"Nickelodeon At Sea" Hits The High Seas In Asia

From Kidscreen:

Nickelodeon hits the high seas in Asia

Viacom International Media Networks Asia and Asia-Pacific cruise line Star Cruises have expanded their partnership to launch the first "Nickelodeon At Sea" cruises in Asia.

Co-sponsored by Mondial Assistance, the cruises are set to run from November 11 to December 30, 2012 on cruise lines SuperStar Virgo (pictured) and SuperStar Libra.

A total of 55 "Nickelodeon At Sea" cruises are planned, featuring popular Nick brands SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego! Go!. Activities include character meet and greets, afternoon tea events, arts and crafts programs, treasure hunts, Nickelodeon-themed rooms and meals, and kids can even get covered in Nick’s famous green slime.

The latest cruises come on the heels Nickelodeon’s successful “SpongeBob at Sea” cruises which launched in 2011.

Tags: Nickelodeon At Sea, Star Cruises, Viacom International Media Networks Asia

eOne Inks New Broadcast Sales Down Under For "Ben And Holly's Little Kingdom", "Humf", "Lost And Found", "Peppa Pig", "Rob The Robot", And "The Secret World Of Benjamin Bear"

From Kidscreen:

eOne inks new broadcast sales Down Under

eOne Family has secured new broadcast sales in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa for several preschool series including Peppa Pig and Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom.

In Australia, ABC has renewed the animated The Secret World of Benjamin Bear and picked up Rob the Robot season two, both produced by Amberwood Entertainment, as well as season five and six of eOne's Peppa Pig.

For New Zealand, TVNZ has snapped up Lost and Found for TV2, and Peppa Pig will debut on its Kidzone channel. In addition, Mediaworks has picked up Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom and Humf for channel Four.

Meanwhile, South Africa's ETV has scooped up Peppa Pig season one through six, which began airing on the channel last month.

Tags: Australia, Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom, eOne Family, Humf, Lost and Found, New Zealand, Peppa Pig, Rob the Robot, South Africa, The Secret World of Benjamin Bear

NickToons UK Celebrating The 2012 Summer School Holidays By Showing Classic Nicktoons!

According to Nickelodeon UK and Ireland on their official Twitter profile page (@NickelodeonUK), for one week (this week) only, to celebrate the summer school holidays, Nickelodeon UK's animation channel, NickToons UK and Ireland, will be going through the Nickelodeon Archives and will be showing the classic animated original Nickelodeon shows ("Nicktoons") "The Ren and Stimpy Show", "Hey Arnold!" and "Invader Zim" every weeknight from 7.00pm from Monday 23rd July 2012 to Friday 27th July 2012 (similar to NickToons' 'Toonz2nite' Classic Nicktoon programming block from the mid 2000's)!:

Check out old skool Ren & Stimpy and Rocko’s Modern Life every night THIS WEEK 7pm on Nicktoons!

According to Nickelodeon UK's "What's On" schedule section for NickToons on the official Nickelodeon UK and Ireland website, Nick.co.uk, below is NickToons' Classic Nicktoon line-up:

7:00pm - Invader Zim
7:30pm - Hey Arnold
8:00pm - Ren and Stimpy
8:30pm - Hey Arnold
9:00pm - Ren and Stimpy
9:30pm - Invader Zim

As well as Nicktoons UK and Ireland's week-long Classic Nicktoon programming block, NickToons UK and Eire will also be showing the classic Nicktoon's "Invader Zim" and "The Ren and Stimpy Show" every night from 11.00pm:

11:00pm - Invader Zim
11:30pm - Ren and Stimpy

PLUS, the classic animated Nickelodeon show "Rocko's Modern Life" every weeknight at 10.30pm!

They're not just cartoons, they're Nicktoons!

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

TV Market Broken As Viewers Pay More, U.S. Senator Says

From Bloomberg:

TV Market Broken as Viewers Pay More, U.S. Senator Says

Consumers' television bills keep climbing and blackouts of popular programs have become common, showing that marketplace rules set in the 1990s may need to be changed, a U.S. senator said.

“Consumers are still forced to purchase larger and larger packages of channels,” Senator Jay Rockefeller, the West Virginia Democrat who heads the Commerce Committee, said at a hearing on cable regulation. “The market isn’t working. Real competition should be bringing rates down.”

The session was part of a series of hearings in both houses of Congress to consider updating laws that govern the broadcast, cable and satellite industries. No change will pass this year because the topic is complex, Rockefeller told reporters April 25.

