Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band Are Back with Brand-New Live Concert Tour Kicking off in November 2014

Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families, has announced in the following press release, from Business Wire, the exciting Nickelodeon Preschool News that The Fresh Beat Band, Nickelodeon's hit preschool music group and stars of the hit Emmy Award-winning TV series of the same name, are giving kids and families the chance to see them live as they head back on the road for a brand-new nationwide concert tour of the USA between Wednesday 5th November 2014 and Sunday 15th February 2015!

The "Fresh Beat Band Greatest Hits Live" presented by Nickelodeon will travel to nearly 40 cities across the USA, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit and more. The show will feature Kiki, Marina, Twist and Shout performing the band's greatest hits including "Bananas", "Here We Go" and a remixed version of "Great Day", plus new songs including the pop classic, "Walk Like An Egyptian".

Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band. Photo Credit: Nickelodeon

Pre-sale tickets along with Fresh Beat Band VIP packages with meet and greets will be available at www.freshbeatbandlive.com and www.ticketmaster.com beginning Tuesday 5th August 2014. Citi card members through Citi's Private Pass Program at www.CitiPrivatePass.com will also have access to pre-sale tickets beginning Aug. 5. The general public on-sale will begin Friday 8th August 2014 and Saturday 9th August 2014.

Nickelodeon is currently in production on "Fresh Beat Band of Spies", a brand-new animated preschool series based on the hit live-action show, "The Fresh Beat Band". In the new series, Kiki (Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer), Marina (Tara Perry), Twist (Jon Beavers) and Shout (Thomas Hobson) are bandmates and also undercover spies. The pop band uses their individual talents and the coolest transforming spy gadgets to outwit a goofy cast of bad guys and solve wild and wacky mysteries. The series, which teaches problem-solving to preschoolers, is created by Nadine van der Velde and Scott Kraft ("The Fresh Beat Band"). "Fresh Beat Band of Spies" will premiere on Nick USA in 2015.

The "Fresh Beat Band" soundtracks – "The Fresh Beat Band: Music From The Hit TV Show" and "The Fresh Beat Band: More Music From The Hit TV Show Vol 2.0" – are currently available on iTunes and in stores everywhere. For more information, visit the tour website at http://www.freshbeatbandlive.com and for Fresh Beat activities and fun go to http://www.nickjr.com/the-fresh-beat-band/.

In each episode of "The Fresh Beat Band" preschoolers sing and dance along as they help The Fresh Beat Band solve everyday challenges. Preschoolers learn the fundamentals of music such as melody, rhythm, tempo and performance styles and the importance of friendship, working together, and respecting each other's differences. Ne-Yo, Justin Bieber, Jason Mraz, Wayne Brady and Sarah Chalke have all hung out with the Fresh Beats and the group is beloved by many celebrity parents.

You can find a complete list of "Fresh Beat Band Greatest Hits Live" tour dates in Nick's official press release below.

Original Nickelodeon Press Release:

Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band Are Back with Brand-New Live Concert Tour Kicking off in November

The Fresh Beat Band Greatest Hits Live Presented by Nickelodeon Will Feature New Songs Plus Fan Favorites and Travel To Cities Across the U.S. Including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and More; Tickets On Sale Starting Friday, Aug. 8

Nick's New Animated Preschool Series, Fresh Beat Band of Spies, Stars Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer (Kiki), Tara Perry (Marina), Jon Beavers (Twist) and Thomas Hobson (Shout)

August 05, 2014 11:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Fresh Beat Band, Nickelodeon’s preschool music group and stars of the Emmy Award-winning TV series of the same name, head back on the road for a brand-new nationwide concert tour Nov. 5–Feb. 15. The Fresh Beat Band Greatest Hits Live presented by Nickelodeon will travel to nearly 40 cities including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit and more. The show will feature Kiki, Marina, Twist and Shout performing the band’s greatest hits including “Bananas,” “Here We Go” and a remixed version of “Great Day,” plus new songs including the pop classic, “Walk Like An Egyptian.”

