Power in Progress | A Viacom Velocity Study
Viacom Velocity’s first global study defines what power means for Generation Z today. “Power in Progress” explores the social and cultural forces that contribute to shifting attitudes towards traditional sources of power—and brands need to pay attention.
Cast Featured:
Feliquan Charlemagne
Meredith Clark
Ellen Jones
Hauwa Ojeifo
Nadya Okamoto
Stephanie Patrick
Jen Sey
A film by: Viacom Velocity http://www.velocityviacom.com/
Produced by: VAM Studios
More Nick: Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever!
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Monday, November 18, 2019
BaseTV | Emily’s Insider - How to Survive Vlog! | Spotlight | Nickelodeon Deutschland
BaseTV | Emily’s Insider - How to Survive Vlog! | Spotlight | Nickelodeon Deutschland
Die neue Spotlight-Staffel siehst du täglich 19:50 bei Nick DE, 19:55 CH & AT oder jederzeit in der Nickelodeon Play App oder auf Nick.de/spotlight!
Mehr Nick: October, November and December 2019 on Nickelodeon Germany and Nick Jr. Deutschland | Highlights!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Germany, Austria and Switzerland and Spotlight News and Highlights!
Die neue Spotlight-Staffel siehst du täglich 19:50 bei Nick DE, 19:55 CH & AT oder jederzeit in der Nickelodeon Play App oder auf Nick.de/spotlight!
Mehr Nick: October, November and December 2019 on Nickelodeon Germany and Nick Jr. Deutschland | Highlights!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Germany, Austria and Switzerland and Spotlight News and Highlights!
Nickelodeon UK to Premiere 'Henry Danger' Special 'Sister Twister' on Friday 22nd November 2019
When Piper tumbles down into the Man Cave, will her entire world completely change? Find out in the brand new two-part Henry Danger special "Sister Twister", premiering Friday 22nd November 2019 on Nickelodeon UK & Ireland! Nick UK & Eire with air both parts back-to-back, at 5:00pm and 5:30pm, respectively.
In "Sister Twister-Part 1", packages are being stolen from Swellview porches. Henry (Jace Norman) and Ray (Cooper Barnes) setup a stakeout in an attempt to catch the thief red-handed. When Captain Man wants Kid Danger to wear matching capes, he makes a huge mistake. Now it looks like their secret might be revealed because Henry’s sister Piper (Ella Anderson) is going DOWN the tube!
Then, in "Sister Twister-Part 2", when Ray's memories accidentally get erased, Schwoz (Michael D. Cohen) devises a plan to send Henry deep inside Ray's brain to get them back!
Fans can visit nick.co.uk/henrydanger to find out more about Henry Danger as well as watch video clips from the show, play games and more. Fans can also like the official Nickelodeon UK Facebook page, follow Nickelodeon on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the official Nickelodeon UK YouTube channel for the latest Nick news, highlights, The Scoop about their favourite stars, and videos.
Enter the Man Cave at the Nickelodeon Big Base Camp in Greenwich, London during Easter 2020!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2019/10/nickelodeon-big-base-camp-to-open.html
More Nick: intu Lakeside to Open Nickelodeon Adventure Lakeside During Autumn 2019!
Schedule source: Digiguide.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon UK and Henry Danger News and Highlights!
In "Sister Twister-Part 1", packages are being stolen from Swellview porches. Henry (Jace Norman) and Ray (Cooper Barnes) setup a stakeout in an attempt to catch the thief red-handed. When Captain Man wants Kid Danger to wear matching capes, he makes a huge mistake. Now it looks like their secret might be revealed because Henry’s sister Piper (Ella Anderson) is going DOWN the tube!
Then, in "Sister Twister-Part 2", when Ray's memories accidentally get erased, Schwoz (Michael D. Cohen) devises a plan to send Henry deep inside Ray's brain to get them back!
Fans can visit nick.co.uk/henrydanger to find out more about Henry Danger as well as watch video clips from the show, play games and more. Fans can also like the official Nickelodeon UK Facebook page, follow Nickelodeon on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the official Nickelodeon UK YouTube channel for the latest Nick news, highlights, The Scoop about their favourite stars, and videos.
Enter the Man Cave at the Nickelodeon Big Base Camp in Greenwich, London during Easter 2020!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2019/10/nickelodeon-big-base-camp-to-open.html
More Nick: intu Lakeside to Open Nickelodeon Adventure Lakeside During Autumn 2019!
Schedule source: Digiguide.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon UK and Henry Danger News and Highlights!
SÜNGERBOB KAREPANTOLON: FİRARDA | Türkçe Dublajlı İlk Fragman | UIP Türkiye
SÜNGERBOB KAREPANTOLON: FİRARDA | Türkçe Dublajlı İlk Fragman | UIP Türkiye
YAKINDA SİNEMALARDA
Yönetmen: Tim Hill
Senaryo: Paul Tibbitt, Kyle McCulloch, Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Oyuncular: Keanu Reeves
Filmin Türü: Animasyon
Orijinal Adı: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run
Yapımcı Firma: Nickelodeon Animation Studio - 231 W Olive Ave
Yapım Yılı: 2020
Yapım Ülkesi: ABD
Orijinal Dili: İngilizce
Dağıtıcı Firma: UIP Türkiye
Vizyon Tarihi: 22.05.2020
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SungerBobKarePantolonFilmi
SÜNGERBOB KAREPANTOLON: FİRARDA | Türkçe Dublajlı Kısa Fragman
Artık Bikini Kasabası'nda değiller. SüngerBob KarePantolon: Firarda ilk fragmanıyla sizlerle. Yakında sinemalarda! #SüngerBobKarePantolonFilmi
From Son Dakika:
SüngerBob KarePantolon: Firarda Filmi16 saat önce
SüngerBob KarePantolon: Firarda filminin fragmanı, oyuncuları, resimleri ve tüm bilgileri. SüngerBob KarePantolon: Firarda filminin oynadığı sinemalar ve seanslar.
Gary, Poseidon tarafından kaçırılıp Antantik City’nin kayıp şehrine geçirilince, Süngerbob ve arkadaşları Gary’yi kurtarmak için macera dolu bir yolculuğa koyulur.
Animasyon yapımı SpongBob KarePantolon'un devamı olarak çekilen filmin yönetmenliğini Tim Hill üstleniyor.
###
Looking for the U.S.-English version of the The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run trailer? Watch it it here!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-spongebob-movie-sponge-on-run-2020.html
Originally published: Monday, November 18, 2019
Additional source: Google Translate.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Movies and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run News and Highlights!
YAKINDA SİNEMALARDA
Yönetmen: Tim Hill
Senaryo: Paul Tibbitt, Kyle McCulloch, Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Oyuncular: Keanu Reeves
Filmin Türü: Animasyon
Orijinal Adı: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run
Yapımcı Firma: Nickelodeon Animation Studio - 231 W Olive Ave
Yapım Yılı: 2020
Yapım Ülkesi: ABD
Orijinal Dili: İngilizce
Dağıtıcı Firma: UIP Türkiye
Vizyon Tarihi: 22.05.2020
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SungerBobKarePantolonFilmi
SÜNGERBOB KAREPANTOLON: FİRARDA | Türkçe Dublajlı Kısa Fragman
Artık Bikini Kasabası'nda değiller. SüngerBob KarePantolon: Firarda ilk fragmanıyla sizlerle. Yakında sinemalarda! #SüngerBobKarePantolonFilmi
From Son Dakika:
SüngerBob KarePantolon: Firarda Filmi16 saat önce
SüngerBob KarePantolon: Firarda filminin fragmanı, oyuncuları, resimleri ve tüm bilgileri. SüngerBob KarePantolon: Firarda filminin oynadığı sinemalar ve seanslar.
Gary, Poseidon tarafından kaçırılıp Antantik City’nin kayıp şehrine geçirilince, Süngerbob ve arkadaşları Gary’yi kurtarmak için macera dolu bir yolculuğa koyulur.
Animasyon yapımı SpongBob KarePantolon'un devamı olarak çekilen filmin yönetmenliğini Tim Hill üstleniyor.
###
Looking for the U.S.-English version of the The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run trailer? Watch it it here!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-spongebob-movie-sponge-on-run-2020.html
Originally published: Monday, November 18, 2019
Additional source: Google Translate.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Movies and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run News and Highlights!
First Look at 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1'
The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are set to team-up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the first time thanks to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a brand-new five-part comic miniseries from BOOM! Studios, under license by Hasbro, Inc., in partnership with IDW and Nickelodeon, and to shellebrate, BOOM! Studios has released a Turtley Awesome first look at Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, arriving in stores on Wednesday, December 4, 2019! Check out the sneak-peek and find out more about MMPRxTMNT #1 below!
OCT191380
(Writer) Ryan Parrott (Artist) Simone Di Meo (Cover Artist) Dan Mora
* THE MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS AND THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME!
* The Power Rangers arrive in New York City to find Tommy Oliver (a.k.a. The Mighty Morphin Green Ranger) but soon discover he’s joined forces with the villainous Shredder and the Foot Clan!
* As the Rangers are sent reeling by this betrayal, they're confronted by another (fr)enemy… the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Can these heroes find a way to work together to defeat the bad guys and save the world from total destruction?!
* Written by Ryan Parrott (Power Rangers: Necessary Evil) and illustrated by Simone di Meo (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Venom Annual), the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fight – and maybe team up with – the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the first time in this oversized issue includes 30 pages of story content!
