Musician Charlie Kogen Reveals How He Sold a Song to Nickelodeon's 'School of Rock'

Multi-talented musician Charlie Kogen, ’23, has revealed in an interview with The Stanford Daily how he sold a song to Nickelodeon's hit comedy series, School of Rock!:

[TSD]: Talk more about the process of how you got a song sold to School of Rock on Nickelodeon.

[CK]: Well, my dad is a television writer and producer. At the time, he was working on School of Rock, a TV series based on the movie. The show always featured music, and at one point, I had written a song called “I Will Never Be Your Guy,” which my dad showed to some people on the show. They really wanted to use it. I was only 13 at the time, and I loved the song so much I didn’t want to give it up. I decided I would write another song that they could use that kind of sounded like the one they liked. In the end, I wrote a song called “You Make Me Smile.” In the episode, it was sung by the character Lawrence at a school talent show, and he was trying to woo a girl in his Spanish class. However throughout the performance, there are all these stage antics and things that go awry and undercut the sweetness of the song. It was still pretty cool to see something I wrote on TV.

You can read The Stanford Daily's super interview with Charlie in full on stanforddaily.com.

School of Rock is available to stream on Paramount+. Try it free today at paramountplus.com.

More Nick: Paramount Plus to Debut New 'iCarly' Series on June 17, 2021!

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ViacomCBS to Host Virtual Upfront Event on May 19, 2021

ViacomCBS and Disney have staked out familiar ground during mid-May for their upfront pitches to advertisers, but early signs indicate that 2021 will see continued rethinking of the annual ad-buying ritual, Deadline reports.

The ViacomCBS event will be held on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, in virtual form due to ongoing Covid-19 (coronavirus) restrictions on travel and public gatherings. The single-day event follows a two-day edition last year, which was held May 18 and 19. This year’s upfront will highlight the offerings of the full network portfolio, from CBS to cable networks like Nickelodeon and MTV as well as streaming platforms. CBS All Access will be rebranded next month to Paramount+.

Disney, meanwhile, is making some significant shifts even as it preserves its presence in the traditional broadcast upfront week, adding a tech showcase on February 23 and a “development event” on March 23. The company will host a virtual upfront on May 18, which has long been the date when an ABC-led event took place in New York’s Lincoln Center. But it has also added two lead-up events, creating three points of contact with advertisers and other partners, and also ending the involvement of Hulu in the NewFronts. Hulu, which was jointly run by Disney, Fox and NBCUniversal before Disney took full control of the streaming service, was among the early standard-bearers at the NewFronts since the showcase started in 2009.

The Hulu presentation will be folded into the May 18 event hosted by Disney Advertising Sales. In addition to Hulu, it will feature ABC, ABC News, Disney Channels Worldwide, Disney Digital, ESPN, ESPN+, Freeform, FX Networks and National Geographic.

The Disney Platform Technology Showcase on February 23 will aim to highlight Disney’s technology investments and approach to data, measurement, ad experiences and transactions with marketers. The March 23 event will focus purely on programming.

NBCUniversal has not identified a date as of yet for its conventional upfront. Its recently added what it plans to be an annual element in its approach, a tech-style event called “One21” that will showcase the full capabilities across Comcast, NBCU and Sky.

Fox and the CW, the other broadcast networks with a presence during the mid-May spate of presentations traditionally held in fabled New York, are still finalizing their plans. Especially coming off a turbulent 2020 and facing deep uncertainties about the  but they are increasingly looking to disrupt the traditional spring upfront timing and September-to-May programming emphasis. The pattern took shape decades ago in part due to automakers launching new car models each fall.

The TV ad business, which is collectively worth at least $60 billion a year, has been in flux due to rising streaming adoption, cord-cutting and declining ratings. Those trends have all accelerated during Covid-19, with ad dollars shifting to streaming. NBCU launched Peacock last year as an ad-focused entry into streaming, while Hulu’s ad business has added billions to the service’s subscription revenues. WarnerMedia plans to introduce an ad-supported tier of HBO Max this year.

Momentum has been building for the TV industry to formally adopt a calendar-year approach to upfront selling and TV ratings, which is a direction media sales teams have already been moving in recent years.

From WrapPro:

Upfront Week Lowdown: TV Networks Fight for Relevance as Streaming Dominance Grows

TV network chiefs prepare to sell themselves a year after streaming swallowed the bundle

For years during May’s Upfront Week, television network executives have trotted out stars to sell advertisers on why good old-fashioned linear TV is the best place to spend marketing dollars. That pitch has become harder to make as the number of linear viewers has dwindled and the companies that own those networks have reorganized to prioritize streaming.

