NickToons leads as top cartoon channel

According to Digital Spy, ratings figures released by BARB show that NickToons has taken the lead as the UK's number one cartoon channel.

NickToons leads as top cartoon channel

Figures released by BARB show that NickToons has taken the lead as the UK's number one cartoon channel over the last five months, beating its rivals.

At the end of January 2007, NickToons was 35% ahead of its nearest competitor, showing a massive leap in viewers since the previous year, when it was 34% behind.

Launched in July 2002, the Nickelodeon-owned channel shows only animation, including Fairly Odd Parents and Avatar, and is home to SpongeBob Square Pants, which reached 9 million people in 2006.

NickToons' December ratings were boosted in part by a games promotion called "Turkey Revolt”, organised by London-based Mainframe productions, which appeared between shows throughout Christmas. It featured animated turkeys who believed that NickToons characters like SpongeBob and the Fairly Odd family were their leaders. Kids could play along with the turkeys online and win prizes.

The channel saw ratings rise to 67% more than its next competitor during the Christmas 2006 school holiday, and reached 1.6 million people.

Earlier this week, NickToons confirmed it has commissioned 52 episodes of an animated series Viva Piñata which is inspired by the XBox 360 game. The series is about a group of piñatas - the traditionally Mexican sweet-filled paper mache animals that are hit with a stick at parties by blindfolded players - who live on an island.

Nickelodeon Networks, which includes Nickelodeon and Nick Jr, remains the top commercial kids' television network in the UK, outperforming its nearest rival by 25%.

Nickelodeon UK's Me:TV Returns For Third Series

According to Digital Spy, Nickelodeon UK has commissioned Me:TV for a third series over the February half-term, which will be presented by Nickelodeon UK presenters Sy Thomas and Mark Felgate.

Nickelodeon's interactive half-term hit returns

Following the success of its last series, Nickelodeon show Me:TV is commissioned for a third series over the February half-term.

Launched in October 2006, the show pulled in quarter of a million viewers each day, making it the number-one kids' show in cable and satellite homes during the October school half term in its 10-12noon slot, with an average audience share of 8.2%.

Presented by Sy and Ugly Mark from Nickelodeon's The Crunch, with Genie in the House stars Vicky and Katie, the live studio programme allows kids to compete on the show via their broadband webcam. The five-day run culminates in a live Friday final, featuring the winners from each day's interactive competition.

Nickelodeon UK senior vice president, general manager and director of channels, Howard Litton said: “Nickelodeon has a superb history of producing top quality live programming. This commission enables us to showcase that expertise combined with the very best interactive technology for kids”.

The show is produced in-house by Nickelodeon UK's live and interactive departments, and features other Nickelodeon show Drake and Josh, Genie in the House, SpongeBob SquarePants and Neds Declassified during its two-hour slot.

Nickelodeon UK's official Me:TV website - www.nick.co.uk/metv

Nickelodeon takes global view with new animation

According to C21 Media, Nickelodeon is co-developing five new animated projects in partnership with international production houses.

Nick takes global view with new animation

Kids network Nickelodeon is co-developing five new animated projects in partnership with international production houses.

Hiro, Oasis, Bacon and Bunk, Super Charlie and Super Lauren and Noodles! comprise Nickelodeon's first international development slate, which the network claims demonstrates its commitment to developing diverse content on a global scale.

Non-verbal animation Oasis (7x1'), series created by Tuba Entertainment in Korea and coproduced by Nickelodeon, France's TF1 and TeamTo, and Alessandro Ferrari's Japanese-inspired series of snowboarding shorts, Hiro, are both being produced as part of a new creative process established by Nickelodeon International.

Both will initially be delivered as a series of shorts, subsequently offered as long-form series to be made available to Nickelodeon's international channels and broadcast partners.

Billy goat series Bacon and Bunk, co-developed with long-time partners Nickelodeon, YTV and TF1, initially piloted by Nickelodeon in the US, will now be developed further by Nickelodeon International.

Super Charlie and Super Lauren, a sibling rivalry cartoon from the UK's Brothers McLeod, together with Asian comic book adaptation Noodles!, have also been commissioned for further concept and story development.

Nina Hahn, VP of development at Nickelodeon International, said the new development represents the voice and vision of creators around the globe, and "continues to promote Nick International's ongoing mission to find the kid voice lurking in all of us."

In addition to the five projects announced today, Nickelodeon has also confirmed that three individual projects from 2006 are to be developed with international partners, DOMO-kun, Akihabara@deep and Fortunatto.

Antony Reeve-Crook
7 Feb 2007
© C21 Media 2007

Nickelodeon Online Launches Nicktropolis

According to C21 Media, Nickelodeon Online has launched Nicktropolis.

Nickelodeon's universe goes online

Nickelodeon, the children's TV network of Viacom's MTV Networks, has today launched Nicktropolis, its web-based virtual world for children.

The new project is in the same vein as online universe Second Life, allowing kids access to their own virtual community where they will have the opportunity to watch video, explore Nickelodeon-branded and original environments and interact with other kids or Nickelodeon characters in real time.

The site will push popular Nickelodeon brands and help young viewers to interact with Nickelodeon characters as well as each other. Online 'avatars', 3D representations of other kids online, will be registered anonymously so as to avoid the risk of unwanted tapping of personal information.

The initiative follows MTV Networks recent online projects such as NeoPets, AddictingGames.com and Xfire.

"Virtual worlds like Nicktropolis are part of our strategy to bring immersive, relevant entertainment experiences to our audiences wherever they are, and to build communities around our content across every kind of platform," said Judy McGrath, chairman and CEO at MTV Networks.

Antony Reeve-Crook
30 Jan 2007
© C21 Media 2007

TurboNick jumps aboard MS Vista platform

According to C21 Media, Nickelodeon has announced that it will offer TurboNick on the Windows Vista platform.

TurboNick jumps aboard MS Vista platform

Nickelodeon has confirmed it will offer its kids broadband video service TurboNick on the Windows Vista platform when the latter launches at the end of the month.

TurboNick will be launched on Media Center for Windows Vista, allowing Nickelodeon's audience to access TurboNick using a remote for the first time.

When Windows Vista starts on January 30 TurboNick users will have access to a video catalogue of Nickelodeon content by browsing either the channels, shows or Nickelodeon characters themselves. There is also an option for users to create their own personalised playlists, rate video content and play trivia challenges and games based on Nickelodeon properties.

Nick content available through the partnership includes hundreds of clips in addition to full-length Nicktoons, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar and Jimmy Neutron, as well as live-action series from The Amanda Show to Zoey 101.

The TurboNick service also goes behind the scenes with TEENick, which features online exclusives, celebrity interviews and extended versions of select kids titles.

Steve Youngwood, executive VP of digital media for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group, said the launch gives audiences a brand new way to interact with Nickelodeon's shows. "We are always looking to better our consumers' experiences. This is the latest entertainment platform on which we are able to extend our programming and content offerings for kids and families," he said.

Nickelodeon recently launched TurboNick 2.0 on Nick.com, its broadband video platform, which offers streaming video, customised playlists, content in multiple languages and the ability to search the Nickelodeon content library.


Antony Reeve-Crook
8 Jan 2007
© C21 Media 2007