“The Fresh Beat Band is back on the road to give kids a chance to see their favorite rock stars live in concert”

Pre-sale tickets along with Fresh Beat Band VIP packages with meet and greets will be available at www.freshbeatbandlive.com and www.ticketmaster.com beginning Tuesday, Aug. 5. Citi® card members through Citi’s Private Pass Program at www.CitiPrivatePass.com will also have access to pre-sale tickets beginning Aug. 5. The general public on-sale will begin Friday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 9.

"The Fresh Beat Band is back on the road to give kids a chance to see their favorite rock stars live in concert," says Doug Cohn, SVP, Music, Nickelodeon. "This reimagined, high-energy production features the band's biggest hits, never-before-performed songs, and fun surprises that will deliver an unforgettable experience for families."

Nickelodeon is currently in production on Fresh Beat Band of Spies, a brand-new animated preschool series based on the hit live-action show, The Fresh Beat Band. In the new series, Kiki (Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer), Marina (Tara Perry), Twist (Jon Beavers) and Shout (Thomas Hobson) are bandmates and also undercover spies. The pop band uses their individual talents and the coolest transforming spy gadgets to outwit a goofy cast of bad guys and solve wild and wacky mysteries. The series, which teaches problem-solving to preschoolers, is created by Nadine van der Velde and Scott Kraft (The Fresh Beat Band). Fresh Beat Band of Spies will premiere in 2015.

The Fresh Beat Band soundtracks – The Fresh Beat Band: Music From The Hit TV Show and The Fresh Beat Band: More Music From The Hit TV Show Vol 2.0 – are currently available on iTunes and in stores everywhere. For more information, visit the tour website at http://www.freshbeatbandlive.com and for Fresh Beat activities and fun go to http://www.nickjr.com/the-fresh-beat-band/.

In each episode of The Fresh Beat Band preschoolers sing and dance along as they help The Fresh Beat Band solve everyday challenges. Preschoolers learn the fundamentals of music such as melody, rhythm, tempo and performance styles and the importance of friendship, working together, and respecting each other’s differences. Ne-Yo, Justin Bieber, Jason Mraz, Wayne Brady and Sarah Chalke have all hung out with the Fresh Beats and the group is beloved by many celebrity parents.

Nickelodeon, now in its 35th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 19 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIA, VIA.B).

2014 The Fresh Beat Greatest Hits Live TourDates:

Date - City - Theater

November 5 - Melbourne, FL - King Center for the Performing Arts
November 6 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
November 7 - Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park Amphitheatre
November 8 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
November 9 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre
November 11 - North Charleston, SC - North Charleston Performing Arts Center
November 13 - Columbus, OH - Palace Theatre
November 14 - Akron, OH - Akron Civic Theatre
November 15 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
November 16 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater
November 18 - Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre
November 19 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre
November 20 - Park City, KS - Hartman Arena
November 21 - Grand Prairie, TX - Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
November 22 - Baton Rouge, LA - Baton Rouge River Center
November 23 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center (2 shows)
November 25 - San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre
November 26 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Live
November 28 - St. Louis, MO - Peabody Opera House
November 29 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre (2 shows)
November 30 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
December 2 - Binghamton, NY - Broome County Arena
December 3 - Worcester, MA - Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts
December 4 - Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts Center
December 6 - Wallingford, CT - Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre
December 7 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre (2 shows)
December 10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Benedum Center
December 11 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre
December 12 - Syracuse, NY - Landmark Theater
December 13 - Toms River, NJ - Pine Belt Arena (2 shows)
December 14 - Westbury, NY - Theatre at Westbury (2 shows)
December 16 - Erie, PA - Warner Theatre
December 19 - Baltimore, MD - Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
December 20 - Columbia, SC - Township Auditorium
January 17-18 - New York, NY - Theater at Madison Square Garden (4 shows)
February 15 - Los Angeles, CA - Shrine Auditorium & Expo Center (2 shows)

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Nickelodeon USA Wins First Week Of August 2014 With Kids And Total Viewers; "A Fairly Odd Summer" Draws Nearly 3 Million Viewers

Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and families, has announced in the following press release, from TVByTheNumbers.com, the exciting Nickelodeon News that Nick USA closed the first week of August 2014 (Monday 28th July to Sunday 3rd July 2014) as basic cable's number-one network in total day with Kids 2-11 (2.6/829K) and total viewers (1.6M)!