But this year, they might not even try.          

What was once the enemy is now being welcomed as the roommate. Over the last year of pandemic-accelerated changes in the industry, there has been an explosion of streaming services, many owned by the same companies that run NBC, ABC, CBS and some of big cable networks that will take the virtual stage this week. Those companies (at least those with prized streaming services) are now the ones pushing the migration of ad dollars toward digital.

"What we're trying to do is persuade advertisers to bring more of their investments over to our streaming services," one network executive told TheWrap. "We feel like there is a lag in terms of the investment pattern."

Streaming is still dominated by the likes of Netflix and Amazon, along with the biggest newcomer in Disney+. All three of those services, plus Apple TV+ and HBO Max, do not feature advertising. But there has been a rise in ad-supported streaming, whether through free services like the Fox-owned Tubi or Pluto TV, which is owned by ViacomCBS. NBCUniversal launched Peacock, a streamer that has both free and paid ad-supported options, and ViacomCBS supersized CBS All Access into Paramount+. WarnerMedia is debuting an ad-supported version of HBO Max next month.

All told, there were 6 million fewer households subscribed to some sort of cable or satellite package by the end of 2020, representing a 7.3% loss. The percentage of U.S. homes subscribed to a cable package fell to around 60%, a level not seen since the early 1990s.

That shift from linear to streaming is happening quicker than many imagined. Disney now gets nearly as much ad revenue from Hulu as it does it from its broadcast and cable networks. In its most recent quarter, the company's direct-to-consumer business brought in $717 million in ad revenue, while its broadcasting segment (ABC plus its owned and operated local TV stations) drove $722 million and cable networks like ESPN and Freeform garnered $711 million.

"I would say the vast majority of marketers, either presently or will in the future, get to a place where they're making no meaningful distinction" between linear and digital TV content, said Brian Wieser, global president of business intelligence for GroupM, one of the biggest media buying firms. "At the end of the day, if it's premium professionally produced content, it's not any different whether it's delivered through a connected TV, or if it's delivered through a traditional linear environment."

However, Wieser noted that despite the decline of the bundle roughly 80 million homes still subscribe to cable or satellite. But the writing is definitely on the wall. "There's a consumer migration going on; viewing patterns are changing. And, yes, they have grown and that has very much accelerated," the executive said. "But the reality is that it's not yet at parity with broadcast television."

Wieser argues that parity will probably never come, in the sense that broadcast distribution will always have the widest reach. "To view content that's delivered through an internet-connected device will always require a subscription to some service, unless you're imagining a world of municipal Wi-Fi, where cities just give it away.”

A+E Networks is one of the larger media companies that isn't tied to some kind of streaming service, but Peter Olsen, the company's executive vice president of ad sales, argues that's not necessarily a bad thing. For one, it makes A+E a content arms dealer — ask Sony how profitable that business can be — with its shows carried on multiple platforms. "We have content on Peacock; we have content on Discovery+; we have content on Hulu," Olsen said. "We think, in the long term, we can win. Because we're not placing all of our bets on one platform or on one thing."

Few network executives are better primed to straddle the line between the old and new model than Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins, who founded AwesomenessTV, one of the first successful YouTube channels. Especially with Paramount+ and Pluto TV in house, he said it's more important for Nickelodeon to become a brand rather than a singular network.

"Linear cable television is still our biggest reach vehicle today - we reach more kids through linear than anyplace else. But the truth is, we also know that kids are consuming content in many different ways on many different platforms," Robbins told TheWrap. "The brand was bigger than just linear television.

Despite the subscription losses, Olsen said the pace of decline is starting to slow, giving hopes that some sort of equilibrium will soon be reached. “We actually are seeing, year-to-date, a slowing of the subscription decline," he said. "There’s been kind of a market slowing versus the last two years. So, yes, continued migration, continued disruption, but at a slower pace."

Last year's upfront season was hammered by the pandemic, which erased ad budgets and rendered sectors like movies and travel virtually nonexistent. Typically, around $8 billion to $10 billion in ad spending is committed for the five main broadcast networks during each upfront period. That final number can be lower, however, since the figure represents commitments and not spending, which can be deflated if ratings guarantees are not met.

At the same time, Nielsen is reeling from the disclosure that it may have been undercounting viewers during the COVID era, which has enraged the TV networks who have complained for years that their viewers were already being undercounted.

Discovery CEO David Zaslav blasted Nielsen earlier this week during the MoffettNathanson Media & Communications Summit. "We’re dealing with this antiquated system of measurement that advertisers love because they can rely on something that fundamentally undercounts all of us. As great as our industry is, we haven’t been able to get Nielsen to get their act together.”