Regulation hasn’t kept pace with the rise of satellite broadcasters DirecTV (DTV) and Dish Network Corp. (DISH), or the spread of high-speed Internet links used by services such as Netflix Inc. (NFLX) and Barry Diller’s online Aereo Inc. that provides broadcast signals without a cable subscription, lawmakers and industry officials have said.

Senator Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican, said Congress should repeal the 1992 law that lets TV stations charge cable providers for broadcast signals.

“It was a right created out of whole cloth to combat a cable monopoly,” DeMint said. That monopoly no longer exists after inroads from competitors, including satellite providers, he said.

Negotiating Power

Senator John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, said he wouldn’t support “radical proposals” to repeal the 1992 law.

“It would result in, probably, very few broadcasters being around,” Kerry said. “I want to preserve local broadcasting.”

“There’s a real divide here, and it’s going to be interesting to see how we manage it,” Kerry said.

Service disruptions caused by disputes over how much cable providers should pay broadcasters for their signals are a source of concern and Americans “deserve answers as to why their screens have gone dark,” Rockefeller said. Consumers should get refunds when they lose channels, he said.

The incidence of blackouts has spiked as broadcasters have become increasingly willing to withhold programming during fee disputes, Melinda Witmer, executive vice president at New York- based Time Warner, the second-largest U.S. cable company by revenue, said in testimony submitted to the panel. So far this year there have been 69 instances with programming being withheld in fee disputes, Witmer said.

World Series

Cable and satellite providers are seeking federal help as broadcasters seek more fees for program carriage. Pay-TV companies paid $1 billion in retransmission fees to local affiliate broadcast channels in 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

New York-area consumers in 2010 missed games in Major League Baseball’s World Series and the opening minutes of the Academy Awards in disputes between Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC) and News Corp. (NWSA)’s Fox and Walt Disney Co. (DIS)’s ABC.

Viacom Inc. (VIAB), owner of the MTV and Nickelodeon networks, on July 20 announced a new programming fee agreement with DirecTV, ending a 10-day blackout for the satellite-TV service’s 20 million U.S. viewers.

Other program outages affected Time Warner, Dish Network Corp. and DirecTV, the FCC said last year as it began examining rules for retransmission negotiations. The FCC doesn’t have power to demand binding arbitration or to order TV stations’ signals restored during disagreements, officials said.

Market Power

Increased competition lets broadcasters play the cable companies and other pay-TV providers against each other, Time Warner’s Witmer said. Laws don’t let cable companies buy a broadcast signal from alternative sources, leaving them to deal exclusively with local stations, Witmer said.

Stations should be able to negotiate for compensation because they provide most of the top-rated shows, Gordon Smith, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, said in testimony submitted to the committee.

“When some suggest that these laws are ripe for a rewrite, they misstate history and facts,” Smith said. Members of his Washington-based trade group include ABC, Fox, Comcast Corp. (CMCSA)’s NBC and CBS Corp. (CBS)

Broadcast stations account for 35 percent of TV viewership and receive less than 7 percent of program carriage fees, Smith said.

Rewriting Laws

TV executives are watching for signs lawmakers may rewrite the carriage laws, Paul Gallant, a Washington-based analyst with Guggenheim Securities, said in an interview before the hearing.

“Broadcasters have a fair amount of leverage to raise fees,” Gallant said. “Their concern is Congress could undercut that leverage.”

A June 27 hearing before a House panel showed that “a good number of members” want to consider rewriting the rules surrounding blackouts, Gallant said.

Publicis Sees More Ad Market Deals

From Bloomberg via GulfNews.com:

Publicis sees more ad market deals

Global advertising industry is predicted to grow 4.3% this year

[...] Publicis expects a rebound that will give them growth that is expected to be higher than in the first quarter.

New York: Publicis Chief Executive Officer Maurice Levy, whose company has made more than a dozen acquisitions this year, predicts more consolidation in the advertising industry even if some prices, like those for London’s Aegis Plc and the US’s AKQA, are too high.

Levy said Publicis looked at buying both Aegis, which was acquired by Dentsu Inc. recently for £3.16 billion ($5 billion) and AKQA, which WPP Plc agreed to buy late last month for $540 million.

“On both companies, we decided to pass, considering that we have no strategic issues with those two assets,” Levy said in an interview on July 19. “We also considered the price paid was too high.”

Publicis, the Paris-based owner of advertising agencies including Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi, will continue to expand by buying digital assets and companies in fast-growing markets. First-half profit at the world’s third-largest advertising company rose 19 percent, though organic growth, which strips out effects from acquisitions and mergers, rose 2.8 percent, as clients cut spending amid the European debt crisis and it lost a $3 billion annual advertising contract with General Motors.