The Saturday 2nd August 2014 premiere of "A Fairly Odd Summer", Nick's third and latest original TV movie based off the networks hit original animated series "The Fairly OddParents" series, was number one in its time period (8:00-9:30 p.m.) with Kids 2-11 (5.0/1.6M, +43% versus a year ago) and Kids 6-11 (5.7/1.1M, +27%), and averaged 2.8M total viewers.

Additionally, Nickelodeon scored the week's top preschool series with "PAW Patrol" posting a 5.8/712K rating with Kids 2-5.

Original Nickelodeon Press Release:

Nickelodeon WINS WEEK WITH KIDS AND TOTAl Viewers

A Fairly Odd Summer Original TV Movie is Top Telecast in Time Period with Kids and Draws Nearly 3 Million Viewers

PAW Patrol Leads Preschool Category

NEW YORK – August 5, 2014 – Nickelodeon closed the first week of August (7/28/14-8/03/14) as basic cable’s number-one network in total day with Kids 2-11 (2.6/829K) and total viewers (1.6M).

The Saturday night premiere (8/2/14) of A Fairly Odd Summer, Nick’s latest original TV movie based off of the hit The Fairly Odd Parents series, was number one in its time period (8:00–9:30 p.m.) with Kids 2-11 (5.0/1.6M, +43% versus a year ago) and Kids 6-11 (5.7/1.1M, +27%), and averaged 2.8M total viewers.

Additionally, Nickelodeon scored the week’s top preschool series with PAW Patrol posting a 5.8/712K rating with Kids 2-5.

Nickelodeon, now in its 35th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 19 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

Tags: A Fairly Odd Summer Ratings, Nickelodeon Ratings

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Nickelodeon UK To Premiere "Power Rangers Super Megaforce" In September 2014; Bandai Debuts PRSMF Toy Line In The UK

ToyNews, a monthly trade magazine for the toy business, is reporting the exciting "Power Rangers" news in the following article that Nickelodeon UK, the number one commercial kids TV network in the UK, has announced that Nick UK will start to premiere and show Saban's "Power Rangers Super Megaforce", the 21st and latest series in the long-running "Power Rangers" franchise, on Monday 8th September 2014, as part of Nick UK's Autumn/Winter 2014 programming highlights! It is currently unknown whether Nick UK will air PRSMF on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland or Nick UK's animation and action channel, Nicktoons UK and Ireland.

To celebrate the UK debut of the newest season of "Power Rangers", Bandai has unveiled the toy company's accompanying toy line.

Available now is the fully articulated Action Hero 12.5cm figures, each of which comes with a battle accessory.

Fans of the show can also collect the Legendary Ranger Keys, and then download the free Key Scanner App from the App Store or Google Play to scan their key collection and morph into their favourite characters.

The keys can also be used to unlock lights and action sounds in the Deluxe Legendary Morpher as well as the Deluxe Super Mega Sabre.

Elsewhere, kids can combine Zord Vehicles into the Deluxe Legendary Megazord to create powerful combinations using the 'Zord Builder' system.

The "Power Rangers Super Megaforce" range is now available from all good toy retailers, including The Entertainer, and will be supported with a heavyweight TV campaign as well as extensive PR and online activity.

You can find photos of Bandai's new "Power Rangers Super Megaforce" merchandise range in Toy News' original article below.