In Shops: Dec 04, 2019
Final Orders Due: Nov 11, 2019
SRP: $4.99
Credits:
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Release Date: December 4th, 2019
Written by: Ryan Parrott
Art by: Simone Di Meo
Cover Art by: Dan Mora
Variant Cover Art by: Goni Montes
The Power Rangers have crossed over quite a bit with teams from other seasons, but only once before have they crossed over with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That happened during Power Rangers In Space, but the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are set to team-up for the first time - officially that is - with the heroes in a half-shell in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
For fans that can't wait, BOOM! Studios will be selling the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 New York Slice Edition NYCC Exclusive Variant Cover New York Comic Con 2019 exclusive at NYCC 2019! The exclusive NYCC-only preview will feature the first 20 pages of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. Each copy costs $10 each.
POWER RANGERS TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 CVR A MORA
POWER RANGERS TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 CVR B MONTES
POWER RANGERS TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 CVR C MONTES
POWER RANGERS TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 CVR D MONTES
POWER RANGERS TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 CVR E MONTES
Update (9/30) - Below is BOOM! Studios' official press release announcing the Turtley Awesome news, via Newsarama!:
OCT191380
(Writer) Ryan Parrott (Artist) Simone Di Meo (Cover Artist) Dan Mora
* THE MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS AND THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME!
* The Power Rangers arrive in New York City to find Tommy Oliver (a.k.a. The Mighty Morphin Green Ranger) but soon discover he’s joined forces with the villainous Shredder and the Foot Clan!
* As the Rangers are sent reeling by this betrayal, they're confronted by another (fr)enemy… the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Can these heroes find a way to work together to defeat the bad guys and save the world from total destruction?!
* Written by Ryan Parrott (Power Rangers: Necessary Evil) and illustrated by Simone di Meo (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Venom Annual), the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fight – and maybe team up with – the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the first time in this oversized issue includes 30 pages of story content!
In Shops: Dec 04, 2019
Final Orders Due: Nov 11, 2019
SRP: $4.99
Credits:
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Release Date: December 4th, 2019
Written by: Ryan Parrott
Art by: Simone Di Meo
Cover Art by: Dan Mora
Variant Cover Art by: Goni Montes
The Power Rangers have crossed over quite a bit with teams from other seasons, but only once before have they crossed over with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That happened during Power Rangers In Space, but the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are set to team-up for the first time - officially that is - with the heroes in a half-shell in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
For fans that can't wait, BOOM! Studios will be selling the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 New York Slice Edition NYCC Exclusive Variant Cover New York Comic Con 2019 exclusive at NYCC 2019! The exclusive NYCC-only preview will feature the first 20 pages of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. Each copy costs $10 each.
POWER RANGERS TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 CVR A MORA
POWER RANGERS TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 CVR B MONTES
POWER RANGERS TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 CVR C MONTES
POWER RANGERS TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 CVR D MONTES
POWER RANGERS TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 CVR E MONTES
Update (9/30) - Below is BOOM! Studios' official press release announcing the Turtley Awesome news, via Newsarama!:
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run | Official Trailer | Paramount Pictures UK
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run | Official Trailer | Paramount Pictures UK
They’re not in Bikini Bottom anymore. Watch the official trailer for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, in cinemas soon! #SpongeBobMovie
SpongeBob SquarePants, his best friend Patrick Star and the rest of the gang from Bikini Bottom hit the big screen in the first-ever all CGI SpongeBob motion picture event. After SpongeBob’s beloved pet snail Gary is snail-napped, he and Patrick embark on an epic adventure to The Lost City of Atlantic City to bring Gary home. As they navigate the delights and dangers on this hilarious rescue mission, SpongeBob and his pals prove there’s nothing stronger than the power of friendship.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spongebobmovie.uk
PARAMOUNT ANIMATION and NICKELODEON MOVIES Present
In Association with MRC
A UNITED PLANKTON PICTURES Production
Directed by Tim Hill
Written by Tim Hill
Based on the Series “SpongeBob SquarePants” Created by Stephen Hillenburg
Produced by Ryan Harris
Executive Producer Stephen Hillenburg
VOICE CAST: Tom Kenny, Awkwafina, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Douglas Lawrence, Reggie Watts
Looking for the U.S. version of the The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run trailer? Watch it it here!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-spongebob-movie-sponge-on-run-2020.html
More Nick: Nickelodeon Marks 20 Years of "SpongeBob SquarePants" with the "Best Year Ever"!
Originally published: Thursday, November 14, 2019
Additional sources: Entertainment Focus, Filmoria.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Movies and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run News and Highlights!
They’re not in Bikini Bottom anymore. Watch the official trailer for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, in cinemas soon! #SpongeBobMovie
SpongeBob SquarePants, his best friend Patrick Star and the rest of the gang from Bikini Bottom hit the big screen in the first-ever all CGI SpongeBob motion picture event. After SpongeBob’s beloved pet snail Gary is snail-napped, he and Patrick embark on an epic adventure to The Lost City of Atlantic City to bring Gary home. As they navigate the delights and dangers on this hilarious rescue mission, SpongeBob and his pals prove there’s nothing stronger than the power of friendship.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spongebobmovie.uk
PARAMOUNT ANIMATION and NICKELODEON MOVIES Present
In Association with MRC
A UNITED PLANKTON PICTURES Production
Directed by Tim Hill
Written by Tim Hill
Based on the Series “SpongeBob SquarePants” Created by Stephen Hillenburg
Produced by Ryan Harris
Executive Producer Stephen Hillenburg
VOICE CAST: Tom Kenny, Awkwafina, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Douglas Lawrence, Reggie Watts
Looking for the U.S. version of the The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run trailer? Watch it it here!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-spongebob-movie-sponge-on-run-2020.html
More Nick: Nickelodeon Marks 20 Years of "SpongeBob SquarePants" with the "Best Year Ever"!
Originally published: Thursday, November 14, 2019
Additional sources: Entertainment Focus, Filmoria.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Movies and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run News and Highlights!
BOB L’ÉPONGE - LE FILM : ÉPONGE EN EAUX TROUBLES - Bande-annonce VF [Prochainement au cinéma] | Paramount Pictures France
BOB L’ÉPONGE - LE FILM : ÉPONGE EN EAUX TROUBLES - Bande-annonce VF [Prochainement au cinéma] | Paramount Pictures France
Pour sauver leur ami, Bob et Patrick embarquent pour l’aventure de leur vie ! Découvrez la bande-annonce de Bob l’Éponge : Éponge en Eaux Troubles ! 👀💦
En 2020 au cinéma.
Bob l’Eponge, son meilleur ami Patrick l’Étoile de Mer et le reste de la bande de Bikini Bottom débarquent au cinéma dans le film événement Bob L’Eponge, pour la première fois entièrement en animation 3D.
Suite à l’escargotnapping de Gary, son compagnon de toujours, Bob entraîne Patrick dans une folle aventure vers la Cité Perdue d’Atlantic City afin de le retrouver.
À travers cette mission sauvetage pleine de surprises, de merveilles et de dangers, Bob l’Éponge et ses acolytes vont réaliser que rien n’est plus fort que le pouvoir de l’amitié.
Looking for the U.S.-English version of the The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run trailer? Watch it it here!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-spongebob-movie-sponge-on-run-2020.html
Plus Nick: Nickelodeon Marks 20 Years of "SpongeBob SquarePants" with the "Best Year Ever"!
Originally published: Monday, November 18, 2019
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Movies and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run News and Highlights!
Pour sauver leur ami, Bob et Patrick embarquent pour l’aventure de leur vie ! Découvrez la bande-annonce de Bob l’Éponge : Éponge en Eaux Troubles ! 👀💦
En 2020 au cinéma.
Bob l’Eponge, son meilleur ami Patrick l’Étoile de Mer et le reste de la bande de Bikini Bottom débarquent au cinéma dans le film événement Bob L’Eponge, pour la première fois entièrement en animation 3D.
Suite à l’escargotnapping de Gary, son compagnon de toujours, Bob entraîne Patrick dans une folle aventure vers la Cité Perdue d’Atlantic City afin de le retrouver.
À travers cette mission sauvetage pleine de surprises, de merveilles et de dangers, Bob l’Éponge et ses acolytes vont réaliser que rien n’est plus fort que le pouvoir de l’amitié.
Looking for the U.S.-English version of the The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run trailer? Watch it it here!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-spongebob-movie-sponge-on-run-2020.html
Plus Nick: Nickelodeon Marks 20 Years of "SpongeBob SquarePants" with the "Best Year Ever"!
Originally published: Monday, November 18, 2019
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Movies and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run News and Highlights!
How the ‘Dora the Explorer’ Effect Helped Usher in a New Wave of Inclusive Animation
Close to two decades after Dora the Explorer premiered on Nickelodeon, a wave of animated projects that put Latinx characters front and center has made its way to the small screen. From Disney Jr.’s Latina princess show Elena of Avalor and Guillermo del Toro’s Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia trilogy at Netflix, to Nickelodeon’s new family sitcom The Casagrandes and Cartoon Network’s adventure show Victor and Valentino, there is a growing roster of projects that explore the diversity of Latin American cultures.
These shows are driven, in part, by what The Book of Life director Jorge Gutiérrez calls the Dora generation, an entire swath of creators who grew up seeing a Latina central character as a normal thing. Gutiérrez, who’s currently working on an ambitious Mesoamerican fantasy epic limited series entitled Maya and the Three for Netflix, believes these strides are indicative of a belated shift in the industry at large.
