Viacom International Media Networks To Launch Nick Jr. Channel, Comedy Central Asia And MTV Live On Asian Broadcasting Network's ABNxcess On Tuesday 9th July 2013

The children's entertainment and media news website Kidscreen is reporting the exciting Nickelodeon International News that Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) will launch three Viacom-owned channels - Nickelodeon's preschool channel Nick Jr., Comedy Central Asia and MTV Live - on the Asian Broadcasting Network's brand-new ABNxcess offering in Malaysia on Tuesday 9th July 2013! Nick Jr. will live on Channel slot 155 on xcess Kids Learning and will broadcast global Nickelodeon Preschool properties such as "Dora the Explorer", "Team Umizoomi", "Bubble Guppies" and "Tickety Toc":

Malaysian pay-TV platform picks up Nick Jr.

Nick Jr., along with fellow Viacom-owned channels Comedy Central Asia and MTV Live, will launch on the Asian Broadcasting Network’s brand-new ABNxcess offering in Malaysia.

All three Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) channels will officially launch with on July 9th as ABNxcess makes its official pay-TV debut in the region. Nick Jr. will live on Channel 155 on xcess Kids Learning and will air global properties such as Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, Bubble Guppies and Tickety Toc.

ABN currently holds four licenses from the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to provide video, data and voice services in Malaysia. ABNxcess is designed to provide all of ABN’s services under one roof.

Tags: Asian Broadcasting Network, Nick Jr., Viacom International Media Networks

US-Based Moonscoop LLC Not Affected By French Counterpart

The children's entertainment and media news website Kidscreen is reporting the entertainment industry news that, as Paris, France based Moonscoop SA moves into a Judicial Recovery Procedure, Moonscoop LLC, the US arm of the Moonscoop Group, who co-produces Nickelodeon's brand new CGI-animated preschool series "Lalaloopsy" with Los Angeles, California, USA-based MGA Entertainment, and its interests in children's VOD network Kabillion, remain separate from the French company's reorganization. "We want to state clearly and emphatically to ensure no misconstruing of information that the US based Moonscoop LLC and Kabillion are independent and stand-alone entities in our production and corporate operations, financing and rights ownership," said Moonscoop LLC's Mike Young & Liz Young, the company's CEO and president, respectively. "Furthermore, while Moonscoop France has an equity interest in our companies, we are a completely separate group and are both operationally and financially sound.":

US-based Moonscoop not affected by French counterpart

As Paris-based Moonscoop SA moves into a Judicial Recovery Procedure, US-based Moonscoop LLC and its interests in children’s VOD network Kabillion remain separate from the French company’s reorganization.

“We want to state clearly and emphatically to ensure no misconstruing of information that the US based Moonscoop LLC and Kabillion are independent and stand-alone entities in our production and corporate operations, financing and rights ownership,” said Moonscoop LLC’s Mike Young & Liz Young, the company’s CEO and president, respectively. “Furthermore, while Moonscoop France has an equity interest in our companies, we are a completely separate group and are both operationally and financially sound.”

Moonscoop LLC, formerly Mike Young Productions, currently holds an 84% interest in Kabillion, the free VOD network that’s attracting roughly six million views per month. Recently, Kabillion partnered with Saban Brands to launch a Vortexx-branded on-demand channel.

Among the original projects in the pipeline for Moonscoop LLC is a second season of the animated preschool series Chloe's Closet. Its new series production slate also includes Sabrina Secrets of a Teenage Witch and MGA Entertainment's Lalaloopsy, which debuted in March on Nickelodeon.

Meanwhile, Moonscoop SA in France is currently undergoing a company reorganization in order to move forward with its business.

Tags: Chloe's Closet, Kabillion, Moonscoop

Nickelodeon UK Presenters Jamie Rickers And Anna Williamson Contribute Ideas For Summer Activities To Sainsbury's Bumper Book Of Summer

The official website of the local British newspaper Gazette, gazetteseries.co.uk, is reporting in the following article the exciting news that, to celebrate summer, Nickelodeon UK and Ireland presenters Anna Williamson and Jamie Rickers (Nick UK's "Camp Orange", "Jamie's & Anna's Big Weekend", "UPick Summer") have contributed to Sainsbury's Bumper Book Of Summer to help children get the most fun out of the British and Irish school summer holidays!

