The Children8217;s Hour

Suddenly it's a kid's world on television. No sooner had Kermit channel for kids been launched than we now have a new entrant. Nickelodeo...

Suddenly it8217;s a kid8217;s world on television. No sooner had Kermit channel for kids been launched than we now have a new entrant. Nickelodeon. It claims to be a channel that always puts kids first in everything that it does and its mission is to connect with kids and connect kids to their world through entertainment. In furtherance of this objective, Nickelodeon, the world8217;s leading children8217;s channel, was launched in India last week. This round-the-clock channel is being distributed within the country by ZEE Network.

The American TV channel is owned by Viacom International Inc, who also own the music channel MTV. Nickelodeon claims to be the largest storehouse of television programmes for children. It will be beamed via the PAS 4 satellite. Bruce Tuchman, General Manager for the Global Network ventures of Nickelodeon International, says: 8220;We are so thrilled to be here in India. We think kids in India will respond very well to our unique programming and approach. Our goal is to give today8217;s kids, entertainment that is relevant, exciting and fresh 8212; and to do so in a manner that is family-friendly and pro-social.8221;

8220;We8217;re looking forward to making Nickelodeon the number one television destination for kids in India. We believe the channel8217;s commitment to high quality entertainment for kids is going to be very successful here. When you watch the channel, it is apparent that kids come first on Nickelodeon. Indian kids will respond very well to that,8221; insists Ranjan Bakshi, Vice-President, Corporate Communications Zee Network.

So what8217;s so special about Nickelodeon? Tuchman says 8220;It8217;s a kid channel with a difference.8221; He claims that Nickelodeon invented the concept of a children8217;s TV channel. To accomplish this it had a 8220;kid-first approach8221; by being kid-like, involving kids in the creative process, recognising that kids deserve variety in programming and 8220;making kids feel respected, listened to, appreciated and important. The programs are kid-tested and kid-approved,8221; Tuchman assures you. And mind you, it8217;s not just any other cartoon channel. Not at all. Nickelodeon does not depend on animation alone.

Tuchman says the channel, which targets children between 3 to 14, features several shows with human being as well, apart from game shows. The programming includes comedy, adventure, variety news and game shows created just for kids. Award-winning shows like the animated series Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, Catdog and Angry Beavers would feature on the channel. Live-action series include top-rated drama, comedy and science fiction series such as The Journey Of Allen Strange, Clarissa Explains It All, Kenan and Kel and gameshows like Global Guts, Figure It Out and Legends of The Hidden Temple.

But is there anything Indian about the channel? At present the answer is no, but there8217;s a may be8217; in future. 8220;The channel hopes to start an exclusive Indian beam by January next year and some local programming, including game shows, will be produced in the coming months. We are planning a 25-minute serial which will focus on the lives of Indian children,8221; reveals Tuchman, adding that 8220;as for dubbing, at present it8217;s not on our agenda.8221; When asked why not since it appears to be the most natural way to immediately boost viewership and appeal to children throughout the country, the General Manager claims a market survey indicated a desire for an English TV channel.

But why should a kids channel be a round-the-clock one? Isn8217;t it a waste of time? Unable to give a satisfactory reply, Tuchman says: 8220;It can help them tape the shows and watch them later on,8221; adding that there will be no ratings for the programmes to demarcate viewership and the channel will be 8220;gender-neutral.8221;

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So Nickelodeon has finally arrived; about time to. The rumours of its launch has been making the rounds for almost five years. All this time was consumed in surveying the market to understand it and looking for an ideal alliance, which they found in ZEE Network. The channel is available in close to 150 countries and is currently seen in over 300 million households; with its entry into the Indian market, Nickelodeon is now available throughout the subcontinent. In India, Tuchman claims, the channel is expected to reach four million satellite TV homes within a few days and will cover 40 per cent of the cable homes by the end of its first year in India.

We hope the channel takes kids on a ride through an entertaining landscape.