“I think that generation grew up, and a lot of them joined the industry and a lot of them started going, ‘Well, if Dora the Explorer exists, why can’t I pitch my story about where I grew up?’” he told Variety. “Enough of those things started blossoming. And as the world and the gatekeepers changed, I think they started to allow these shows to happen. What we’re seeing is years and years and years of people trying to fight to get this stuff made.”
That was definitely the case for Niki López, who’s developing Santiago of the Seas for Nickelodeon. After several failed attempts at submitting a successful pitch to Nick Jr., López was encouraged by Mary Harrington, an executive at the network, to lean into what she knew.
“I guess I was trying to pitch stuff that I thought they were looking for,” López says. “And when she told me, ‘You should just have fun and really strive to bring stuff that that resonated with you when you were young,’ that’s when the passion shone through.”
What emerged was an ode to her childhood in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as a celebration of Latino-Caribbean culture filtered through the story of Santiago, a brave and kind-hearted 8-year-old pirate. López’s experience is an example not of a network pursuing any kind of diversity push, but one committed to bringing out the best in its creators.
“In general, there’s been a recent realization by the studios that their audiences are craving and asking for authenticity and honest diversity in their content,” says Pilar Flynn, a producer on Elena of Avalor, who’s also been involved in outreach programs to get more Latinos involved in animation. “I think it’s great that studios are starting to pay attention to that and hearing that to the point where they’re consciously trying to put that into their shows.”
For Gutiérrez, that is a far cry from the reception he received a decade ago when he pitched what would become Nickelodeon’s 2007-08 series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. He walked into various meetings and saw executives taken aback by a show that was unabashed in its Latinx culture. He felt networks wanted a “de-saturated version.” “We came in with mariachis, and everything was spicy and salsa, and I think we definitely scared people,” he says.
But times have changed. When Diego Molano pitched Victor and Valentino, which follows two brothers who live in Monte Macabre with their abuela and get into hijinks involving mythic creatures rooted in Mesoamerican folktales, Rob Sorcher, executive vice president and chief content officer at Cartoon Network, let him know those touches made his colorful stories unique. Victor and Valentino was born out of the Cartoon Network shorts department and officially launched its first season in spring.
“That program came to be designed to find ways to reach a wider array of voices,” Sorcher says, “and to really find ways to allow more people to build bridges into becoming showrunners — to actually be on the top of the pyramid with their vision driving the show, even though they may not be the most experienced person in the making of a show. They have a vision and it’s coming from a really personal, authentic place.”
“I feel like in 2019, and even last year, there’s kind of been a revolution in this industry for Latinos,” says Miguel Puga, a director of The Casagrandes. “But I feel like we should have been on the mainstream like 20 years ago.”
In this, the animation landscape looks not too different from the entertainment industry at large, where decades of unequal treatment need to be redressed with active attempts to build an infrastructure that’s welcoming to those who have been kept to the margins. The leaps of faith that helped López and Molano are similar to those that have made Vida’s Tanya Saracho and One Day at a Time’s Gloria Calderón Kellett leading figures in the industry. In Netflix’s case, reaching out to creators including Gutiérrez and del Toro to bulk up their animation slate has in turn helped develop new in-house talent.
“When you hire a creator from underrepresented backgrounds, immediately you end up with a crew that looks just a bit different than every other crew,” says Melissa Cobb, vice president, kids and family at Netflix. She points out that those who have been brought on to work on Maya and the Three are already developing their own shows for the streamer.
And if inclusivity in animated storytelling seems to be making more strides than in live-action, it may be because of the freedom inherently built into the medium.
“We get to go broader and bigger and more epic with a lot of stuff. That would be impossible to do with live action because of the budget. We get to really have our dreams visually come true,” says Gutiérrez.
The Casagrandes airs regularly on Nickelodeon. Santiago of the Seas (formerly The Swashbuckling Adventures of Capitán Calavera) premieres 2020 on Nickelodeon. Dora and the Lost City of Gold is available on home entertainment today.
More Nick: Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon News and Highlights!
These shows are driven, in part, by what The Book of Life director Jorge Gutiérrez calls the Dora generation, an entire swath of creators who grew up seeing a Latina central character as a normal thing. Gutiérrez, who’s currently working on an ambitious Mesoamerican fantasy epic limited series entitled Maya and the Three for Netflix, believes these strides are indicative of a belated shift in the industry at large.
“I think that generation grew up, and a lot of them joined the industry and a lot of them started going, ‘Well, if Dora the Explorer exists, why can’t I pitch my story about where I grew up?’” he told Variety. “Enough of those things started blossoming. And as the world and the gatekeepers changed, I think they started to allow these shows to happen. What we’re seeing is years and years and years of people trying to fight to get this stuff made.”
That was definitely the case for Niki López, who’s developing Santiago of the Seas for Nickelodeon. After several failed attempts at submitting a successful pitch to Nick Jr., López was encouraged by Mary Harrington, an executive at the network, to lean into what she knew.
“I guess I was trying to pitch stuff that I thought they were looking for,” López says. “And when she told me, ‘You should just have fun and really strive to bring stuff that that resonated with you when you were young,’ that’s when the passion shone through.”
What emerged was an ode to her childhood in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as a celebration of Latino-Caribbean culture filtered through the story of Santiago, a brave and kind-hearted 8-year-old pirate. López’s experience is an example not of a network pursuing any kind of diversity push, but one committed to bringing out the best in its creators.
“In general, there’s been a recent realization by the studios that their audiences are craving and asking for authenticity and honest diversity in their content,” says Pilar Flynn, a producer on Elena of Avalor, who’s also been involved in outreach programs to get more Latinos involved in animation. “I think it’s great that studios are starting to pay attention to that and hearing that to the point where they’re consciously trying to put that into their shows.”
For Gutiérrez, that is a far cry from the reception he received a decade ago when he pitched what would become Nickelodeon’s 2007-08 series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. He walked into various meetings and saw executives taken aback by a show that was unabashed in its Latinx culture. He felt networks wanted a “de-saturated version.” “We came in with mariachis, and everything was spicy and salsa, and I think we definitely scared people,” he says.
But times have changed. When Diego Molano pitched Victor and Valentino, which follows two brothers who live in Monte Macabre with their abuela and get into hijinks involving mythic creatures rooted in Mesoamerican folktales, Rob Sorcher, executive vice president and chief content officer at Cartoon Network, let him know those touches made his colorful stories unique. Victor and Valentino was born out of the Cartoon Network shorts department and officially launched its first season in spring.
“That program came to be designed to find ways to reach a wider array of voices,” Sorcher says, “and to really find ways to allow more people to build bridges into becoming showrunners — to actually be on the top of the pyramid with their vision driving the show, even though they may not be the most experienced person in the making of a show. They have a vision and it’s coming from a really personal, authentic place.”
“I feel like in 2019, and even last year, there’s kind of been a revolution in this industry for Latinos,” says Miguel Puga, a director of The Casagrandes. “But I feel like we should have been on the mainstream like 20 years ago.”
In this, the animation landscape looks not too different from the entertainment industry at large, where decades of unequal treatment need to be redressed with active attempts to build an infrastructure that’s welcoming to those who have been kept to the margins. The leaps of faith that helped López and Molano are similar to those that have made Vida’s Tanya Saracho and One Day at a Time’s Gloria Calderón Kellett leading figures in the industry. In Netflix’s case, reaching out to creators including Gutiérrez and del Toro to bulk up their animation slate has in turn helped develop new in-house talent.
“When you hire a creator from underrepresented backgrounds, immediately you end up with a crew that looks just a bit different than every other crew,” says Melissa Cobb, vice president, kids and family at Netflix. She points out that those who have been brought on to work on Maya and the Three are already developing their own shows for the streamer.
And if inclusivity in animated storytelling seems to be making more strides than in live-action, it may be because of the freedom inherently built into the medium.
“We get to go broader and bigger and more epic with a lot of stuff. That would be impossible to do with live action because of the budget. We get to really have our dreams visually come true,” says Gutiérrez.
The Casagrandes airs regularly on Nickelodeon. Santiago of the Seas (formerly The Swashbuckling Adventures of Capitán Calavera) premieres 2020 on Nickelodeon. Dora and the Lost City of Gold is available on home entertainment today.
More Nick: Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon News and Highlights!
'MyaGO' Heads to Channel 5's Milkshake!
Channel 5’s Milkshake! has picked up seasons one and two of the 2D animated series MyaGO for launch in January 2020!
The Spanish production, distribution and service studio company Motion Pictures, which co-produces the series with Piranha Bar in Ireland, has also licensed the first two seasons (104 x 5’30’) to RTP in Portugal, where its set to launch in Q1 2020, and by ETB for launch in the Basque region of Spain next April. The show was also acquired by Discovery Kids in MENA, where the first season started airing in September 2019.
The latest round of deals follows deals with RTEjr (Ireland), Club Super 3 (TV Catalunya), Clan (Spain) and TVNZ (New Zealand). The series also debuted on YLE’s TV2 in Finland in May 2019 where the first 13 episodes received an average share of 81 per cent among kids aged four to nine years.
Additionally, MyaGo will premiere on HOP! in Israel in December 2019, TVE’s Clan in Spain in January 2020 and SVT in Sweden in Q1 2020. In Brazil, the series launched on SVOD platform Globoplay in September 2019 and will air on preschool channel Gloobinho from March 2020.
Jorge Patiño, executive producer at Motion Pictures, said, “With MyaGO’s international roll-out well underway, we’re thrilled Channel 5’s Milkshake! is now set to become its U.K. home and to see the show’s presence strengthen even further in Europe. For season three, we’re looking to bring MyaGO’s values of gender equality further to the forefront and introduce storylines that give a presence to multiculturalism and racial diversity in this unique and colourful series.”