The good news for 2021 is that, overall, ad revenue is going to bounce back, one top media buyer believes.

Magna Global predicts that overall ad revenue for media companies will rise 6.4% to $240 billion this year, an increase from projections at the end of 2020. Digital ad formats will take two-thirds of total advertising sales for the first time, though national TV advertising is set to increase 3.4%. Some of that will no doubt rely on NBCUniversal's broadcast of the Tokyo Olympics & assuming that they are still held.

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Más Nick: 2021 on Nickelodeon | New Shows, Specials, Podcasts, Events, Movies, Episodes, and More!

Originally published: Thursday, February 11, 2021.

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The Rusty Krab Experience Brings SpongeBob Mania to Houston, Texas

The Krabby Patty formula is one of TV’s best-kept secrets.

The Rusty Krab Experience is a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed pop-up restaurant and bar in downtown Houston.

It’s the burger of choice for the citizens of Bikini Bottom, the fictional home of SpongeBob SquarePants. The cartoon icon is a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, where he serves them daily and thwarts attempts by nemesis Plankton to steal the recipe.

A Houston, Texas pop-up has cracked its own Krabby Patty formula. And it isn’t quite so mysterious. It includes a beef patty, American cheese and a wondrously soft bun. (Bacon and a fried egg cost extra.)

It's not a faithful recreation, however, as the real Krabby Patty has no animal protein in it.

You can get it, and meet SpongeBob himself, through Aug. 1 at the Rusty Krab Experience, an interactive pop-up and restaurant in downtown Houston. It opened in April and has since been extended multiple times because of its popularity. Kids are welcome, of course, but it’s a 21-and-older party after 9 nightly, where they use sentence enhancers such as <dolphin noise> and <dolphin noise>.

Owner Sam Chand says he got the idea from his 9-year-old daughter, a huge SpongeBob fan. The same space, next to Capitol Lofts, hosted a Harry Potter pop-up in October and one inspired by The Office earlier this year.

“People loved it, and we just kept on going,” Chand, a former nightclub owner, told the Houston Chronicle. “It was something I was willing to jump into and experiment and see how it works.”

More than food

The Rusty Krab is, no surprise, his most successful pop-up to date. SpongeBob SquarePants debuted in 1999 and quickly grew into a worldwide phenomenon, appealing equally to kids and adults. It is Nickelodeon’s highest-rated program and the fifth-longest-running animated series on U.S. television. Three feature films have been released, and it was adapted into a critically acclaimed Broadway musical. The show has so-far generated $13 billion in merchandise revenue.

The Rusty Krab menu includes everything from chum (chicken) nuggets to pizzas to SpongeBob-themed drinks. Brunch includes chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits and French toast. Condiments come in sea-inspired pastel colors.

A Krabby Patty is one of the options at the Rusty Krab. Joey Guerra / Joey Guerra

But food isn’t the attraction here. It’s the venue itself, a dual-level marvel of color and detail. Bright-pink jellyfish accent the walls. You can pose inside a boat or on a stationary bike. And you can sit for your own “Bottom of Bikini” driver’s license photo.

Rapper Los Fidel, a self-proclaimed “Nickelodeon and SpongeBob enthusiast,” came from Connecticut with his girlfriend to visit the Rusty Krab. The entire trip cost them about $1,000.

“It was worth every penny,” he says. “If you’re from the area, you should definitely go. It was the best day ever.”

An ‘artistic adaptation’

It’s a clean, inviting space. Current COVID-19 guidelines include socially distanced tables and a maximum capacity of 100 guests per time slot. (Normal occupancy is 240.) Guests scan QR codes on tables for menus, and they’re also in large lettering on the wall. Couches, handrails and interactive exhibits are disinfected between time slots. Guests can remove masks for photos but must wear them when not seated.

Shelby Polite, Alina Briones and Sesley Polite pose for selfie photos in front of the main entrance sign at The Rusty Krab Experience, a Spongebob-themed restaurant and event space in the old Bird Dog Saint location Monday, May 10, 2021 in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke / Contributor

A meticulous re-creation of SpongeBob’s home includes his living area and bedroom, where you can pose for Instagram-worthy snaps. SpongeBob himself pops in regularly for photos with fans.

“The kids simply go bananas over that,” Chand says.

The Rusty Krab, however, is “not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Nickelodeon, or the SpongeBob brand directly,” according to a disclaimer. Instead, it’s dubbed an “artistic adaptation recreation of an amazing series that added value to our childhood.”