Levy, who earlier this year warned that growth would slow in the second quarter, said Publicis expects “a rebound that will give us growth that is expected to be higher than in the first quarter.”

Health care has been the worst performing segment for the advertising business, he said, as many of the big pharmaceutical companies faced restructuring.

New business


Net income for first half was €275 million ($337 million), while revenue rose 14 per cent to €3.08 billion. The company won $1.8 billion of net new business in the first half from clients including Kraft Foods, Subway and Nickelodeon. Publicis is targeting 75 percent of revenue to come from digital companies and fast-growing markets in the medium term.

The most notable of Publicis’s acquisitions this year was the UK’s Bartle Bogle Hegarty, the ad agency behind the Johnnie Walker “Keep Walking” campaign and Levi Strauss & Co.’s “Flat Eric.”

Levy said last week’s agreement by Japan’s Dentsu to acquire Aegis was a smart move. “They paid a very full price but it makes strategic sense,” he said. “I’m not sure there’s a lot of synergies but Dentsu was looking for many years at the possibility of becoming a global player.” The move places Dentsu and Aegis among the largest advertising companies in the world such as WPP, Publicis and Omnicom Group Inc.
Slowing Growth

The global advertising industry is predicted to grow 4.3 per cent this year, down from an earlier forecast for 4.8 per cent, researcher ZenithOptimedia said in June. Marketing spending slowed in April and May amid fears that Greece would leave the European Union, it said.

WPP advertising researcher GroupM on July 20 cut its forecast for worldwide ad growth in 2012 to 5.1 per cent from 6.3 per cent, citing a decline in ad investment of 8.8 per cent in Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Ad spending in the US is predicted to grow 3.6 per cent, from a 4 percent forecast late last year.

Nick Jr. Favourite "Yo Gabba Gabba!" Announces Brand New North American Live Tour Called "Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get The Sillies Out!"

Below is a W!LDBRAIN Entertainment Press Release via PRNewswire:

Yo Gabba Gabba! Announces New Live Tour

Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get The Sillies Out! Tour Begins With Three Stops In 2012: Los Angeles, Anaheim And New York City

Full North American Tour In Early 2013

Pre-Sale Tickets and Gabba! Party Packages will be Available to the Yo Gabba Gabba! Online Community Beginning July 26th at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com

LOS ANGELES, July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The sillies are crazy little creatures that live inside of us and need to be shaken out! DJ Lance Rock and everyone's favorite cast of colorful characters are calling all fans across North America to get ready to jump, shake and shimmy them out at the new live tour Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get the Sillies Out!. W!LDBRAIN Entertainment and tour producers S2BN Entertainment announced today that Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get The Sillies Out! tour will kick-off with three stops in 2012, followed by a multiple-city tour across North America in early 2013. Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get the Sillies Out! 2013 dates and cities to be announced.

Caption: Photo-Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get The Sillies Out! (PRNewsFoto/W!LDBRAIN Entertainment); (Download Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120725/LA45943-a)

Caption: Logo- Yo Gabba Gabba! cast: DJ Lance Rock, Brobee, Muno, Foofa, Plex, Toodee. (PRNewsFoto/W!LDBRAIN Entertainment); (Download Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120725/LA45943LOGO-b)LOS ANGELES - Nokia Theatre LA Live
Friday, November 23rd - 2pm, 5:30pm
- Public On-Sale: August 8th at 10 a.m. -
ANAHEIM - Honda Center
Saturday, November 24th - 2pm, 5:30pm
- Public On-Sale: August 8th at 10 a.m. -
NEW YORK - Theater at MSG
Friday, November 30th - 5pm
Saturday, December 1st - 11am, 2pm, 5pm
Sunday, December 2nd - 11am, 2pm, 5pm
- Public On-Sale: August 15th at 10 a.m. -
The Yo Gabba Gabba! Thanksgiving weekend tradition in Los Angeles continues. 2012 marks the third consecutive year that Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE! will play to an audience in downtown Los Angeles at Nokia Theatre LA Live.

The stop in Anaheim marks the first time Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE! will perform in Orange County, home to Yo Gabba Gabba! creators Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz. Yo Gabba Gabba! will donate a portion of the ticket proceeds from the Los Angeles and Anaheim shows to Festival of Children Foundation.