Greenlit and set to enter production in January 2020, the third season of 52 x 5’30’ episodes will be produced in 4K and feature brand-new characters, locations and countries.
Sam Morrison (Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom and Octonauts) serves as lead writer on the series, which tells the story of Mya, a young girl whose enthusiasm infects everyone around her. She lives in the very busy town of Everyday with her closest friends Suzie Play, Emily Share and the hilarious Tommy Stop. With her fearless sense of adventure, she tries things for the first time with an ambitious and go-getter attitude.
Supporting the third instalment, the series will also be brought to life in a suite of five interactive apps, developed in collaboration with the image and sound academy ITES.
The series is co-produced by Motion Pictures and Piranha Bar with RTVE (Spain), TV3 (Spain), RTE (Ireland), Gloobinho (Brazil), Screen Ireland, and Dear Will (Ireland), with the support of BAI (Ireland) and ICEC (Spain). MyaGO is distributed by Motion Pictures.
Fans can visit milkshake.tv, Like Milkshake! on Facebook, follow Milkshake! on Instagram and subscribe to the official Milkshake! YouTube channel for the latest Milkshake! news, highlights and videos.
More Nick: 'Ricky Zoom' to Race Onto Milkshake!
About Milkshake!
Channel 5’s Milkshake is home to some of the world’s favourite preschool characters. There is a range of stimulating and engaging programmes that include strong story led animation, genuine documentaries for pre-schoolers and presenter led high quality musical entertainment. 2016 saw Milkshake! achieve its strongest year to date amongst Children, 4-9s, HWKs and HWKs 0-3. Milkshake! was the number one breakfast destination (6-9am) for Children and 4-9s in 2016. Channel 5 broadcasts 24 hours of children's programmes every week. Milkshake is on air from 0600 - 0915 every weekday and 0600 - 10.00 on Saturday and Sunday. For further information visit www.milkshake.tv
About Channel 5
Channel 5 launched as Britain's fifth public service channel in March 1997 and has been owned by Viacom International Media Networks since September 2014. Channel 5, 5STAR, 5USA and Spike reach 4 in 5 of the UK viewing public each month with a broad mix of popular content for all the family across entertainment, documentaries, sport, drama from the UK and US, films, reality, comedy, children’s and news. My5 is a new service allowing viewers to watch content online for free from Channel 5, 5STAR, 5USA, and 5Spike.
Originally published: Monday, November 18, 2019.
Sources: TVKIDS, LTW.MEDIA, Licensing.biz, Kidscreen.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nick Jr. UK and Nickelodeon Preschool News and Highlights!
The Spanish production, distribution and service studio company Motion Pictures, which co-produces the series with Piranha Bar in Ireland, has also licensed the first two seasons (104 x 5’30’) to RTP in Portugal, where its set to launch in Q1 2020, and by ETB for launch in the Basque region of Spain next April. The show was also acquired by Discovery Kids in MENA, where the first season started airing in September 2019.
The latest round of deals follows deals with RTEjr (Ireland), Club Super 3 (TV Catalunya), Clan (Spain) and TVNZ (New Zealand). The series also debuted on YLE’s TV2 in Finland in May 2019 where the first 13 episodes received an average share of 81 per cent among kids aged four to nine years.
Additionally, MyaGo will premiere on HOP! in Israel in December 2019, TVE’s Clan in Spain in January 2020 and SVT in Sweden in Q1 2020. In Brazil, the series launched on SVOD platform Globoplay in September 2019 and will air on preschool channel Gloobinho from March 2020.
Jorge Patiño, executive producer at Motion Pictures, said, “With MyaGO’s international roll-out well underway, we’re thrilled Channel 5’s Milkshake! is now set to become its U.K. home and to see the show’s presence strengthen even further in Europe. For season three, we’re looking to bring MyaGO’s values of gender equality further to the forefront and introduce storylines that give a presence to multiculturalism and racial diversity in this unique and colourful series.”
Greenlit and set to enter production in January 2020, the third season of 52 x 5’30’ episodes will be produced in 4K and feature brand-new characters, locations and countries.
Sam Morrison (Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom and Octonauts) serves as lead writer on the series, which tells the story of Mya, a young girl whose enthusiasm infects everyone around her. She lives in the very busy town of Everyday with her closest friends Suzie Play, Emily Share and the hilarious Tommy Stop. With her fearless sense of adventure, she tries things for the first time with an ambitious and go-getter attitude.
Supporting the third instalment, the series will also be brought to life in a suite of five interactive apps, developed in collaboration with the image and sound academy ITES.
The series is co-produced by Motion Pictures and Piranha Bar with RTVE (Spain), TV3 (Spain), RTE (Ireland), Gloobinho (Brazil), Screen Ireland, and Dear Will (Ireland), with the support of BAI (Ireland) and ICEC (Spain). MyaGO is distributed by Motion Pictures.
Fans can visit milkshake.tv, Like Milkshake! on Facebook, follow Milkshake! on Instagram and subscribe to the official Milkshake! YouTube channel for the latest Milkshake! news, highlights and videos.
More Nick: 'Ricky Zoom' to Race Onto Milkshake!
About Milkshake!
Channel 5’s Milkshake is home to some of the world’s favourite preschool characters. There is a range of stimulating and engaging programmes that include strong story led animation, genuine documentaries for pre-schoolers and presenter led high quality musical entertainment. 2016 saw Milkshake! achieve its strongest year to date amongst Children, 4-9s, HWKs and HWKs 0-3. Milkshake! was the number one breakfast destination (6-9am) for Children and 4-9s in 2016. Channel 5 broadcasts 24 hours of children's programmes every week. Milkshake is on air from 0600 - 0915 every weekday and 0600 - 10.00 on Saturday and Sunday. For further information visit www.milkshake.tv
About Channel 5
Channel 5 launched as Britain's fifth public service channel in March 1997 and has been owned by Viacom International Media Networks since September 2014. Channel 5, 5STAR, 5USA and Spike reach 4 in 5 of the UK viewing public each month with a broad mix of popular content for all the family across entertainment, documentaries, sport, drama from the UK and US, films, reality, comedy, children’s and news. My5 is a new service allowing viewers to watch content online for free from Channel 5, 5STAR, 5USA, and 5Spike.
Originally published: Monday, November 18, 2019.
Sources: TVKIDS, LTW.MEDIA, Licensing.biz, Kidscreen.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nick Jr. UK and Nickelodeon Preschool News and Highlights!
Nickelodeon Names Dr. Michael Levine as Senior Vice President, Learning and Impact for Noggin
Nickelodeon Names Dr. Michael Levine as Senior Vice President, Learning and Impact for Noggin
NEW YORK – Nickelodeon has named Michael H. Levine, Ph.D. to the role of Senior Vice President, Learning and Impact, for Noggin, the network’s direct-to-consumer interactive learning service for preschoolers. The announcement was made by Kristen Kane, Executive Vice President, Noggin, to whom Dr. Levine will report. An early learning and social policy expert, Dr. Levine will focus on deepening Noggin’s value to children and families through content and interactive experiences developed for learning and impact. Levine officially starts in new new position this week.
“Michael brings to Noggin extensive experience in child development and digital media as well as a deep commitment to improving the lives of young children,” said Kane. “He is widely respected as a staunch advocate for children and their families, as well as a field builder for innovation and impact in children’s media. We are so proud to have him focused on making Noggin a destination for joyful learning for our fast-growing subscriber base.”
Noggin subscriptions have grown by triple digits year over year from 2018 to 2019, and the ad-free service currently features over 1,500 iconic, full-length library episodes, short-form videos, Spanish-language videos, music videos featuring preschoolers’ favorite characters, and more. New to the Noggin this month are Blue’s Clues & You! play-along videos which build on the interactivity of the brand-new series and allow users to explore the stories in an immersive way, engaging with live-action host Josh and the animated characters, by tapping, touching or swiping to navigate through enhanced learning experiences.
Based in New York, Dr. Levine previously spent 12 years at Sesame Workshop where he served as Chief Knowledge Officer, a member of the senior executive team responsible for driving organization-wide learning, educational partnerships, knowledge exchange, and policy leadership. He is also the Founding Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, a pioneering thought leader in the digital media and learning field.
Prior to that, Dr. Levine was Vice President for Asia Society, managing interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge and understanding of other world regions, languages and cultures. He conceived and directed a national campaign, “I Am Your Child,” with entertainment, policy, philanthropic and practice leaders, which led to major state and national investments in health care, early learning and parenting education. He also previously oversaw Carnegie Corporation’s groundbreaking work in early childhood development and educational media, and was a senior advisor to the New York City Schools Chancellor, where he directed dropout prevention, afterschool and homeless programs.
Noggin has been going through a redesign in the last few months. In May, Viacom reported in its Q2 financial results that Noggin had reached 2.5 million subscribers globally. The company didn’t give an update on its subscribers in its Q3 report, but this summer Nick revamped the Noggin website and logo and launched new features to make it easier for kids to discover content. Prior to its Q2 announcement, the subscription service made a move into incorporating more kids education into the platform by acquiring early childhood learning tech platform Sparkler and brought on its co-founder Kristen Kane as Noggin’s new EVP, in April.