That explains the slight difference in names. Rusty Krab, not Krusty Krab; Bottom of Bikini, not Bikini Bottom.

This isn’t the first SpongeBob-inspired eatery. Other Krusty Krab-inspired restaurants have opened in the Palestinian territory, Costa Rica and Moscow. Much closer to home, a Texas federal judge stopped a Houston company from opening a restaurant called the Krusty Krab in Kemah in 2018, citing trademark infringement.

It’s so far been smooth sailing for the Rusty Krab. Reservations are optional but strongly suggested and must be booked in addition to purchasing tickets for specific two-hour slots. It offers birthday packages and daily scavenger hunts, along with weekly karaoke, trivia and cosplay nights.

Inside the main dining room, it’s a loud and lively atmosphere. SpongeBob SquarePants clips play on multiple screens. DJ Brody pumps out sing-along hits from Lizzo, Bruno Mars and Outkast. Waitstaff bops along to “The Cupid Shuffle.” When the DJ plays “Wobble,” a young girl dances excitedly alongside her mom.

The Rusty Krab Experience

Hours: 4-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 4 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Saturdays, 4-11 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 1

Where: 711 Main, Ste. 100

Details: $30 ages 15 and older, $20 kids ages 5-14, free for kids under five years old; does not include food and drinks; reservations are strongly suggested; 21 and up after 9 p.m.; therustykrabexperience.com

“The most important thing for me is for people to have fun here. They spend a lot of money to come through. We have people traveling from out of state just to experience this,” Chand says. “I want them to be satisfied with the photo ops, the exhibits, the interactive games, the food and drinks — the whole enchilada.”

Or, more appropriately, the whole Krab Patty.

The Rusty Krab Experience is a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed pop-up restaurant and bar in downtown Houston.

Presumably, Sol Yousefi and Leslie Montemayor have better luck than SpongeBob ever does in obtaining a driver’s license. Michael Wyke / Contributor

The Rusty Krab Experience is a Spongebob Squarepants-themed
pop-up restaurant and bar in downtown Houston.

Myriam Martinez and Lee Castro take selfies in front of the main entrance
at the Rusty Krab Experience, a Spongebob-themed restaurant and
event space in the old Bird Dog Saint location. Michael Wyke / Contributor

Owner Sam Chand says his 9-year-old daughter, a SpongeBob SquarePants fan, was the inspiration behind the Rusty Krab Experience. Michael Wyke / Contributor

Rossi Valero poses on the recreated SpongeBob bedroom as Jeremy Schneider shoots her photo at The Rusty Krab Experience, a Spongebob-themed restaurant and event space in the old Bird Dog Saint location Monday, May 10, 2021 in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke / Contributor

The Rusty Krab Experience is a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed pop-up restaurant and bar in downtown Houston.

DJ Brody spins in front of the menu during the dinner hour at The Rusty Krab Experience, a Spongebob-themed restaurant and event space in the old Bird Dog Saint location Monday, May 10, 2021 in Houston, TX. Michael Wyke/Contributor

Watch SpongeBob SquarePants on Nickelodeon and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run & Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years on Paramount+!

Listen to The SpongeBob Musical here!: https://spongebobmusical.blogspot.com

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated is now available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices!

CALLING ALL GOOFY GOOBERS! (ROCK!) Are ya ready for a deep dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants? The SpongeBob YouTube channel is THE PLACE for all fan-favorite SpongeBob moments! We’re serving up everything from legendary scenes to remixes of classic songs to deep dives into Bikini Bottom lore. Be sure to check back every week for Music Mondays, Wumbo Wednesdays, and Flashback Fridays! Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/SpongeBobOfficial!

Shop SpongeBob!: https://www.spongebobshop.com - SpongeBob face masks now available, with ALL proceeds going to charity!

More Nick: Nickelodeon Greenlights 'The Patrick Star Show'; To Premiere Summer 2021!

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Sarah Reiners of Bemidji Wins Kids' Choice Awards 2021 Sweepstakes Prize Pack

Sarah Reiners of Bemidji Wins Kids' Choice Awards Sweepstakes Prize Pack

(Bemidji, MN) (May 14, 2021) -Sarah Reiners of Bemidji has won a Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards 2021 Sweepstakes Prize Pack from ViacomCBS! Sarah is a member of Paul Bunyan Communications, an affiliate of ViacomCBS, that participated in the sweepstakes.

