Nickelodeon

Introduction

Nickelodeon is a Television channel aimed at children of all ages. It serves more than 171 million subscribers around the world via localized channels, branded blocks and individual programmes. Nickelodeon is also part of the MTV networks which are also involved in a variety of entertainment businesses that extend its brands, including films, books, online and consumer products. MTV networks is also one of Viacoms major media holding[1]

Nickelodeon (Nick for short) was launched on 1 April 1979 as the Pinwheel Network. The first Nickelodeon channel was American but there are now several channels in different countries such as Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia and the UK. Many adults know the channel best for Nick at Nite as it offered many classic TV sitcoms in the prime-time and overnight hours. Originally Nickelodeon was commercial free, but accepted commercial breaks and commercials beginning in Fall 1983. It was originally owned by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, a joint venture of American Express and Warner Communications; it then became a part of Viacom.[2]

The relevance of Nickelodeon for Viacom

Nickelodeon is the leading channel for juvenile entertainment in the U.S. it is only challenged by the Cartoon Network and to a lesser extent by Toon Disney. The classic way to financial gains for TV channels is the selling of time on their programmes for adds. This upfront was 700 million $ in 2002 for all of the children TV channels.[3] Still Nickelodeon manages to make way more profit for Viacom. Nickelodeon Enterprises — made up of consumer products, Web sites, publishing and recreation — is expected to bring in $3.9 billion in retail sales in 2004, up 11% from last year. Viacom's overall revenue for 2003 was $26.6 billion. [4]

How Nickelodeon has Developed with the Digital Age

Nickelodeon has always managed to maintain it's unprecedented leadership in linear television production. Nickelodeon also announced a slate that will include content developed from such platforms as feature films, video games, broadband and international production, as well as announcing a multi-million dollar development slate for non-linear productions. "The first Nickelodeon generation of kids grew up in a video democracy where the words broadcast and cable meant nothing, and great characters and stories meant everything," said Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. "This next generation of kids is platform agnostic. We already are programming to kids on 15 different platforms and we're excited to be expanding our tradition of strong content development to reach across broadband, digital and wireless screens that have become a daily part of their lives. Kids are the first adapters of the digital age and we are going to fully integrate our brand into that space with great character and story-driven content that will be developed." [5]

Ms. Zarghami also states that Nickelodeon is investing in a multi-million dollar development slate to introduce new original content specifically for non-linear platforms, including a brand new animation laboratory called "Inkubators," based at Nickelodeon's animation studio in Burbank, CA. The inkubators Lab will be dedicated to the creation of original animated content made specifically for a diverse range of platforms, including broadband; wireless; portable video devices; online and gaming. Nickelodeon will also be committing to the development of resources for the creation of long and short form content developed from the creators in international markets. [6]

Nickelodeon and Junk Food Debate

Parents and advocacy groups announced their intent to file suit against Viacom and Kellog to stop them from marketing and promoting junk food to young children. The plaintiffs contend that these two companies are directly harming children's health since the overwhelmingly majority of food products they market to children are high in sugar, saturated and trans fat, or salt, or almost devoid of nutrients. [7]

The plaintiffs are the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Boston-based Campaign for a commercial free childhood and two parents from Massachusetts, Sherri Carlson of Wakefield and Andrew Leong of Brookline. Their announcement came just 6 weeks after a landmark report from the Institute of Medicine concluded that food advertising aimed at children merely got them to prefer foods high in calories and low in nutrients. "Nickelodeon and Kellogg engage in business practices that literally sicken our children," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. "Their marketing tactics are designed to convince kids that everything they hear from their parents about food is wrong. It's a multimedia brainwashing and re-education campaign-and a disease promoting one at that. And parents are fed up." [8]