Noggin is currently available for iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, Android, Fire tablet and Roku devices, as well as on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels and The Roku Channel. With over 30 series to date, including current titles like PAW Patrol, Blue’s Clues & You!, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Peppa Pig, and Bubble Guppies, Noggin’s lineup also features classic favorites such as Dora the Explorer and Team Umizoomi.
In 2018, the kidnet added the first two seasons of animated series Paw Patrol and a Spanish-language hub featuring full-length episodes of different series.
Noggin is currently available in the U.S., Latin America and Brazil.
From Kidscreen:
Noggin’s new SVP’s education plans for the whole family
Former Sesame Workshop exec Michael Levine breaks down his plans to differentiate Nick's preschool SVOD service from other VOD platforms with new content and features.
Michael Levine has been of building up his experience and knowledge of educational equity for about three decades. And now, after 12 years driving educational partnerships and company policy at Sesame Workshop as its first chief knowledge officer, the early learning and social policy expert is helping Nickelodeon’s preschool SVOD service Noggin grow its value with kids and families.
Levine—who has a PhD in social policy from Massachusetts-based Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management—is also the founder and CEO of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center nonprofit, which is focused on helping kids learn through digital media. He’s also worked as the VP of the non-profit Asia Society and managed interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge of other world regions and cultures in US public schools.
He’s written policy papers on how parents and government bodies can better increase children’s education and quality of life. One such paper, the 1994 piece “Starting Points: Meeting the Needs of Our Youngest Children,” caught the attention of producer/director Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride, Misery) who then recruited Levine to lead the I am Your Child campaign, which pushed for research into early brain development.
More recently, he’s been weighing in on the screen-time debate: in his view, it’s not just kids’ usage of screens, but how they spend their time, that matters. Video chatting with relatives, eBooks and educational games can be beneficial for preschoolers for example, he says. Levine is now taking all of his experience in studying kids’ learning to grow the platform’s value for kids and families with new content and features.
“I’ve worked with vulnerable kids finding out what they need to know and I’ve worked with the entertainment industry to do R&D about how digital media producers could advance children’s learning potential,” says Levine. “In the past five or six years I’ve been thinking about how to combine legacy brands and new brands together to create a robust education on a digital platform. Other companies have created educational content that’s good for kids, but I intend to make sure Noggin’s is also personalized and joyful.”
The ad-free service already features more than 1,500 full-length library episodes, short-form videos, Spanish-language and music videos from brands such as Peppa Pig and Dora the Explorer. But to differentiate itself from content-driven SVODs, the service is growing its focus on education for kids two and up. To jump-start this shift, Levine will take a leading role in the newly created role of SVP, learning and impact last week.
“We’re going to create a new Noggin,” says Levine. “We’re going to be adding a much more coherent and intentional educational framework with more research-based activities, while keeping it character-led and fitting within the playful learning category.”
Jumping into the new role, Levine is building a curriculum-based team to research early learning.
Motivated by research that digital media platforms like Noggin can bring multiple generations within a family together, Levine plans to start engaging parents with resources and educational content that teaches them how to be better caregivers. The team has also noted the impact stress can have on kids and families, and the platform will add content around wellness and mindfulness to help teach kids about improving their bodies and dealing with anxiety.
Building on its recently launched efforts to grow the platform’s personalization features—which Noggin’s EVP Kristen Kane first told Kidscreen about last month—Noggin will also work on building in features like having characters interact with users, as well as making a dashboard that tracks kids’ educational growth, says Levine. The SVOD service will also look into launching activities and content that can target younger kids and moving into next year Noggin will begin experimenting with books to see how kids engage with them.
Levine reports to Noggin EVP Kristen Kane, and is focused on growing its value for kids and families with new content and interactive features.
Levine’s hire is the most recent effort the service has made to refresh itself. In May, Viacom reported in its Q2 financial results that Noggin had reached 2.5 million subscribers globally. Prior to its Q2 announcement, the subscription service incorporated more kids education by acquiring early childhood learning tech platform Sparkler and brought on its co-founder Kristen Kane as Noggin’s new EVP in April.
Noggin is looking to build up partnerships to expand the service and the team is going to be attending market events, including Kidscreen Summit, to help bolster its growth, Levine adds.
“We’re looking for content creator partners and also educational partners to help us grow what we hope will be the best in class digital learning platform for kids,” says Levine. “Welcome anyone who wants to refresh an important learning platform to make sure every kid gets a decent start in life.”
###
More Nick: Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever!
Originally published: Friday, November 08, 2019.
Source: Multichannel News; H/T: TVKIDS; Additional source: Kidscreen.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Noggin News and Highlights!
NEW YORK – Nickelodeon has named Michael H. Levine, Ph.D. to the role of Senior Vice President, Learning and Impact, for Noggin, the network’s direct-to-consumer interactive learning service for preschoolers. The announcement was made by Kristen Kane, Executive Vice President, Noggin, to whom Dr. Levine will report. An early learning and social policy expert, Dr. Levine will focus on deepening Noggin’s value to children and families through content and interactive experiences developed for learning and impact. Levine officially starts in new new position this week.
“Michael brings to Noggin extensive experience in child development and digital media as well as a deep commitment to improving the lives of young children,” said Kane. “He is widely respected as a staunch advocate for children and their families, as well as a field builder for innovation and impact in children’s media. We are so proud to have him focused on making Noggin a destination for joyful learning for our fast-growing subscriber base.”
Noggin subscriptions have grown by triple digits year over year from 2018 to 2019, and the ad-free service currently features over 1,500 iconic, full-length library episodes, short-form videos, Spanish-language videos, music videos featuring preschoolers’ favorite characters, and more. New to the Noggin this month are Blue’s Clues & You! play-along videos which build on the interactivity of the brand-new series and allow users to explore the stories in an immersive way, engaging with live-action host Josh and the animated characters, by tapping, touching or swiping to navigate through enhanced learning experiences.
Based in New York, Dr. Levine previously spent 12 years at Sesame Workshop where he served as Chief Knowledge Officer, a member of the senior executive team responsible for driving organization-wide learning, educational partnerships, knowledge exchange, and policy leadership. He is also the Founding Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, a pioneering thought leader in the digital media and learning field.
Prior to that, Dr. Levine was Vice President for Asia Society, managing interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge and understanding of other world regions, languages and cultures. He conceived and directed a national campaign, “I Am Your Child,” with entertainment, policy, philanthropic and practice leaders, which led to major state and national investments in health care, early learning and parenting education. He also previously oversaw Carnegie Corporation’s groundbreaking work in early childhood development and educational media, and was a senior advisor to the New York City Schools Chancellor, where he directed dropout prevention, afterschool and homeless programs.
Noggin has been going through a redesign in the last few months. In May, Viacom reported in its Q2 financial results that Noggin had reached 2.5 million subscribers globally. The company didn’t give an update on its subscribers in its Q3 report, but this summer Nick revamped the Noggin website and logo and launched new features to make it easier for kids to discover content. Prior to its Q2 announcement, the subscription service made a move into incorporating more kids education into the platform by acquiring early childhood learning tech platform Sparkler and brought on its co-founder Kristen Kane as Noggin’s new EVP, in April.
Noggin is currently available for iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, Android, Fire tablet and Roku devices, as well as on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels and The Roku Channel. With over 30 series to date, including current titles like PAW Patrol, Blue’s Clues & You!, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Peppa Pig, and Bubble Guppies, Noggin’s lineup also features classic favorites such as Dora the Explorer and Team Umizoomi.
In 2018, the kidnet added the first two seasons of animated series Paw Patrol and a Spanish-language hub featuring full-length episodes of different series.
Noggin is currently available in the U.S., Latin America and Brazil.
From Kidscreen:
Noggin’s new SVP’s education plans for the whole family
Former Sesame Workshop exec Michael Levine breaks down his plans to differentiate Nick's preschool SVOD service from other VOD platforms with new content and features.
Michael Levine has been of building up his experience and knowledge of educational equity for about three decades. And now, after 12 years driving educational partnerships and company policy at Sesame Workshop as its first chief knowledge officer, the early learning and social policy expert is helping Nickelodeon’s preschool SVOD service Noggin grow its value with kids and families.
Levine—who has a PhD in social policy from Massachusetts-based Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management—is also the founder and CEO of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center nonprofit, which is focused on helping kids learn through digital media. He’s also worked as the VP of the non-profit Asia Society and managed interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge of other world regions and cultures in US public schools.
He’s written policy papers on how parents and government bodies can better increase children’s education and quality of life. One such paper, the 1994 piece “Starting Points: Meeting the Needs of Our Youngest Children,” caught the attention of producer/director Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride, Misery) who then recruited Levine to lead the I am Your Child campaign, which pushed for research into early brain development.
More recently, he’s been weighing in on the screen-time debate: in his view, it’s not just kids’ usage of screens, but how they spend their time, that matters. Video chatting with relatives, eBooks and educational games can be beneficial for preschoolers for example, he says. Levine is now taking all of his experience in studying kids’ learning to grow the platform’s value for kids and families with new content and features.
“I’ve worked with vulnerable kids finding out what they need to know and I’ve worked with the entertainment industry to do R&D about how digital media producers could advance children’s learning potential,” says Levine. “In the past five or six years I’ve been thinking about how to combine legacy brands and new brands together to create a robust education on a digital platform. Other companies have created educational content that’s good for kids, but I intend to make sure Noggin’s is also personalized and joyful.”
The ad-free service already features more than 1,500 full-length library episodes, short-form videos, Spanish-language and music videos from brands such as Peppa Pig and Dora the Explorer. But to differentiate itself from content-driven SVODs, the service is growing its focus on education for kids two and up. To jump-start this shift, Levine will take a leading role in the newly created role of SVP, learning and impact last week.
