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Starting with the last day of 2007, Noggin will move to a 24 hour format as it splits with The N!. For fans fo The N!, that will go to a 24 hour format as well on it’s own channel. The move puts Noggin head to head with PBS Sprout as they pursue kiddies-after-dark (that sounds bad now that I reread it).

To kickoff the move Noggin has some new programming planned for New Year’s Eve including a 90 minute Franklin movie.

• 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. (ET) “Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure” (*TV Premiere)
• 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. (ET) “Dora Saves the Mermaids”
• 8:30 – 9:00 p.m. (ET) “Save the Wonder Pets!”
• 9:00 – 10:30 p.m. (ET) “Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure”
• 10:30 – 11:00 P.M. (ET) “Great Jaguar Rescue”

In “Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure,” Franklin is on a holiday break from school when he receives a surprise visit from his Aunt Lucy, an explorer whose specialty is finding archaeological treasures. This family reunion gives Franklin’s Granny the chance to relive her own childhood. When she mentions a box filled with treasures that she buried at Turtle Lake as a child, Franklin is intrigued. When Granny falls ill and Aunt Lucy remembers a talisman that was hidden in the famous box, a treasure hunt becomes extremely important. Franklin decides immediately to hunt for this remedy which could save his grandmother. His friends Beaver and Bear accompany him, with Aunt Lucy and her goddaughter Samantha, a headstrong little turtle with whom Franklin has a hard time contending with. It’s a difficult journey, but Franklin is ready to do anything to help Granny and it also gives him the chance to make new friends.

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Nickelodeon has announced that the teen network The N! and the preschool channel Noggin will split up. They had been sharing the same channel, and flipping from the little kids to older kids at 6pm.

As a parent who has Noggin on while I’m getting dinner ready, I like this move. Sometimes it would switch over at 6pm and I’d look up to see stuff that really a preschooler doesn’t need to be seeing.

It will mean competition for Sprout’s The Goodnight Show as there will be another preschool alternative in the evenings.

A Coming of Age at Nickelodeon: Noggin and the N Will Get Their Own Channels - New York Times

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If you’re watching Nick Jr in 2007, chances are you’ll see your share of State Farm commercials. In a deal announced today State Farm is going to be pushing their automotive insurance on Nick Jr. It turns out that studies show that parents are much more attentive when watching TV with their kids than otherwise. The deal will also include a presence on NickJr.com.

To this I say, “whatever.” I’d rather my kids see non-offensive commercials for products they have no interest in than be bomarded with questions like “can we get Floam?“

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I picked up the information yesterday about Six Flags and The Wiggles from a news story. I actually looked up the news release today, and I see that Thomas the Tank Engine will be part of six parks as well:

* Thomas & Friends(TM): — In an agreement with HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality preschool entertainment, Six Flags will build special Thomas & Friends playlands in several Six Flags parks in 2007. The themed areas will include attractions and rides featuring Thomas the Tank Engine and other friends from the Island of Sodor. In addition, Sir Topham Hatt, Controller of the Railway, will be available daily for meet & greets and photo opportunities. This deal marks the first of its kind for Thomas & Friends with a US amusement park.

In addition, here is a little more info about The Wiggles World:

In an agreement with world-leading children’s entertainers
The Wiggles, Six Flags will build unique “Wiggles World”-themed areas in its US branded parks over the next five years. Six Flags parks will be the exclusive North American destinations to find “Wiggles Worlds,” three of which will debut at Six Flags for the 2007 season, including one at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. These areas will include Wiggles-themed rides; a stage show performed by Dorothy and Friends with multiple daily performances; play areas; monitors for showing Wiggles video clips and their annual North American tour.

the wiggles, thomas the tank engine

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The premiere of MIckey Mouse Clubhouse set a Playhouse Disney record.

Toon Zone - Your Source for Toon News!

Disney Channel’s premiere of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Friday, May 5 (7:30 p.m.), delivered the highest ratings ever for a Playhouse Disney series premiere among Kids 2-5 (6.2/767,000), Girls 2-5 (6.0/375,000), Households (2.2/1,960,000), and Total Viewers (1.2/2,777,000).

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Nickelodeon announced today their strategy for new show development and launches across video games, internet, podcasts and other media. It also announced several parts of it’s production schedule going forward. Items relevant to the preschool set include:

• Downward Doghouse: Twenty episodes have been ordered for the show which is set to launch March 2007. The show aims to teach preschoolers about Chinese culture, much in the same vein as Dora the Explorer. The show aims to help kids understand their emotions and be mindful of the feelings of others.
• Wow Wow Wubbzy: Twenty-six episodes of the show have been ordered. Originally it was slated to debut in the fall of this year, but now appears to be set to premiere in 2007. The press release was corrected, and the show is still set to debut in 2006.
• New episodes of current shows slated for 2006-2007: On tap are 18 episodes of LazyTown, 20 episodes of The Backyardigans, and 20 episodes of Go Diego Go.

Nick also announced the Inkubator Lab. The Inkubators Lab will be dedicated to the development of original animated content made specifically for a diverse range of platforms, including broadband; wireless; portable video devices; online and gaming.

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Nick Jr will premiere their newest series The Wonder Pets on March 3rd with a simulcast on Noggin and Nick Jr. The Wonder Pets is a animated operetta revolving around 3 pets in a preschool classroom. The pets go on adventures to save baby animals in trouble.

What is interesting is that Nick Jr. is leveraging NickJr.com to help with the launch. Starting on February 17th they will be streaming one of the stories from the second episode. In addition to the internet sneak peak, there will also be clips available on Verizon Wireless V Cast starting February 24th. This follows a similar approach that the network took with offering sneak peak vodcasts of Wow Wow Wubbzy.

nick jr., television

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DIC Entertainment will begin providing CBS’s Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party, replacing Nick Jr., which had been providing a two hour Saturday morning programming block to CBS.

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Fortune has an article about the battle between Viacom (Nick Jr. & Noggin) and Comcast (Sprout) for preschool viewership.

I found this to be interesting:

What makes this battle for munchkin mindshare unusual is that Comcast and Viacom have very different strategies. Comcast believes the appeal of Sprout—and particularly Sprout On Demand—will discourage customers with young children from leaving for competing satellite services. At the same time, it hopes parents who get into the habit of ordering free on-demand shows for their kids during the day will be more likely to order pay-per-view movies at night. Programming chief Jeff Shell says he doesn’t need to sell a lot of commercials to turn a profit: Because Comcast did not demand a share of merchandising revenue, we were able to get the programming on very attractive economic terms, he says.

I completely agree with the brand loyalty concept. However, I don’t think you have to trade merchandising for loyalty. I know that when I considered switching to a satellite service a year ago, the lack of Noggin was a dealbreaker. As for the on-demand ordering carrying over, well I just don’t know.

Article Link: Comcast and Viacom Battle For Kids

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PBS Kids Sprout subscriber base will grow approximately 50% as they ink a deal with Cox Communications. Sprout, which is offered on Comcast and Insight cable services, is currently available in about 12 million homes. Cox’s 6.2 million subscribers will push that number over 18 million.

Press Release‘PBS KIDS Sprout’ Adds Cox Communications to Growing List of Carriers

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