Additionally, to lead-up to the UK premiere of "Power Rangers Super Megaforce", Toxic Magazine is reporting that Saban's "Power Rangers Super Megaforce" have teamed up with the champions of 5-aside youth football, the Power League, to create the "Summer of Power", a Power Rangers Super Megaforce Course, over the summer holidays! The footballing course, aimed at 3-10 year olds, will run every week at a different Power League centre nationwide throughout August 2014, making The Power Rangers Super Megaforce Course the SUPER MEGA place for kids to be this summer!

The Power Rangers Super Megaforce Course kicks off on Monday 4th and Tuesday 5th August 2014 at Power League's Millhill, London centre. The course will then make its way to Power League's centres; Derby (Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th August 2014), Leeds (Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th August 2014) and Manchester (Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th August 2014) – the sessions will run from 9am-3pm. For further details on the course visit www.powerleague.co.uk. To celebrate the Power Rangers teaming up with football, Bandai have got sets of five "Power Rangers" figures to give away to five lucky winners! Just answer the simple question and fill in your details on Toxic's official competition webpage to enter! Go Go Power Rangers!

From ToyNews-Online.biz:

Bandai launches Power Rangers Super Megaforce toy line

Fans can combine Zord Vehicles into the Deluxe Legendary Megazord.

The new season of Power Rangers Super Megaforce lands on TV screens on Nickelodeon from September 8th, and Bandai has revealed its accompanying toy line.

Available now is the fully articulated Action Hero 12.5cm figures, each of which comes with a battle accessory.

Fans of the show can also collect the Legendary Ranger Keys, and then download the free Key Scanner App from the App Store or Google Play to scan their key collection and morph into their favourite characters.

The keys can also be used to unlock lights and action sounds in the Deluxe Legendary Morpher as well as the Deluxe Super Mega Sabre.

Elsewhere, kids can combine Zord Vehicles into the Deluxe Legendary Megazord to create powerful combinations using the ‘Zord Builder’ system.

The Power Rangers Super Megaforce range is now available and will be supported with a heavyweight TV campaign as well as extensive PR and online activity.

Take a look at the range below:

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GP Flair Unveils "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Summer/Autumn 2014 Marketing Initiatives; Announces Return Of The TMNT Shellraiser Tour

Toy World Magazine, a trade magazine for the toy business, is reporting the Booyakasha TMNT news that to celebrate the launch of its "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Z-Line and Autumn figure collections, GP Flair has unveiled a programme of marketing initiatives to run across the Summer!

For print and digital, Flair has created a 'Getting Zippy' campaign emulating the fun nature of the new Turtles Z-Line play sets. The campaign runs through August and early September 2014 and involves a competition to win one of 20 pairs of tickets for Go Ape's Junior Tree Top experience with a tree top safari and awesome zip lines. The winners will also share £1,000 worth of Z-Line toys and action figures.

Kids can enter through advertorials shown in Toxic, Mega and Panini's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" magazine, or online via a partnership with Super Awesome. The press and digital campaign expects over 1.3million opportunities ensuring heightened awareness for the new TMNT Z-Line playsets.

On-air Flair is partnering with Nickelodeon UK and Character World on a "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" competition running daily on Nicktoons UK and Ireland and nick.co.uk, giving fans the chance to win the ultimate bedroom makeover kit. Open from now until Sunday 17th August 2014, the contest will see the eventual winner receive £1,000 towards bedroom decoration plus the aid of an interior designer, to help create a turtles-inspired lair of their very own!

Experientially, fans up and down the country will have the chance to climb on board a life-size replica of the GP Flair Shellraiser, meet Leonardo and Raphael and sample the brand-new toy range, as the Nickelodeon Shellraiser Tour returns for another year. In partnership with Tesco, the experiential activity will visit 10 stores across the summer, starting from Thursday 7th August 2014 and will run alongside an exclusive Tesco sales promotion giving customers the chance to win a family holiday to Greece when they purchase the orange ooze canister.

For more information about Flair's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" toy range call Flair on 0208 643 0320 or email enquiries@flairplc.co.uk.