“We’re going to create a new Noggin,” says Levine. “We’re going to be adding a much more coherent and intentional educational framework with more research-based activities, while keeping it character-led and fitting within the playful learning category.”
Jumping into the new role, Levine is building a curriculum-based team to research early learning.
Motivated by research that digital media platforms like Noggin can bring multiple generations within a family together, Levine plans to start engaging parents with resources and educational content that teaches them how to be better caregivers. The team has also noted the impact stress can have on kids and families, and the platform will add content around wellness and mindfulness to help teach kids about improving their bodies and dealing with anxiety.
Building on its recently launched efforts to grow the platform’s personalization features—which Noggin’s EVP Kristen Kane first told Kidscreen about last month—Noggin will also work on building in features like having characters interact with users, as well as making a dashboard that tracks kids’ educational growth, says Levine. The SVOD service will also look into launching activities and content that can target younger kids and moving into next year Noggin will begin experimenting with books to see how kids engage with them.
Levine reports to Noggin EVP Kristen Kane, and is focused on growing its value for kids and families with new content and interactive features.
Levine’s hire is the most recent effort the service has made to refresh itself. In May, Viacom reported in its Q2 financial results that Noggin had reached 2.5 million subscribers globally. Prior to its Q2 announcement, the subscription service incorporated more kids education by acquiring early childhood learning tech platform Sparkler and brought on its co-founder Kristen Kane as Noggin’s new EVP in April.
Noggin is looking to build up partnerships to expand the service and the team is going to be attending market events, including Kidscreen Summit, to help bolster its growth, Levine adds.
“We’re looking for content creator partners and also educational partners to help us grow what we hope will be the best in class digital learning platform for kids,” says Levine. “Welcome anyone who wants to refresh an important learning platform to make sure every kid gets a decent start in life.”
###
More Nick: Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever!
Originally published: Friday, November 08, 2019.
Source: Multichannel News; H/T: TVKIDS; Additional source: Kidscreen.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Noggin News and Highlights!
Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever | Nick Upfront 2019
Originally published: Thursday, February 14, 2019 at 4:22pm GMT.
Original Nickelodeon USA Press Release | Share the news: http://po.st/Nick2019
BURBANK, Calif.–Feb. 14, 2019–Nickelodeon is unveiling a new content slate created for today’s kids who are multicultural, family-focused, and in control of their entertainment choices across platforms. With a foundation of supercharging its globally powerful original franchises like SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PAW Patrol, and welcoming new, acquired properties into its ecosystem, Nickelodeon’s new slate represents a renewing of its commitment to serve all kids, through a multicultural lens; bringing in talent kids love from other platforms and formats; and opening up its demo to capture kid and parent co-viewing, to satisfy this generation’s demand for shared family time.
The slate, announced today by Nickelodeon President Brian Robbins, was put into development in October at the beginning of Robbins’ tenure and will begin to debut on Nick’s platforms this summer.
“We have a laser focus on who kids are today, and what they want, so we are making a wider variety of shows and series for them, and we’re working with brand-new kinds of talent and producers,” said Robbins. “We have a new creative team in place and a renewed energy that we’re harnessing to bring the buzz back to Nick.”
Nick’s new direction was developed against the network’s defining research insights into today’s kids, who: are the most diverse generation ever, with the fastest growing segment being Hispanics; who cite shared experiences with their parents and family as their top priority; and who are in near-total control of their entertainment choices, enabled by any one of the 12 connected devices found in today’s average household.
Added Robbins: “Kids today are their own programmers, so we have been working very fast to transfer our expertise as television content makers to all the new places and platforms kids are going to,” said Robbins. “Our vision for a new Nickelodeon is to fill up every screen, of every size, to make an impact on as many consumers as we can and to be at the forefront of conversation for today’s kids and families.”
Highlights of the new slate include: the return of Nick’s iconic All That sketch-comedy series, showcasing a whole new set of kids alongside members of the original cast, with Kenan Thompson serving as an executive producer; a reimagined version of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader, hosted by John Cena; an all-new unboxing adventure series starring Ryan of Ryan ToysReview, titled Ryan’s Mystery Playdate; America’s Most Musical Family (working title), a nationwide search and competition to crown the next big family musical act; The Casagrandes, the animated spinoff from The Loud House, featuring a multigenerational Mexican-American family; an untitled scripted music-based series set in a boarding school for the performing arts, produced by Simon Fuller and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, and featuring original songs and performances in every episode; and ideas in development to spin off the characters from SpongeBob SquarePants into their own stand-alone series, specials and feature-length movies.
Robbins continued: “Everything we’re making will have different formats, for all platforms, so we can travel the audience back and forth from one to the other, while being home base for all the shows, the biggest franchises, the characters and talent they love.”
Details of Nickelodeon’s New Content Slate:
Today’s kids represent the most diverse generation ever. Joining Nick’s diverse programming slate is content to super-serve Hispanic viewers, including:
Nickelodeon is working with talent kids love from other platforms, while also creating content featuring their favorite formats and genres.
Nick’s insights reveal that family time is the most important passion point for kids and parents today, with their top priority being to spend time together and look for opportunities through shared experiences. Today’s families state that watching TV together is their favorite activity, corresponding to the current 10-year high in co-viewing, where 44% of kids’ viewing is with an adult. To capture co-viewing opportunities, Nick is producing shows with built-in appeal to every family member, including:
Nickelodeon is home to some of the biggest franchises kids love, and the network is taking steps to increase these properties’ reach and grow their footprint, as well as welcome in new franchises, to ensure Nick is the top destination for everything kids want:
Nickelodeon, now in its 39th 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, digital, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated kids’ basic cable network for 22 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, VIAB).
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Original Nickelodeon USA Press Release | Share the news: http://po.st/Nick2019
NICKELODEON EMBARKS ON NEW DIRECTION WITH ITS BIGGEST,
MOST WIDE-RANGING CONTENT SLATE EVER
NEW SHOWS ARE “ALL THAT” AND MUCH MORE
Nick’s Iconic All That Sketch-Comedy Series to Return with New Cast of Kids
Alongside Original Cast Members; Kenan Thompson Set to Executive Produce
School’s Back in Session with Reimagined Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader
from MGM Television, Hosted and Executive Produced by John Cena
Brand-New Unboxing Adventure Series, Ryan’s Mystery Playdate,
Stars YouTube Sensation Ryan of Ryan ToysReview
America’s Most Musical Family (Working Title) Seeks to Crown
Best Family Act Through Nationwide Search and Competition
Multigenerational Animated Comedy Series The Casagrandes Bows This Fall
Simon Fuller and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder to Produce Music-Based Series
Featuring New, Original Songs in Every Episode
Nick Developing Spin-Off Projects for SpongeBob SquarePants’ Characters for First Time Ever
New Shows Also Include Two New Titles Produced by The Intellectual Property Corporation, and the Acquisition of Paddington (Working Title) and LEGO® CITY
BURBANK, Calif.–Feb. 14, 2019–Nickelodeon is unveiling a new content slate created for today’s kids who are multicultural, family-focused, and in control of their entertainment choices across platforms. With a foundation of supercharging its globally powerful original franchises like SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PAW Patrol, and welcoming new, acquired properties into its ecosystem, Nickelodeon’s new slate represents a renewing of its commitment to serve all kids, through a multicultural lens; bringing in talent kids love from other platforms and formats; and opening up its demo to capture kid and parent co-viewing, to satisfy this generation’s demand for shared family time.
The slate, announced today by Nickelodeon President Brian Robbins, was put into development in October at the beginning of Robbins’ tenure and will begin to debut on Nick’s platforms this summer.
“We have a laser focus on who kids are today, and what they want, so we are making a wider variety of shows and series for them, and we’re working with brand-new kinds of talent and producers,” said Robbins. “We have a new creative team in place and a renewed energy that we’re harnessing to bring the buzz back to Nick.”
Nick’s new direction was developed against the network’s defining research insights into today’s kids, who: are the most diverse generation ever, with the fastest growing segment being Hispanics; who cite shared experiences with their parents and family as their top priority; and who are in near-total control of their entertainment choices, enabled by any one of the 12 connected devices found in today’s average household.
Added Robbins: “Kids today are their own programmers, so we have been working very fast to transfer our expertise as television content makers to all the new places and platforms kids are going to,” said Robbins. “Our vision for a new Nickelodeon is to fill up every screen, of every size, to make an impact on as many consumers as we can and to be at the forefront of conversation for today’s kids and families.”
Highlights of the new slate include: the return of Nick’s iconic All That sketch-comedy series, showcasing a whole new set of kids alongside members of the original cast, with Kenan Thompson serving as an executive producer; a reimagined version of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader, hosted by John Cena; an all-new unboxing adventure series starring Ryan of Ryan ToysReview, titled Ryan’s Mystery Playdate; America’s Most Musical Family (working title), a nationwide search and competition to crown the next big family musical act; The Casagrandes, the animated spinoff from The Loud House, featuring a multigenerational Mexican-American family; an untitled scripted music-based series set in a boarding school for the performing arts, produced by Simon Fuller and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, and featuring original songs and performances in every episode; and ideas in development to spin off the characters from SpongeBob SquarePants into their own stand-alone series, specials and feature-length movies.
Robbins continued: “Everything we’re making will have different formats, for all platforms, so we can travel the audience back and forth from one to the other, while being home base for all the shows, the biggest franchises, the characters and talent they love.”