Yo Gabba Gabba! is an award-winning, live-action television series and live stage show whose unconventional formula has created a triple stacked fan base, making it one of the most popular entertainment properties among preschoolers, parents and indie music lovers alike. The television show, now in its fourth season, airs several times a day on Nick Jr.

Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get the Sillies Out! tour will continue in early 2013 and will include theaters and arenas across North America. Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get the Sillies Out! marks the third tour for the successful Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE! concert series. The first tour, Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: There's a Party in My City!, launched with a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and a performance at the White House in 2010 and played to sold out venues in 60 cities. Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: It's Time to Dance! enjoyed repeat success in 2011, energizing audiences across North America at over 120 shows.

Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE! is a state-of-the-art production and an interactive experience that offers audiences of all ages the opportunity to witness their favorite characters come to life when DJ Lance Rock and fans say the magic words, "Yo Gabba Gabba!". Hip-hop legend Biz Markie will join the cast on stage for Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get the Sillies Out! with Biz's Beat of the Day. The show will also feature Super Music Friends and Dancey Dance guest performances. Past Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE! guest performances have included Devenda Banhart, Cold War Kids, Matt Costa, Kid Koala, Moby, DMC (Run DMC), Shaggy, Snoop Dogg, Dave Grohl, Jon Heder, Talib Kweli, Mix Master Mike, Nicole Richie, Kid Sister, Keri Russell, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jason Reitman [son of Ivan Reitman, the director and executive producer of "Ghostbusters" and "Ghostbusters II" ("Ghostbusters 2")], Zac Brown and the Drive By Truckers and more, while Christina Aguilera, Jessica Alba, Jason Bateman, Travis Barker, Brendan Fraser, Heidi Klum, Chris Noth, Gwen Stefani, Brooke Shields, Dennis Quaid and others attended with their families.

Members of the Yo Gabba Gabba! online community will have access to pre-sale tickets on Ticketmaster.com beginning July 26th at 10 a.m. They will also have access to Gabba Party Packages, which include the best seats in the house for the show plus a chance to meet the Gabba Gang up close after the show. Community members will use the code "ILOVEYGG" to access the fan pre-sale. To join the Yo Gabba Gabba! online community, visit yogabbagabba.com and register to receive GabbaMail. For complete tour and ticket information, please visit: www.yogabbagabbalive.com.

About Yo Gabba Gabba!
Yo Gabba Gabba! premiered in the U.S. on Nickelodeon in August, 2007 and currently ranks as one of the most popular series on television with broad appeal among preschoolers, parents, teens and adults. The award-winning series is created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz and is produced by The Magic Store and W!LDBRAIN Entertainment. The series is a four-time Emmy nominee. Yo Gabba Gabba! infuses retro-style and beat-driven music to teach simple life lessons. The series and the live show stars DJ Lance Rock (Lance Robertson) and a cast of colorful characters, including: Brobee, the little green one, Foofa, the pink flower bubble, Muno, the red Cyclops, Toodee, the blue cat-dragon and Plex, the yellow robot. Today's most popular names in movies, television, music and sports flock to the groundbreaking series, including series regulars Biz Markie and Mark Mothersbaugh, and guest stars such as Fred Armisen, Erykah Badu, Jack Black, Anthony Bourdain, Devo, Flaming Lips, Meta World Peace (Ron Artest), Tony Hawk, The Killers, Jack McBrayer, MGMT, Mos Def, The Roots, Andy Samberg, The Shins, Sarah Silverman, Amare Stoudemire, The Ting Tings, Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Elijah Wood and Weird Al Yankovic, among others. Yo Gabba Gabba! apparel, CDs, DVDs, books and other merchandise are sold online and in mass and specialty retail stores nationwide in the U.S. The series, now in its fourth season, airs several times a day on Nick Jr. and in several major international territories, including Australia, Canada, France, Israel, Latin America, New Zealand, South Africa and the U.K. Visit www.yogabbagabba.com.

About W!LDBRAIN Entertainment:
Wildbrain Entertainment, a DHX Media Ltd. Company, is an award-winning entertainment studio and one of the world's foremost producers of animation. The studio develops television, motion pictures, short-form programming, commercial content and consumer products. Their exceptional slate of programming includes the critically acclaimed television series Yo Gabba Gabba! (Nick Jr.) and live touring show, Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE! There's A Party in My City!; The Ricky Gervais Show (HBO); Higglytown Heroes (Disney); Bubble Guppies (Nick Jr.); The Hard Times of RJ Berger (MTV), Peanuts (Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown) and Team Smithereen (Disney XD). The studio's global licensing group oversees a diverse licensing and retail merchandising portfolio on behalf of leading brands such as Yo Gabba Gabba! and hit UK series Rastamouse (CBeebies), among others. Wildbrain has received Clios, Addys, BDA Awards and Annies for their commercial work, reinvigorating classic brands for leading companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, Honda, Kraft and Nike. Wildbrain Entertainment is based in Los Angeles, CA.