Instead of just leaving kids to their own devices, mums and dads looking for inspiration can get help from the new Sainsbury's Bumper Book Of Summer.

The book, written by family games author Josie Curran, is packed with great ideas for activities designed to help families have a fun summer without blowing the budget, and also features ideas from Sainsbury's Active Kids ambassadors David Beckham and Ellie Simmonds.

Ideas include holding a Wacky Races competition in the garden, going on a Torch Treasure Hunt, making pictures from pasta, and creating a Human Fruit Machine with boxes and real fruit.

"Anna and I had lots of fun trying out the activities, and I'm thrilled that one of my favourite games when I was a kid, den building, made it into the book", said Rickers. "It can be done indoors or outdoors with whatever you have lying around the house, and once you've built your own den, it's great fun to play at being a secret agent." Williamson adds: "The book is full of inspiration for kids whatever their interests are", adding "Summer is about more than taking time off school. It's about having fun, using your imagination, and making new friends and memories.":

How to entertain the children during the holidays without breaking the bank?

ENTERTAINING the kids over the school summer holidays can seem worryingly expensive, but it doesn't have to break the bank.

As the school summer holidays approach, many parents will be preparing for their children's inevitable "I'm bored" moans.

But for cash-strapped families, beating the boredom with expensive day trips may be out of the question, and cheaper home-made fun could be the best option.

Research by the Nationwide Building Society suggests more than half (58%) of parents are worried about how they'll finance entertainment for the kids and childcare during the holidays, with 25% not having planned how they'll pay for it.

A separate study by VoucherCodes.co.uk found that 69% of parents questioned were planning to take their kids on day trips to zoos or tourist attractions, and 34% were hoping to visit a theme park.

But a massive 86% said such activities were expensive, and only a quarter could afford them.

It's not just the less well-off families that are feeling the pinch. One-in-10 higher income parents (earning more than £60,000 a year) admitted expensive days out simply weren't possible this year, with a quarter agreeing that their children expected lots of fun activities without realising the price tag.

Figures compiled by the national charity 4Children show just how much prices have risen in recent years - the charity says the cost of buying tickets on the day for a family of five to Alton Towers has increased by 57% over the last four years, from £126.50 in 2009 to £198 in 2013; by 42% at Legoland Windsor, from £141.90 in 2009 to £201 in 2013, and by 20% at Thorpe Park, from £115 to £138.

Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children, says: "Days out can strengthen bonds and build shared family experiences and memories that we know are so important.

"But the financial pressures facing families are already deeply concerning and, when combined with the escalating costs of attractions and transport, the traditional family day out is increasingly under threat."

However, parents worried about how they'll afford summer entertainment should remember that kids are very good at entertaining themselves, and plenty of cheap and cheerful fun at home could be a great boredom-buster.

Instead of just leaving kids to their own devices, mums and dads looking for inspiration can get help from the new Sainsbury's Bumper Book Of Summer.

Packed with ideas for activities designed to help families have a fun summer without blowing the budget, it was written by family games author Josie Curran and features ideas from Sainsbury's Active Kids ambassadors David Beckham and Ellie Simmonds, as well as Nickelodeon TV presenters Anna Williamson and Jamie Rickers.

Ideas include holding a Wacky Races competition in the garden, going on a Torch Treasure Hunt, making pictures from pasta, and creating a Human Fruit Machine with boxes and real fruit.

Rickers says: "Anna and I had lots of fun trying out the activities, and I'm thrilled that one of my favourite games when I was a kid, den building, made it into the book.

"It can be done indoors or outdoors with whatever you have lying around the house, and once you've built your own den, it's great fun to play at being a secret agent."

