SB-04: KidsCo 1.0 | Step 4: The YTV Factor

Originally Posted by Jeff Harris

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Let's recap the creation of the American version of KidsCo. The network would be a digital subchannel on broadcast television, the first non-educational children's entertainment channel on broadcast television. It would be operated largely like Canada's YTV, complete with channel hosts and programming blocks.

Now, let's program the fourth voice.

KidsCo represents about 10,000 half-hours of programming, including animated and live-action shows from three major libraries, NBC Universal, Corus Entertainment, and DiC (which will increase after their purchase by Cookie Jar is complete).

Like the Jetix lineup, you have to consider where the strengths are and accentuate them. Corus created numerous block brands for YTV, and a few of them could be used Stateside. The Treehouse, The Zone, and Crunch could easily be used at launch. Bionix, YTV's action franchise, probably wouldn't be used at this point, but it could be on the table if they expand their lineup to include more acquisitions down the line.

Here's what I'd do with what we've got.

The Treehouse would essentially serve to satisfy the E/I broadcast requirements. It'll be a daily four-hour preschool block with limited commercial interruption built on the educational brands of the three partners. Shows like The Magic School Bus, Babar, The Land Before Time, Little Bear, Kissyfur, Richard Scarry, Gerald McBoing Boing, and others could easily be found there.

After that block ends around 2 PM, a mix of comedy cartoons could be found for about two hours. Shows like Ned's Newt, Inspector Gadget, Beverly Hills Teens, Dennis the Menace, and Heathcliff could rule those airwaves.

4 PM brings The Zone, an interactive block with channel hosts, newer shows (including shows not seen in the US) and favorites, and fun. The Zone would be the nerve center of KidsCo. Primetime brings programming for a slightly older crowd, including sitcoms, dramas like Are You Afraid of the Dark?, sci-fi like Surface or Deep Water Black, cartoons like 6Teen and Ruby Gloom, and others. A different lineup each night.

They have the vision.

They have the technology.

Now they need the guts to at least convince themselves to launch KidsCo in the United States. They could truly be the fourth voice in children's entertainment and, at last, a legitimate opponent against the so-call big three. You know, this must be how the folks behind Fox felt when they launched their channel over 20 years ago. The only thing that could possibly hold the three partners in KidsCo back is the name itself. I have a quick remedy for that as well.

They could seriously name the American channel YTV USA.