About S2BN Entertainment:
S2BN is an entertainment company specializing in the production of family oriented shows for theatres and arenas. Currently, S2BN has multiple successful shows in operation: the record-breaking smash hit Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark on Broadway, Rock of Ages, Fuerza Bruta, and Super Why Live, based on the PBS pre-school hit, which launched in 2012. For 30+ years S2BN's leadership have been dominant and innovative forces in the international concert touring industry, working in exclusive partnerships with renowned, global artists such as The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, U2 and Pink Floyd amongst many others. In that time they have also created and/or promoted a wide range of unique family entertainment attractions in tennis, figure skating, motorsports, boxing and wrestling as well as theatre, opera and symphony.

About Festival of Children Foundation:
Festival of Children Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that serves to bring together and coordinate the efforts of charities, companies and individuals who actively work to improve the lives of children. Festival of Children Foundation gives a voice, guidance and support. 100% of the administrative costs are covered by designated funding, allowing donations to go further in direct support of programs and services that improve the lives of children www.festivalofchildren.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kelly Kimball
818.290.7080/ kkimball@wildbrain.com

SOURCE W!LDBRAIN Entertainment

RELATED LINKS
http://www.yogabbagabbalive.com
http://www.festivalofchildren.org.

Also, from BrooklynVegan:

Yo Gabba Gabba touring, playing 7 shows at Theater at MSG (exclusive BV presale!) (dates)

Nick Jr. show Yo Gabba Gabba which has been known to feature indie/alternative music is going on a tour late this year and into next called Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! Get the Sillies Out!. The sillies, if you were wondering, "are crazy little creatures that live inside of us and need to be shaken out!" Only a few dates have been announced as of this post, and those include a seven show run at The Theater at Madison Square Garden from November 30 to December 2.

Tickets for the NYC shows go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, August 15 at 10 AM. A presale for members of Gabba Mail and YGG's Facebook friends begins Thursday (7/26) at 10 AM (password: "ILOVEYGG") and we at BrooklynVegan are also offering an exclusive presale beginning Thursday (7/26) at 10 AM and running through August 14 at 10 PM (password: "BV2012").

A list of all currently known dates, more details on the Theater at MSG shows, and a video below...

Mos Def [as Super Mr. Superhero] on Yo Gabba Gabba



Madison Square Garden shows:
Friday, November 30th - 5pm
Saturday, December 1st - 11am, 2pm, 5pm
Sunday, December 2nd - 11am, 2pm, 5pm

Yo Gabba Gabba -- 2012 Tour Dates
Friday, November 23 Los Angeles, CA - Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE
Saturday, November 24 Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
Friday - Sunday, November 30 - December 2 New York, NY - The Theatre at Madison Square Garden

Also, from TheaterMania.com:

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! Get the Sillies Out to Play Madison Square Garden

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! Get the Sillies Out is set to play at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, November 30-December 2.

In Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! Get the Sillies Out, the sillies are crazy little creatures that live inside of us and need to be shaken out. DJ Lance Rock and the cast of colorful characters call their fans to get ready to jump, shake, and shimmy.

Yo Gabba Gabba! is a live-action television series and live stage show. The television show, now in its fourth season, airs several times a day on Nick Jr.

For more information and tickets to Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! Get the Sillies Out, click here..

Also from TheaterMania.com:

What is it about?

DJ Lance Rock and everyone's favorite cast of colorful characters are calling all fans across North America to get ready to jump, shake, and shimmy out the sillies at the new Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE! Get the Sillies Out tour.

Discovery Bay Games Adds Nickelodeon Preschool's "Dora the Explorer" 'Let's Play Backpack' To North American Line Of Duo Game Accessories For iPad

Below is a Discovery Bay Games Press Release via PRNewswire:

Discovery Bay Games Adds Dora the Explorer 'Let's Play Backpack' To Line of Duo Game Accessories for iPad

SEATTLE, July 25, 2012 /Discovery Bay Games Press Release via PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Bay Games, the worldwide leader in iOS-exclusive game accessories, today announced the addition of Dora the Explorer 'Let's Play Backpack' to its growing line of Duo™ game accessories for iPad. The Let's Play Backpack accessory is compatible with the new Dora Let's Play Backpack – Duo™ App, available now on the App Store.