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Nickelodeon Launches New Nick.com with Unique Horizontal Layout, Edge-to-Edge Design, TV Everywhere and Slate of Original, Digital-Only Series

Below is Nickelodeon USA's official Press Release, from Business Wire, announcing the launch of Nick USA's newly redesigned Nick.com web site that takes its creative inspiration from the network's Emmy Award-winning Nick App!

Nickelodeon's new Nick.com live today (Graphic: Business Wire)

Additionally, Nickelodeon also announces in the same press release, below, the launch of Nick.com's first digital-only series, which kicks off today, Monday 4th August 2014, with the debut of "Welcome to the Wayne", developed and produced by Nickelodeon expressly for its digital platforms. Comprised of six 4-to-5-minute episodes that will be available each on Nick.com and the Nick App, the series follows the adventures of Olly Timbers and Ansi Molina, two ten-year-old boys exploring the crazy, unpredictable world of their New York City apartment building, The Wayne. Created by Emmy Award-winning writer and composer Billy Lopez ("The Wonder Pets", "Phineas and Ferb"), "Welcome to the Wayne" is also currently being developed for a TV series for Nickelodeon.

From left to right: Ansi Molina, Olly Timbers, Saraline Timbers, Leif Bornewell III in Nickelodeon's Welcome to the Wayne on the Nick.com and the Nick App. (Graphic: Business Wire)

"Welcome to the Wayne" is the first of four original digital-only series rolling out on Nick.com and the Nick App this year, with more in development. The other titles in Nickelodeon's original digital series slate include the previously announced live-action "Junior Eye", created by Will and Aaron Eisenberg; live-action "Chase Champion" (working title), created and directed by Michael Chaves and executive produced by Jeremy Slutskin; and the animated "Mr. Sheep's Department of Dreams", created by Alan Foreman.

Nickelodeon Launches New Nick.com with Unique Horizontal Layout, Edge-to-Edge Design, TV Everywhere and Slate of Original, Digital-Only Series

Nick.com's New Design Inspired by Net's Successful Mobile Nick App

Slate of Original Digital-Only Series Bows Today on Nick.com with Debut of Animated Welcome to the Wayne

August 04, 2014 11:26 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon today officially launched its newly redesigned Nick.com web site that takes its creative inspiration from the network’s Emmy Award-winning Nick App, which debuted last year and now has more than 10 million downloads. The new Nick.com leaves behind conventional long pages and vertical scroll in favor of a unique interface: an edge-to-edge landscape design that fills the screen as kids navigate the site horizontally. The new site will also host a slate of new original, short-form, digital-only series produced just for Nick.com and the Nick App, leading with the animated Welcome to the Wayne (http://www.nick.com/welcome-to-the-wayne/) debuting today.

Putting kids in control of their experience with the site, the new Nick.com lets them easily click or swipe as they wish across the site's content-heavy offering of games, videos, the famed Do Not Touch button, full-length TV series through TV Everywhere authentication and a slate of its own original animated and live-action series. The new design is initially launching for desktop and laptop computers, but will be fully responsive on tablet and smartphones by fall.

The new site offers a consistent, horizontal approach throughout the games, videos, and show sections, making it easy for kids to know how to use the site. The new design also puts the emphasis on content, with a simplified approach to layout and navigation. In addition, the new site offers an innovative app-like video viewing experience: video is played back using the full real estate of the site, and just like apps, the player controls and navigation fade away, and then reappear with a rollover or tap.

"The new Nick.com is the embodiment of Nickelodeon in the digital space, from its funny and irreverent attitude down to its almost endless content areas filled with unexpected surprises and the most popular shows and characters," said Matthew Evans, Senior Vice President, Digital, Nickelodeon. "While the new design is unique in the overall market, it's already a familiar winner with kids because it takes its creative cues directly from the innovation of the Nick App, including meeting kids' demand for new content with original digital-only series. We're using every pixel possible to deliver the best experience imaginable to our audience."

