Workshop.

“Especially during these uncertain times, Sesame Workshop is here to support families with the tools they need to navigate everyday moments as well as the challenges that come their way.”

Created in 2015, the Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative aims to increase public awareness and acceptance of autism, foster greater empathy and understanding, and support families with free, bilingual resources.

The initiative was developed in consultation with over 250 organisations and experts within the autism community. With one in 54 children diagnosed with autism, See Amazing in All Children is designed to show that all children -autistic and neurotypical alike – are amazing in their own ways.

Nestlé to develop ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks Levissima Issima water bottles

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Nestlé is to develop a new line of ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks themed Levissima Issima water bottles thanks to a new partnership between Bagdasarian Productions and Maurizio Distefano Licensing.

Levissima Issima water bottles are a recognised range of children.s water bottles, designed to be easy to carry. The new range will feature five different designs to collect, depicting favourite characters from the series, including Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, Eleanor, and Simon.

Airing daily on K2 and Nick Junior, ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks is a highly successful reimagining of the popular singing chipmunks – created by Ross Bagdasarian in the late 1950s – that have been a hit with children everywhere for over 60 years.

The CGI-animated show focuses on the trials and tribulations of a single parent, David Seville, trying to raise six hyperactive chipmunks. The series takes viewers on a roller-coaster ride of music, laughter and stories guaranteed to entertain the Chipmunks’ many generations of fans.

Maurizio Distefano said: “I’m delighted to be able to announce the addition of Nestlé, a globally known name in food production, to the list of ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks’ licensees. The show continues to attract large audiences with its fantastic combination of comedy, music and great characters, and children will love this wonderful range of water bottles featuring their favourite characters.”

Children’s Media Conference rebrands as Children’s Media Community for 2020 as it moves its content online

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The Children’s Media Conference, now in its 17th year, is temporarily becoming The Children’s Media Community for 2020, in response to the cancellation of its planned conference in Sheffield from July 7th to 9th due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a revised theme of ‘Still Here Right Now’, CMC will provide an ongoing service to all involved in the children’s media industry, offering a programme of webinars over the next few months, culminating in a virtual conference taking place this July.

The first online event is a focus on China supported by the Department of Trade and Industry.

On Tuesday April, 21st there will be a webinar open to all looking at how the Chinese market is reviving itself with a focus on opportunities for international companies looking to work in China. The webinar will be free of charge, and details on how to join will be on the CMC website.

On Wednesday, April 22nd there will be limited slots available to join virtual meetings with key Chinese platforms and co-producers who are looking to work with British companies. Delegates will need to register interest with CMC and pay a fee of £50.00 + VAT.

CMC is planning a regular weekly roll out of webinars and content, offering the children’s community a wide range of discussions on the topics that matter and a chance to hear from commissioners, funders, research companies and master-practitioners.

The webinars will culminate in a limited virtual conference from Tuesday 7th to Thursday 9th July including the International Exchange which will run via virtual one-to-one meetings.

All registration details and information on the webinars (including Zoom log-in details) will be available on the CMC website https://www.thechildrensmediaconference.com/.

Greg Childs, editorial director at CMC said: “The Children’s Media Community always steps up in a crisis. Maybe it’s because we’re conscious of our responsibility to help the children’s audience handle difficult situations, understand their changing world, and still have some fun along the way.

“In the last few weeks the children’s content community has been nothing short of brilliant in pulling together a new way of looking at the conference they help create every year. As a result we’re pleased to say that CMC 2020 is rebranding ‘for the duration’ as the Children’s Media Community and refocusing its theme from ‘Right Here Right Now’ to ‘STILL Here Right Now’.

“What that means is that volunteer producers will still work on great sessions, helped by the CMC Advisory Committee, and they’ll be delivered to people’s desktops on a regular basis right up to and including a virtual conference in July. We can come together as a community to share the learning, insights and inspiration, challenge, argue and discuss – just as we do in Sheffield – but you’ll need to make your own tea.”