Caption: DISCOVERY BAY GAMES ADDS DORA THE EXPLORER 'LET'S PLAY BACKPACK' TO LINE OF DUO GAME ACCESSORIES FOR iPAD. (PRNewsFoto/Discovery Bay Games); (Download Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120725/PH45501 )
(Download Discovery Bay Games Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111003/NY78915LOGO-c )

The Let's Play Backpack accessory turns traditional screen time into engaging family time on iPad. The app features games that reinforce matching, listening and logic skills, as well as Spanish language, inspired by Nickelodeon's hit animated preschool series, Dora the Explorer. Each game includes four adventures: 'Let's Listen,' 'Let's Pack,' 'Let's Match,' and 'Say It Two Ways.' In each adventure, players are presented with two choices that show up on the iPad screen. Players then place tokens on the corresponding spot on the backpack accessory to match their answer. The top of the backpack accessory will spin and collect tokens for each correct answer – no need for scorekeeping or counting.

"We're excited to bring the magic of Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer to iPad in a new and innovative way," said Mike Sievert, CEO of Discovery Bay Games. "This new accessory and app will allow parents to create an entertaining and educational gameplay experience they can feel good about."

The Let's Play Backpack accessory is available now exclusively at www.amazon.com for $39.99, and will be available at other select retailers this fall.

The Dora Let's Play Backpack – Duo App is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

The Discovery Bay Games' Duo line debuted in October 2011 and includes Atari Arcade, Duo Pop and Duo Plink.

About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 33rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

About Discovery Bay Games
Based in Seattle, Discovery Bay Games is the worldwide leader in tablet gaming accessories and supporting apps. In addition to developing original content, the company partners with the most recognized content owners in the world to deliver enhanced tablet play experiences to consumers. Discovery Bay is led by experienced game developers and professionals from a bevy of high-profile companies including Clearwire Corporation, Cranium, Electronic Arts, Hasbro, Microsoft/Xbox, and Screenlife. For more information, visit Discovery Bay Games or follow the company on Facebook or Twitter.

SOURCE Discovery Bay Games

RELATED LINKS
http://www.discoverybaygames.com.

Viacom Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

Below is a Viacom Inc. Press Release via PRNewswire:

Viacom Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

NEW YORK, July 24, 2012 /Viacom Inc. Press via PRNewswire/ -- Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB and VIA) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.275 per share on both its Class A and Class B common stock. The dividend will be payable on October 1, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2012.

(Download Viacom Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110811/NY51392LOGO )

About Viacom
Viacom is home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms in over 160 countries and territories. With media networks reaching approximately 700 million global subscribers, Viacom's leading brands include MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land, SPIKE, Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA. Paramount Pictures, celebrating its 100th year in 2012 and creator of many of the most beloved motion pictures, continues today as a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. Viacom operates a large portfolio of branded digital media experiences, including many of the world's most popular properties for entertainment, community and casual online gaming.

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains both historical and forward-looking statements. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations concerning future results, objectives, plans and goals, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others: the public acceptance of the Company's programs, motion pictures and other entertainment content on the various platforms on which they are distributed; technological developments and their effect in the Company's markets and on consumer behavior; competition for audiences and distribution; the impact of piracy; economic conditions generally, and in advertising and retail markets in particular; fluctuations in the Company's results due to the timing, mix and availability of the Company's motion pictures; changes in the Federal communications laws and regulations; other domestic and global economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting the Company's businesses generally; and other factors described in the Company's news releases and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K and reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document, and the Company does not have any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
SOURCE Viacom Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://www.viacom.com.

US Media Companies Earnings Preview: Media Firms Face Fee Fights, Ad Concerns in 2nd Quarter

From The Wall Street Journal:

US Earnings Preview: Media Firms Face Fee Fights, Ad Concerns in 2nd Quarter

TAKING THE PULSE: Despite weakness in Europe, advertising sales are growing domestically for U.S. media firms, as ad dollars continue to migrate away from print and toward electronic media, especially cable networks. However, disputes over affiliate fees with distributors and higher costs to develop new content continue to hang over the industry.

Wall Street expects major media companies to either post slightly higher earnings or modest declines amid the uncertain economy. But, Lazard Capital Markets recently said that while broad economic concerns are dominating sentiment in the industry, "We believe domestic TV advertising remains reasonable resilient," saying current fears appear worse than the actual trend.

Analysts will also look for comments on how the London Olympics and political campaign advertising are expected to help advertising revenue in the third quarter.