As a sweepstakes prize pack winner, Sarah will receive the following:

• Official Nickelodeon Slime

• Kid's Choice Awards chocolate Blimp smash cake

• Karaoke party light-up boombox Sing-station

• (2) Adult wireless Bluetooth headphones

• (2) Kids wireless Bluetooth headphones

• (4) Insulated Hydroflask stainless steel water bottles

• (2) Sets of Hydroflask caps

• (2) Sets of Hydroflask handles & bottoms

• (4) Color-changing KCA cups

• (4) Nickelodeon/KCA crazy straws

• Various glow-in-the-dark accessories

• Various Nickelodeon/KCA customization stickers

"This is so cool! I try to enter all the contests that Paul Bunyan Communications puts on and saw the information on their Facebook page. I clicked on it, filled out the form, and wouldn't you know I won! My kids are super excited," said Reiners.

"As a television service provider, we have the opportunity to participate in and promote some national sweepstakes through ViacomCBS. Nickelodeon is one of those networks and if you have kids, odds are you have had Nickelodeon on at some point. We're excited for Sarah and her family on winning all that cool stuff." added Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.

Nickelodeon is on Paul Bunyan Television channel 228 or in HD on channel 728.

About ViacomCBS

ViacomCBS is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry's most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.

About Paul Bunyan Communications

Paul Bunyan Communications has the region's largest and fastest all fiber optic network with over 5,500 square miles throughout most of Beltrami County and portions of Cass, Hubbard, Itasca, Koochiching, and St. Louis Counties. The Cooperative provides Broadband High Speed Internet Services including the GigaZone, digital and high definition television services, digital voice services, Residential and Business IT services, and is also the home of northern Minnesota's certified Apple Service Center.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Announces 2021-22 Content Slate | Nick Upfront 2021!

Originally published: Monday, May 17, 2021.

Original source: Metro.co.uk; Additional source: TMZ.

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Dan Dee Announces Global Licensing Deal With ViacomCBS Celebrating Iconic Cat Garfield

Dan Dee Announces Global Licensing Deal With ViacomCBS Consumer Products Celebrating Iconic Cat Garfield

Los Angeles, CA — Dan Dee International, LLC and its affiliate, Animal Adventure, LLC, (Dan Dee) leaders in plush, pet, baby, home décor and seasonal products, and ViacomCBS Consumer Products announced today a new global licensing agreement for Garfield, the world’s most famous lazy but loveable cat.

The launch of this new strategic partnership brings Garfield and Odie to fans in plush products of all types to retailers around the world. The product line features an extensive range of everyday, seasonal and animatronic plush, for fans of the king of “cattitude”!  Dan Dee will also develop an extensive range of pet products and home décor items too.

“We are thrilled to enter into this partnership and be a key partner with ViacomCBS to bring Garfield into the hands of consumers everywhere,” said Mark Matheny, Head of Licensing, Dan Dee. “Garfield is a great fit with the broad capabilities and retailer relationships that Dan Dee has built over many years. We look forward to working closely with the world-class team at ViacomCBS to grow Garfield’s presence at retail in the coming years.”

“Garfield is beloved by so many people around the world,” said Dion Vlachos, Executive Vice President, Hardlines and Retail, ViacomCBS. “Dan Dee’s dedication to quality and retail expertise is invaluable. They have tapped into the fans’ enthusiasm and created a new range of products that fans will love.”

Dan Dee’s Garfield products will be available from Fall 2021.

ABOUT DAN DEE INTERNATIONAL LLC

Dan Dee International LLC is one of the world’s largest designers and suppliers of plush products and is North America’s leading supplier of seasonal plush and decor.  Dan Dee and Animal Adventure, its subsidiary, have established a reputation for developing high quality plush (including every-day, seasonal, basic and animatronic plush toys), home decor, pet toys and baby products that are freshly designed, innovative, trend-right and attractively priced. Their customers include many of the world’s leading mass, food, drug and specialty retailers who depend on their proven ability to reliably deliver large quantities and complete programs with great sell-through. With a 200,000 sq. ft. product development facility staffed with 150+ designers and over 50,000 copyrighted patterns, Dan Dee and Animal Adventure have the capability to supply their customers with unique products to differentiate them from their competitors.

ABOUT VIACOMCBS CONSUMER PRODUCTS

ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) oversees all licensing and merchandising for ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, VCP’s portfolio includes a diverse slate of brands and content from BET, CBS (including CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution), Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and Showtime. With properties spanning animation, live-action, preschool, youth and adult, VCP is committed to creating the highest quality product for some of the world’s most beloved, iconic franchises. Additionally, VCP oversees the online direct-to-consumer business for CBS and Showtime programming merchandise, as well as standalone branded ecommerce websites for Star Trek, SpongeBob, South Park, and MTV.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Acquires 'Garfield' Brand!

Source: Licensing International; H/T: Toy World.

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