Details of Nickelodeon’s New Content Slate:
Today’s kids represent the most diverse generation ever. Joining Nick’s diverse programming slate is content to super-serve Hispanic viewers, including:
- The Casagrandes – Premiering in October, this companion to the animated hit The Loud House follows 11-year-old Ronnie Anne after she moves to the city with her older brother Bobby and her mom, where they now live with their big, loving and chaotic multigenerational Mexican-American family, the Casagrandes.
- Santiago of the Seas (formerly The Swashbuckling Adventures of Capitán Calavera) – This interactive animated series follows the adventures of 8-year-old Santiago Montes, a brave and kind-hearted pirate, and features a Spanish-language and Latino-Caribbean culture curriculum.
- The Dora the Explorer Theatrical Release – Paramount Pictures, Paramount Players and Nickelodeon Movies present in association with Walden Media the Dora the Explorer live-action movie, opening in theatres this August. Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, nothing could prepare Dora (Isabela Moner) for her most dangerous adventure ever–high school. Always the explorer, Dora quickly finds herself leading Boots (her best friend, a monkey), Diego (Jeffrey Wahlberg), a mysterious jungle inhabitant (Eugenio Derbez), and a ragtag group of teens on a live-action adventure to save her parents (Eva Longoria, Michael Peña) and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost Inca civilization.
Nickelodeon is working with talent kids love from other platforms, while also creating content featuring their favorite formats and genres.
- Ryan’s Mystery Playdate – Created and produced by pocket.watch, this brand-new live-action preschool series follows YouTube superstar Ryan, of Ryan ToysReview, his parents and animated friends Gus the Gummy Gator and Combo Panda as they work together to tackle a series of imaginative, physical challenges and unbox puzzles to reveal the identity of his mystery playdate.
- Simon Fuller/Ryan Tedder-Produced Untitled Project – A scripted music series set in a boarding performing arts high school, with original music in every episode. A nationwide search will be conducted to cast the show. Simon Fuller is a legendary, multi-hyphenate creator, producer and manager behind iconic franchises such as the global Idol phenomenon and Spice Girls. Grammy Award-winning Ryan Tedder is the frontman of OneRepublic and writer behind countless hit songs from artists ranging from Beyoncé and Adele, to Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran and Kelly Clarkson, among others.
Nick’s insights reveal that family time is the most important passion point for kids and parents today, with their top priority being to spend time together and look for opportunities through shared experiences. Today’s families state that watching TV together is their favorite activity, corresponding to the current 10-year high in co-viewing, where 44% of kids’ viewing is with an adult. To capture co-viewing opportunities, Nick is producing shows with built-in appeal to every family member, including:
- Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader – The iconic family game show will return with all-new episodes hosted by John Cena, who will also serve as an executive producer. Mark Burnett, Chairman of Worldwide Television, MGM (Survivor, The Voice) and Barry Poznick, President, Unscripted Television, MGM (Beat Shazam, The World's Best) will return as executive producers of the reboot, which places kids squarely in the center of the action. The series is slated to premiere this year.
- The Substitute – In this new hidden camera prank show, celebrities are transformed by a team of special effects artists to go undercover as substitute teachers to surprise a class of unsuspecting students. A $25,000 donation will be made to each school. The Substitute is produced by The Intellectual Property Corporation, and Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman (Undercover Boss), with Mike Harney serving as showrunner.
- America’s Most Musical Family (working title) – This brand-new competition series, produced by The Intellectual Property Corporation, and Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman (So You Think You Can Dance), follows the nationwide search for the most talented family in America.
- Are You Afraid of the Dark? – The beloved anthology series will return this October as a brand-new miniseries and follow new members of the Midnight Society as they gather around a campfire in the woods to share scary stories. The miniseries will coincide with the upcoming Are You Afraid of the Dark? theatrical movie from Paramount Pictures, Paramount Players’ and Nickelodeon Movies, in theaters October 2019.
- All That – Pop-culture phenomenon All That is returning for a new generation of kids. The new weekly sketch-comedy series will showcase an all-new cast of kids, with cast members through the years making special appearances during the season. Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live) and Kevin Kay (All That, SpongeBob SquarePants, Lip Sync Battle, Lip Sync Battle Shorties, Yellowstone) will executive produce, with comedian Jermaine Fowler (Super Donuts, Sorry to Bother You) serving as consulting producer on the series slated to premiere this summer.
Nickelodeon is home to some of the biggest franchises kids love, and the network is taking steps to increase these properties’ reach and grow their footprint, as well as welcome in new franchises, to ensure Nick is the top destination for everything kids want:
- SpongeBob SquarePants – Nick is commemorating the 20th anniversary with the “Best Year Ever,” a tribute that includes an original one-hour special, “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout,” premiering Friday, July 12. Additionally, plans are in place to expand the SpongeBob SquarePants universe with spinoffs focused on the core characters into formats such as new series, specials and feature-length movies. The anniversary will culminate with the May 22, 2020 release of the new SpongeBob theatrical, It’s A Wonderful Sponge, from Paramount Pictures, Paramount Players’ and Nickelodeon Movies.
- Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Season two of the 2D-animated series will premiere this fall, and follow the Turtles as they continue to hone their ninja skills, uncover new, powerful weapons and encounter a world beneath the streets of New York City. The franchise is also being expanded with an original, feature-length animated movie being produced by Nickelodeon Studios for Netflix.
- Blue’s Clues & You! – This remake of the groundbreaking, curriculum-driven interactive series Blue’s Clues brings back beloved puppy Blue for an all-new generation of preschoolers. Premiering in November, the series features all-new CG animation, updates to favorite characters and stars Broadway actor Joshua Dela Cruz as the new live-action host.
- Paddington (working title) – Actor Ben Whishaw (Paddington 1 & 2) will reprise his role as the beloved voice of the title character in the new CG-animated series, which follows a younger Paddington and his adventures in London with the Brown family and their friends. Paddington is a Heyday Films and STUDIOCANAL production in association with Copyrights, helmed by Adam Shaw of Blue Zoo (Go Jetters, Digby Dragon, Miffy, Q Pootle 5), and developed for television and written by Jon Foster and James Lamont (The Amazing World of Gumball, Cuckoo, Paddington 1 & 2). The series will be produced by multi-award-winning David Heyman (producer of all eight Harry Potter films, Gravity, Paddington 1 & 2), Karen Davidsen (formerly with Disney and HIT Entertainment) and Simon Quinn (Isle of Dogs, Fantastic Mr. Fox). Paddington is executive produced by Rosie Alison (Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Paddington 1 & 2) and co-produced by Rob Silva.
- LEGO® CITY – The all-new high-stakes CG-animated comedy, created and produced by LEGO Group, depicts the funny, smart, and dynamic slices of life within the sprawling and diverse LEGO CITY community. Set to debut this year, the series follows the intertwining paths of the city's everyday heroes as they work together to stop a mysterious master criminal who begins to wreak havoc on their town.
Nickelodeon, now in its 39th 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, digital, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number-one-rated kids’ basic cable network for 22 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, VIAB).
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Viacom and CBS Announce ViacomCBS Corporate Leadership
Viacom and CBS Announce ViacomCBS Corporate Leadership
November 18, 2019 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
NEW YORK--CBS (NYSE: CBS.A, CBS) and Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today announced additional senior appointments for ViacomCBS’ corporate leadership. These appointments, which will be effective upon closing, will align key functions and operations to support ViacomCBS’ divisions and lines of business as the combined company pursues its differentiated growth strategy.
“Our team of highly accomplished corporate leaders will draw on their deep experience and expertise to help drive ViacomCBS’ success,” said Bob Bakish, President and Chief Executive Officer, Viacom, who will serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of ViacomCBS upon close. “They will identify strategic opportunities to grow and transform our businesses and ensure that we are fostering a dynamic, inclusive culture where our employees are empowered to succeed.”
Bakish continued, “With today’s appointments, we now have in place the entire senior management team for ViacomCBS, ensuring we will hit the ground running when the transaction closes in just a few weeks. Working together, these leaders will help us realize the full potential of our considerable assets and competitive strengths.”
The ViacomCBS corporate leaders being announced today include:
- Alex Berkett, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategy, Viacom, will become Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy, leading ViacomCBS’ efforts to identify, pursue and execute strategic growth opportunities, including acquisitions, partnerships, investments and joint ventures, across all of ViacomCBS’ businesses and geographies.
- Nancy Phillips will serve as Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer. As the leader of ViacomCBS’ global human resources organization, she will be responsible for driving the company’s human resources strategy and delivering global programs to create a positive employee experience and a culture of high performance. In this role, she will have oversight of the company’s HR business partners, talent acquisition, organizational effectiveness, learning and development, total rewards, people analytics and HR operations. She will also oversee global security. Phillips joins the company from Nielsen, where she served as Chief Human Resources Officer.
- Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Inclusion Strategy, Viacom, will serve as Executive Vice President, Global Head of Inclusion of ViacomCBS, driving initiatives and fostering partnerships that promote and advance diversity and inclusion for ViacomCBS enterprise-wide both with internal and external stakeholders globally. In addition, she will retain her public affairs responsibilities for Nickelodeon as Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Kids & Family Entertainment Brands, ViacomCBS Media Networks.
- Jose Tolosa, Chief Transformation Officer of Viacom, will expand his responsibilities as Executive Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer. In this role, he will continue to oversee integration efforts for the combined company, with a focus on accelerating the evolution of its businesses. Tolosa will also lead ViacomCBS Strategic Planning, helping to set the company’s strategic priorities and support cross-company projects for senior management. Additionally, he will oversee the Global Business Services and Global Sourcing divisions, which will expand their scope, providing enterprise-wide services and helping drive synergies.