COMPANIES TO WATCH:

Time Warner Inc. (TWX) - reports Aug. 1
Wall Street Expectations: Analysts call for 58 cents in earnings and revenue of $6.95 billion. A year earlier, the company's profit was 59 cents a share, or 60 cents excluding items such as acquisition-related costs, on $7.03 billion in revenue.

Key Issues: The owner of HBO, TNT and CNN faces a challenge generating meaningful profit growth in an increasingly competitive television industry where program costs are rising. Its TNT channel in particular has been a drag on results, as prime-time viewership has slumped. The company has been reluctant to license video-streaming rights for much of its content--a move that has benefited some rivals--but has been pushing HBO Go, the online version of its pay-TV service. While second-quarter results from its Warner Bros. Pictures film studio should show weakness, its third quarter is expected to come in strong thanks to the release of the latest Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises."

CBS Corp. (CBS, CBSA) - reports Aug. 2
Wall Street Expectations: Analysts are projecting a per-share profit of 59 cents with $3.53 billion in revenue. A year ago, the company reported 58 cents and $3.59 billion, respectively.

Key Issues: The most-watched broadcaster has enjoyed improved earnings recently after signing content-licensing deals with online media companies and garnering higher programming fees. A growing international audience and a deal with AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) to license CBS's "CSI: Miami" show also have proved lucrative.

Viacom Inc. (VIA, VIAB) - reports Aug. 3
Wall Street Expectations: Analysts expect a fiscal third-quarter profit of $1 a share on revenue of $3.5 billion. Viacom last year booked a profit of 97 cents a share, or 99 cents excluding certain costs, and revenue of $3.77 billion.

Key Issues: A continued slide in viewers at two of Viacom's flagship networks, Nickelodeon and MTV, should keep up pressure on advertising revenue. The company's Paramount film unit should also see muted sales, after the latest "G.I. Joe" movie was delayed into 2013. On a positive note, Viacom recently reached an agreement with DirecTV Group Inc. (DTV) to restore most of its channels to the satellite-TV provider after a 10-day blackout.

Walt Disney Co. (DIS) - reports Aug. 7
Wall Street Expectations: Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect a profit of 93 cents a share on revenue of $11.29 billion for its fiscal third fiscal quarter. A year ago, Disney reported a profit of 77 cents a share, or 78 cents excluding restructuring and impairment costs, on revenue of $10.68 billion.

Key Issues: Disney is expected to benefit significantly from its release of "The Avengers" superhero movie, which became the all-time third highest-grossing movie domestically, a welcome change for the company following the second-quarter flop "John Carter." The company has been seeing strength in its cable channels, thanks to higher programming fees and advertising sales. Disney's theme parks have also been a source of strength.

News Corp. (NWS, NWSA) - reports Aug. 8
Wall Street Expectations: Analysts expect income of 32 cents a share on revenue of $8.71 billion for the company's fiscal fourth quarter. News Corp. earned a profit of 26 cents a share, or 36 cents excluding special items, on revenue of $8.96 billion a year earlier.

Key Issues: In a move investors have long called for, the media giant plans to separate its slower-growing publishing division from its film and television businesses within a year. Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch dismissed suggestions that the split was a response to a phone-hacking scandal in its U.K. newspaper division. News Corp.'s Fox News and FX cable channels continue to exhibit strong growth, while its newspapers' income has flagged, due to lower advertising revenue at Australian publications and the absence of the News of the World, the U.K. newspaper at the center of the hacking scandal that the company shut down last year. New Corp. is the parent of this newswire.

(The Thomson Reuters financial estimates and year-earlier figures may not be comparable due to one-time items and other adjustments.)

Comedy Central UK To Start To Show The Popular Animated Nickelodeon Series "The Penguins of Madagascar" From 30th July 2012 As Part Of Summer On Comedy Central

According to Comedy Central UK and Ireland's brand new 'The Penguins of Madagascar' trailer/promo and the official 'Comedy Central' TV Guide on the official Comedy Central UK and Eire website, comedycentral.co.uk, Nickelodeon UK's sister channel, Comedy Central UK and Ireland (formally 'The Paramount Channel' and 'Paramount Comedy', which used to channel share with Nickelodeon UK on Sky Analogue in the 1990's), and is also owned and operated by Viacom International Media Networks Europe and BSkyB, to celebrate the British and Irish school summer holidays, Comedy Central UK and Ireland is scheduling to show the popular animated Nickelodeon series ("Nicktoon") "The Penguins of Madagascar" from Monday 30th July 2012 at 8.00am and 8.30am (repeated at 9.00am and 9.30am on Comedy Central's plus one timeshift channel, Comedy Central +1).