Williamson adds: "The book is full of inspiration for kids whatever their interests are.

"Summer is about more than taking time off school. It's about having fun, using your imagination, and making new friends and memories."

Author Josie Curran says that, as a parent herself, she understands the constant challenge of trying to come up with new games and activities to keep kids active over summer.

"I've made sure there's a wide range of activities for kids of different ages and who have different interests," she promises.

Many parents will be tempted to use the TV and computers as 'babysitters', but Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts warns that while that's fine sometimes, parents should also try to get creative.

"Don't sweat it though," she says, "the kids know you're not a Blue Peter presenter.

"Kids relish the chance to get creative and messy both indoors and out. Who says you can't set up tents in the living room and throw a teddy bears' picnic complete with dressing up?

"Sometimes the best family activities can be done on the cheap."

She suggests making a packed lunch and taking younger children on the bus to try a different playground across town, and making the most of playdates for older children, as "sometimes all it takes is a buddy over to keep them happy".

Roberts points out that annual membership to a local farm or adventure playground means parents can save money long-term by making multiple trips, and adds: "The golden rule is to keep it simple.

"Sometimes the best days boil down to outdoor space and dry weather, or, if we're realistic, outdoor space and wet weather. "Above all it's worth reminding yourself that the summer holidays don't last forever and you'll miss them when they're back at school."

Update: Nickelodeon UK May Launch Local Version Of Nick App Soon

Important Update (16th July 2013) - Unfortunately, the article which NickALive! got the Nickelodeon UK News from accidentally posted some incorrect news. Nickelodeon UK have confirmed to NickALive! that Tim Patterson, the Vice President (VP) of scheduling at Nickelodeon UK, did indeed speak about comedy content being at the heart of Nickelodeon and that Nick have recently worked on a co-pro with Sky HD, "Jordan & Perri's Ultimate Block Party". However, the new show Tim referred to is neither a comedy nor a co-pro and he didn't state the news during his "Meet the Commissioners" panel at the 2013 Children's Media Conference. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

The television industry news website TBI Vision is reporting the very exciting Nickelodeon UK news in the following article that Tim Patterson, the Vice President (VP) of scheduling at Nickelodeon UK has announced that Nickelodeon UK will be announcing a brand new comedy series, which will be a international co-production, in the next few weeks! Tim said Nickelodeon was after "original, comedy-driven content", "fresh ideas, new characters and concepts and funny stories" with comedy at the heart in both and short-long form, with shorter run concepts maybe trialled up on an upcoming Nick App before making the transition to TV, he added, which could suggest that Nickelodeon could launch the Nick App in the UK very soon!:

CiTV, Nick UK look for new laffers

UK commercial children’s channels CiTV and Nickelodeon UK are both seeking to add new comedies to their schedules, as the genre continues to attract young audiences.

CiTV is chasing shows for 6-11s in the same vein as My Parents are Aliens and My Phone Genie following a decision to move away from preschool programming earlier this year.

“Comedy is currently an ITV focus across all digital channels and our primary focus for children’s. We have available slots for commissions to air in quarter four of 2014 and we’re looking at strong live-action comedy. Our priority is sitcom or comedy drama,” said CiTV’s programming head Jamila Metran [...].

Having aged up its content, CiTV will also seek to find a new factual entertainment series with a “playground chatter factor”.

“We haven’t focused much on it in the past couple of years… [but] ultimately we want something different that turns into a talking point.”

Pay TV channel Nickelodeon, meanwhile will announce another international coproduction “in the next few weeks” said VP and director of programming, Tim Patterson [...].

He said Nickelodeon was after “original, comedy-driven content”, “fresh ideas, new characters and concepts and funny stories” with comedy at the heart in both and short-long form. Shorter run concepts could be trialled up on an upcoming Nick App before making the transition to TV, he added.

What kind of new show would you like to see on Nickelodeon? Let NickALive! know now on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and/or Facebook, where you can also follow and like NickALive! to receive the latest Nick UK News!