Nick.com's first digital-only series kicks off today, Monday, Aug. 4, with the debut of Welcome to the Wayne, developed and produced by Nickelodeon expressly for its digital platforms. Comprised of six 4-to-5-minute episodes that will be available each on Nick.com and the Nick App, the series follows the adventures of Olly Timbers and Ansi Molina, two ten-year-old boys exploring the crazy, unpredictable world of their New York City apartment building, The Wayne. Created by Emmy Award-winning writer and composer Billy Lopez (The Wonder Pets, Phineas and Ferb), Welcome to the Wayne is also currently being developed for a TV series for Nickelodeon.

Welcome to the Wayne is the first of four original digital-only series rolling out on Nick.com and the Nick App this year, with more in development. The other titles in Nickelodeon’s original digital series slate include the previously announced live-action Junior Eye, created by Will and Aaron Eisenberg; live-action Chase Champion (working title), created and directed by Michael Chaves and executive produced by Jeremy Slutskin; and the animated Mr. Sheep’s Department of Dreams, created by Alan Foreman.

Nick.com will offer access to more new episodes and series than ever before. To watch full-length episodes of Nick's hit TV shows on the new web site, including favorites like SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Haunted Hathaways and The Thundermans, among others, users can authenticate through participating TV providers including AT&T U-verse, Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Cox DIRECTV, RCN, Suddenlink, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS, which collectively reach more than 50 million homes.

Nickelodeon, now in its 35th 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 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 19 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

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Also, from The New York Times:

Nickelodeon's Digital Generation

"Welcome to The Wayne" will run on the web and mobile. Credit Nickelodeon

Meet Olly Timbers. Olly, an orange-haired 10-year-old boy, says he likes "rum raisin ice cream, going on adventures, getting scratched just behind his elbow and also other kinds of ice cream."

He's the star of "Welcome to The Wayne," Nickelodeon's first original animated series created exclusively for the web and mobile. Making its debut on a redesigned Nick.com site and on the Nickelodeon app on Monday, the series follows Olly's adventures with a friend in their wacky apartment building.

After its start online, "Welcome to The Wayne" will be developed into a traditional television series.

The program is part of an overhaul at Viacom's 36-year-old children's network to discover, develop and disseminate shows for a new generation of "Rugrats" who barely distinguish among a television set, a laptop, a tablet and a mobile phone.

Following their viewers' lead, Nickelodeon has started a number of initiatives that increasingly blur the lines among an ever-proliferating number of screens. "Welcome to The Wayne" is the first web-exclusive series produced by the network's new animated shorts program, which seeks to create a pipeline of fresh content for the web, mobile and, potentially, television. The network also is introducing a left-to-right scrolling Nick.com, featuring videos and games and designed for children to navigate the same way they swipe through mobile apps.

Nickelodeon hopes "Welcome to The Wayne" will match the popularity of Dora the Explorer, pictured, beloved by an earlier cohort of viewers. Credit Nickelodeon

"These kids were born into digital TV land," said Cyma Zarghami, president of Viacom Inc.'s Nickelodeon Group.

As they respond to the rapid change in viewing habits, Nickelodeon and other children's television networks are seeking the right balance of programming for traditional and digital screens. At Nickelodeon, that means creating more programming than ever before across six outlets: the Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nicktoons and Teen Nick television networks, and Nick.com and the Nick app. The network is also starting a new Nick Jr. mobile app. While the next generation of viewers is the most connected in history, children today still watch nearly three and a half hours of traditional television a day. With most of the advertising and distribution revenues still tied to that medium, network executives have to be careful not to ignore it.

But waiting too long to shake up their models could be ruinous for the television groups, especially as Amazon, Netflix and other online outlets pour resources into acquiring and developing their own original children's series.

"We're in the business of reinvention," Ms. Zarghami said.

The risks of inaction are all too real at Nickelodeon, where a ratings crisis rattled the network about three years ago.