Nickelodeon UK To Premiere Brand New "SpongeBob SquarePants" Special "Spongebob's Runaway Roadtrip" In August 2012 As Part Of Summer On Nickelodeon UK

According to the official Sky Media Ireland websites 'Sky TV's Kid's Television Highlights In August 2012' webpage, to celebrate the British and Irish summer school holidays, Nickelodeon UK will premiere and show the brand new "SpongeBob SquarePants" special called "Spongebob's Runaway Roadtrip", which follows the cast of "SpongeBob SquarePants" as they go on their holidays, on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK in August 2012 (transmission time (TX) to be confirmed by Nick UK), as part of "Summer on Nickelodeon 2012"!:

SpongeBob SquarePants
Nickelodeon

Runaway Roadtrip is a collection of brand new episodes where SpongeBob goes on lots of hilarious trips. This will leave you asking one question - where in the world is SpongeBob??

Below are the product details for Nickelodeon's brand new "SpongeBob SquarePants: Spongebob's Runaway Roadtrip" DVD from the "SpongeBob SquarePants" DVD's product page on the Nickelodeon Shop on Amazon.co.uk, where you can also order the "SpongeBob Squarepants: Spongebob's Runaway Roadtrip" DVD for £7.49 (delivered free in the UK with Super Saver Delivery):

It's vacation time in the deep blue sea.

Join SpongeBob and Patrick on a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, Plankton and Karen on a romantic cruise, Mr. Krabs and Pearl on a trip to the Ocean Mint, Patrick on a homebound holiday and Sandy on a trip that's out of this world. These vacations are so packed with adventure, it looks as if everyone's going to need a holiday to get over their vacation!

SpongeBob SquarePants Episode List:

A Squarepants Family Vacation
Patrick's Staycation
Walking the Plankton
Mooncation
Mr. Krabs takes a Vacation

Nick Jr. Channel UK To Premiere Brand New "Dora The Explorer" Special "Dora's Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure" In August 2012

According to the official Sky Media Ireland websites 'Sky TV's Children's Television Highlights In August 2012' webpage, to celebrate the upcoming London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Games of the XXX Olympiad) which London, UK will host during summer 2012, Nickelodeon UK and Eire's preschool channel, Nick Jr. Channel UK And Ireland, will premiere and show the brand new special episode of the Nick Junior animated preschool series "Dora the Explorer" called "Dora's Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure" in August 2012 as part of "Summer on Nick Jr. 2012":

Dora The Explorer
Nick Jnr

Follow Dora and Boots in Dora's Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure! Dora is getting ready for the big gymnastics show when Swiper comes and swipes her ribbon away. She can't start the show without it, but how will she get it back?!

Below is a bit more information about Nickelodeon Preschool's brand new "Dora the Explorer" special episode titled "Dora's Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure" from Nickelodeon Consumer Products' and Paramount Home Entertainment's product page for Nickelodeon's "Dora The Explorer: Dora's Fantastic Gymnastic Adventure" DVD on Amazon.com:

¡Vámonos! It's time for a Fantastic Gymnastics adventure with Dora, plus two other journeys too! First, when Dora receives a special Rainbow Ribbon, she learns that she is going to start the Big Gymnastics Show! But when Swiper swipes her special ribbon, Dora and Boots need your help on a gymnastics-filled adventure to get it back! Help them balance-beam walk over Crocodile Lake, trampoline jump through the Flowery Garden, and swing on rings to make it to the gym in time to start the show! The adventures continue when Dora, Boots and you help Pinto the Pony in a Big Horse Show and Swiper get his favorite things back. It's a DVD full of excellent adventures! ¡Fantástico!

According to the "Dora The Explorer: Dora's Fantastic Gymnastic Adventure" DVD's product page on Amazon.co.uk, Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products and Paramount Home Entertainment will release Nickelodeon Junior's "Dora The Explorer: Dora's Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure" in the UK (Pal/Region 2) on Monday 20th August 2012. Amazon UK are also currently taking pre-order's for Nickelodeon's "Dora The Explorer: Dora's Fantastic Gymnastic Adventure" DVD, where it is available to purchase for £6.99 with free delivery in the UK with Super Saver Delivery.

You can watch a special preview video featuring footage from Nick Jr.'s brand new Dora The Explorer adventure, 'Dora's Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure', here on Amazon USA.