These corporate leadership announcements follow the previously announced appointments of Christa D’Alimonte as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary; Anthony DiClemente as Executive Vice President, Investor Relations; DeDe Lea as Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy and Government Relations; Julia Phelps as Executive Vice President, Chief Communications and Corporate Marketing Officer, and Christina Spade as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer.
The merger of Viacom and CBS remains subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by early December.
Biographies
- Alex Berkett joined Viacom in August 2015 and most recently served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy, leading the company’s global activities related to strategy, corporate development and mergers and acquisitions. In this role, he worked closely with senior executives across the company to advise on and lead transaction negotiations. Prior to joining Viacom, Berkett served as Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Townsquare Media where he was responsible for corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, all capital raising activities, legal affairs, investor relations, business development and corporate communications. Berkett co-founded Townsquare in 2010 with his partners from FiveWire Media, an investment firm he co-founded. In 2009, he joined FiveWire from J.P. Morgan’s Technology, Media & Telecom Investment Banking Group, which he joined following the firm’s acquisition of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. in 2008. Berkett spent 11 years at Bear Stearns, principally focused on media and technology mergers and acquisitions, ultimately rising to the level of Managing Director.
- Nancy Phillips has served as the Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer at Nielsen since 2017, while also serving on the Nielsen Foundation’s Board of Directors. Under her leadership, Nielsen was recognized for many awards including #2 on Forbes’ Employers for Diversity list and multiple Great Place to Work awards globally. Prior to joining Nielsen, she was Chief Human Resources Officer of Broadcom prior to its sale to Avago Technologies, the largest technology deal in history at that time. Before that, she led the HR organization for Hewlett Packard’s Imaging and Printing Group as well as the Enterprise Services business group, a global organization with more than 120,000 employees. Prior to HP, Phillips served as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Fifth Third Bancorp, a diversified financial services company with $133 billion in assets. Earlier in her career, she spent 11 years with the General Electric Company serving in a variety of HR leadership roles. Phillips is active in a range of professional associations, and in 2006 she received a YWCA TWIN (Tribute to Women) award in Silicon Valley for her commitment to diversity. She is also a member of The Florida Bar beginning her career as an attorney. Phillips earned a B.A. in English from the University of Delaware and a J.D. from Samford University in Birmingham, Al.
- Marva Smalls is the Global Head of Inclusion Strategy at Viacom and Executive Vice President, Public Affairs & Chief of Staff at Nickelodeon. Smalls has more than three decades of leadership experience in the public and private sectors and is widely recognized as one of the most influential leaders in media. As Global Head of Inclusion Strategy, Smalls reports directly to Viacom’s CEO to drive Diversity & Inclusion worldwide. Her role includes implementing strategic initiatives that support innovation and business results, while creating the next generation of leaders. She has established Viacom’s Employee Resource Groups globally and has expanded key partnerships in international markets. At Nickelodeon, Smalls collaborates closely with the President in managing day-to-day operations, as well as overseeing all corporate responsibility initiatives and relationships with external advocates and regulators. Under her leadership, Nickelodeon has implemented award-winning pro-social campaigns. Smalls is a founding member of the Black Economic Alliance and serves on numerous boards including the American Theatre Wing, the International African American Museum, the James Beard Foundation, and Synovus Bank/South Carolina. Smalls holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of South Carolina, where she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities.
- Jose Tolosa has served as the Chief Transformation Officer of Viacom since November 2017. In this role, he guides the company’s transformation agenda, overseeing a team responsible for developing and executing initiatives to support and accelerate the evolution of Viacom’s media business and grow its consumer products, recreation and events businesses. Tolosa previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Viacom International Media Networks since 2015, leading the company’s international, pay-TV growth strategy and its expansion of VIMN content across multiple viewing platforms. In addition to his role as COO, Tolosa served as Executive Vice President, Global Strategy, Viacom Media Networks, leading a divisional team in developing a unified global strategic path for all of Viacom’s teen- and adult-oriented brands. Prior to this, Tolosa was Executive Vice President, Strategy, Business Development and Operations for VIMN since 2013, and Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development from 2009. In his 12-year career at Viacom, Tolosa has also acted in a number of pan-regional business development and strategy responsibilities in Latin America, Japan and India. Prior to joining Viacom, he was co-founder and COO at the HNMA Funding Company and held roles at The Parthenon Group, Bear Stearns & Co., Inc. and Claxson Interactive Group. Tolosa holds a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Georgetown University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Alex Berkett will serve as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy, ViacomCBS
Nancy Phillips will serve as Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer, ViacomCBS
Marva Smalls will serve as Executive Vice President, Global Head of Inclusion, ViacomCBS
Jose Tolosa will serve as Executive Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer, ViacomCBS
About CBS
CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS.A)(NYSE:CBS) is a mass media company that creates and distributes industry-leading content across a variety of platforms to audiences around the world. The Company has businesses with origins that date back to the dawn of the broadcasting age as well as new ventures that operate on the leading edge of media. CBS owns the most-watched television network in the U.S. and one of the world’s largest libraries of entertainment content, making its brand –"the Eye” – one of the most-recognized in business. The Company’s operations span virtually every field of media and entertainment, including cable, publishing, local TV, film and interactive. CBS’ businesses include CBS Television Network, The CW (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), Network 10 Australia, CBS Television Studios, CBS Global Distribution Group, CBS Consumer Products, CBS Home Entertainment, CBS Interactive, CBS All Access, the Company’s direct-to-consumer digital streaming subscription service, CBS Sports Network, CBS Films, Showtime Networks, Pop, Smithsonian Networks, Simon & Schuster, CBS Television Stations and CBS Experiences. For more information, go to http://www.cbscorporation.com.
About Viacom
Viacom (NASDAQ:VIAB)(NASDAQ:VIA) creates entertainment experiences that drive conversation and culture around the world. Through television, film, digital media, live events, merchandise and solutions, its brands connect with diverse, young and young at heart audiences in more than 180 countries.
For more information on Viacom and its businesses, visit http://www.Viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following it on Twitter (twitter.com/Viacom), Facebook (facebook.com/Viacom) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/Viacom).
Important Information About the Pending Merger Between CBS and Viacom and Where To Find It
In connection with the pending merger between CBS Corporation (“CBS”) and Viacom Inc. (“Viacom”), CBS has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (No. 333 234238) (the “Registration Statement”) that includes a joint consent solicitation statement of CBS and Viacom and that also constitutes a prospectus of CBS (the “joint consent solicitation statement / prospectus”). The Registration Statement was declared effective by the SEC on October 25, 2019. Viacom and CBS commenced mailing the definitive joint consent solicitation statement / prospectus to Viacom stockholders and CBS stockholders on or about October 28, 2019. This communication is not a substitute for the joint consent solicitation statement / prospectus or Registration Statement or any other document which CBS or Viacom may file with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF CBS AND VIACOM ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES THE JOINT CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT / PROSPECTUS, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PENDING MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the Registration Statement, which includes the joint consent solicitation statement / prospectus, and other documents filed with the SEC by CBS and Viacom through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov or by contacting the investor relations department of CBS (+1-212-975-4321 or +1-877-227-0787; investorrelations@CBS.com) or Viacom (+1-212-846-6700 or +1-800-516-4399; investor.relations@Viacom.com).
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to subscribe for, buy or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for, buy or sell, or an invitation to subscribe for, buy or sell any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, invitation, sale or solicitation would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and otherwise in accordance with applicable law.
Cautionary Notes on Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “see,” “will,” “would,” “may,” “target,” similar expressions and variations or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the consummation of the pending merger and the anticipated benefits thereof. These and other forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements, including the failure to consummate the pending merger or to make any filing or take other action required to consummate such transaction in a timely matter or at all. Important risk factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: (i) the pending merger may not be completed on anticipated terms and timing, (ii) a condition to closing of the pending merger may not be satisfied, (iii) the anticipated tax treatment of the pending merger may not be obtained, (iv) the potential impact of unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, costs, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition and losses on the future prospects, business and management strategies for the management, expansion and growth of the combined business after the consummation of the pending merger, (v) litigation relating to the pending merger against CBS, Viacom or their respective directors, (vi) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the pending merger, (vii) any negative effects of the announcement, pendency or consummation of the pending merger on the market price of CBS’ or Viacom’s common stock and on CBS’ or Viacom’s operating results, (viii) risks associated with third party contracts containing consent and/or other provisions that may be triggered by the pending merger, (ix) the risks and costs associated with the integration of, and the ability of CBS and Viacom to integrate, the businesses successfully and to achieve anticipated synergies, (x) the risk that disruptions from the pending merger will harm CBS’ or Viacom’s business, including current plans and operations, (xi) the ability of CBS or Viacom to retain and hire key personnel and uncertainties arising from leadership changes, (xii) legislative, regulatory and economic developments, (xiii) the other risks described in CBS’ and Viacom’s most recent annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and (xiv) management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors.
These risks, as well as other risks associated with the pending merger, are more fully discussed in the joint consent solicitation statement / prospectus included in the Registration Statement. While the list of factors presented here and the list of factors presented in the Registration Statement are considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Consequences of material differences in results as compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, business disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on CBS’ or Viacom’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, credit rating or liquidity. Neither CBS nor Viacom assumes any obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.
More Nick: Nickelodeon Assembles Writing Team for New Animated 'Star Trek' Series!
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