Audience ratings plunged, as a generation of viewers outgrew Nickelodeon and loyal viewers left the network. Competition from other television and digital outlets exploded. While the network had a lineup of popular programs with "SpongeBob SquarePants," "iCarly," "Dora the Explorer" and "Dora and Friends: Into the City!," it needed new hits.

"We didn't see it coming, which is one of the scariest things that can happen," Ms. Zarghami said.

Some in the media business worried that the troubles at Nickelodeon were a warning sign that today's digitally wired children would never grow into traditional television watchers.

"There were a lot of people who legitimately believed that it was over for kids' television — Nick in particular and TV more broadly," said Brian Wieser, a media analyst with Pivotal Research. "But no good evidence suggests that there was a meaningful decline in total kids' consumption of television."

Despite the concerns, children today are watching more television on a traditional television set than they did five years ago. Children ages 2 to 11 now spend an average of 111 hours, 47 minutes a month watching traditional television, according to Nielsen's Cross-Platform Report for the first quarter of 2014.

"We're in the business of reinvention," said Cyma Zarghami, president of Nickelodeon Group. Credit Nancy Borowick for The New York Times

That is up from the average of 108 hours, 45 minutes a month children in that age group spent watching traditional television in 2009. "The bigger question to be asked was whether or not Nick is still able to produce new hits or whether they are broken," Mr. Wieser said.

After its ratings dropped, Nickelodeon overhauled its operations. The network researched the next generation of children, those born since 2005, who in addition to watching television grew up searching for funny cat videos on YouTube.

These youngsters love their families, want to save the world, are very well behaved, have few close friends but wide social circles and do not like bad language, meanness and bloody violence, the research showed, according to Ms. Zarghami. "Kids are looking for nuggets of funny," she said.

Nickelodeon is trying to figure out how to make them laugh. It started its animated shorts program with a focus on finding and grooming a new generation of creative talent to produce humorous content. Established creators act as mentors for the new talent, and the final products are developed to appear on the web, mobile and television. "Welcome to The Wayne" is one of the four digital-only series from the program being released this year, and more are in the works.

Just as "SpongeBob SquarePants," "iCarly" and "Dora the Explorer" defined Nickelodeon for a generation of children, network executives hope that this roster of digital characters will become as memorable to the next generation of viewers. "We are looking at new talent as diamonds in the rough, and we are polishing them up in this new system," said Russell Hicks, president of content development and production at Nickelodeon Group.

Nickelodeon also went to work on a new Nick.com, which had not been redesigned since the mid-1990s. The new site, unveiled last week, resembles a mobile app and features thousands of games and full-length television series for people with cable or satellite subscriptions. For the first time, it is offering digital-only series for all visitors, even those without a subscription. It also features the mobile app's famous Do Not Touch button, which children touch an average of 20 times a session to set off a silly animation, like a piece of pizza splatting against the computer screen.

"We have a stronger pipeline with more on deck for this new generation," Ms. Zarghami said.

It is unclear whether Nickelodeon's strategy is the right one. Its primary competitor, the Disney Channel, was first to introduce apps that streamed shows. But Disney Channel has taken a more cautious approach to overhauling its television offerings. While Nickelodeon has been experimenting with programs like "AwesomenessTV," a sketch comedy show stocked with YouTube personalities, the Disney Channel has remained focused on its signature brand of polished sitcoms.

Regardless, Nickelodeon still has its work cut out for it. Ratings are about flat this year, and traffic to Nickelodeon's desktop and mobile sites declined to 11 million unique United States visitors in June, down 30 percent from the same period last year, according to comScore.

And competition is increasing. Amazon, which carries Nickelodeon shows, is introducing three original children's series this summer on its Prime Instant Video service. Netflix, for its part, has announced plans for a lineup of original series for children.

"The competitive landscape is definitely bigger than it used to be," Ms. Zarghami said. "Now, more than before, the content really matters — not just how they get it."

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