CW REPLACES KIDS WB! WITH 4KIDS - NEWSARAMA
OK now I REALLY won’t get to see the Legion Carton 
CW REPLACES KIDS WB! WITH 4KIDS - NEWSARAMA
CW REPLACES KIDS WB! WITH 4KIDS
by Steve Fritz
The animation world was sent spinning yesterday when Variety announced the CW TV network will be shutting down its Kids WB!
Saturday morning animation block at the end of the 2007-8 season. The
12 year old Kids WB! was the last remaining animated block of Saturday
morning programming left on any network, cable or broadcast that was
produced in-house.Starting with 2008, the five-hour block will be filled by 4Kids
Entertainment, which currently does a more preschool-oriented
syndicated block for Fox. 4Kids will handle all national commercial
advertising, Variety
reports, and will share in ad revenue with the CW. The CW’s share will
be applied against a guarantee 4Kids will pay the network. The deal
will kick off in September of 2008, with 4Kids covering the 7:00 am –
12:00 pm timeslot.The primary cause of this decision was simple: ratings and advertising revenue. An inside source confirmed what Variety
reported that Kids WB! was losing a substantial number of viewers to
cable networks including Nickelodeon, Disney and the Time-Warner owned
Cartoon Network. According to the trade, the final blow came when a
major sponsor, cereal manufacturer Kellogg’s, announced it was
withdrawing all its advertising due to recent government pressure
regarding child-oriented breakfast foods.“This is a great transaction for both the CW and 4Kids Entertainment,”
CW chief operating officer John Maatta told the trade. Maatta added
that 4Kids offered “substantial resources and laser-focus in this
arena.”The news has left fans of not only comic book-based animation but also long term franchises like Scooby Doo and Tom & Jerry speculating on the future of their favorite weekend programs. According to the source, fans of The Batman, Legion of Super Heroes, the upcoming Spectacular Spider-Man and other comic book and animated stables should not be too concerned.
Simply put, the end of Kids WB! does not mean the end of
Warner Bros. Animation, the source explained, pointing out that they
are two completely separate entities. For many shows, Kids WB! was the
outlet Warner Bros. Animation series used, but those series aren’t
going to be cancelled at the end of the 2007-2008 season. “We are
exploring a number of other avenues to direct this programming, from
other networks to direct-to-DVD options,” the source said. “There are a
wide field of possibilities to be explored.”For example, Toon Disney’s Jetix block of programming is now showing Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, and will soon begin airing Pinky and the Brain.
Clearly, when Disney is airing Warner Bros. animated series, the
distribution picture as well as visions of old studio rivalries needs
to be re-thought.An additional possible distribution outlet – T-Works, the upcoming online animation-centric Warner Bros.
site. While the WB source stopped short of saying that T-Works would be
the home for new episodes of animated series, it was announced that the
new online venture would be the home to a yet-untitled Batman shortform
series as well as an animated Wizard of Oz project.Another distribution channel for Warner Bros. Animation’s projects –
direct to DVD films. According to the source, sales of both Superman: Doomsday and the latest original Scooby Doo DVDs have exceeded projected sales by approximately 30%.“We absolutely intend to stay true to our heritage,” Warner Bros. TV Group President Bruce Rosenblum said to Variety.
“This is an important business that touches many of the Warner Bros.
divisions, and we have confidence that Lisa Judson and her team at
Warner Bros. Animation will continue to build toward future
opportunities.”Rosenblum had more to say in a statement released to the media:
“Clearly, this was an issue that we examined closely with our partners
at CBS,” Rosenblum said. “We fully believe it makes the most business
sense for The CW in this broadcast marketplace. That being said, Warner
Bros. has a long, successful track record in the animation business and
we absolutely intend to stay true to our heritage by producing
world-class animated entertainment for the children’s market be it for
cable, direct-to-DVD, broadband, wireless and platforms of the future.”Meanwhile, 4Kids appears to be very pleased with themselves. Their
contract with Fox has been extended to at least 2009, and now they also have a five year deal with The CW.“We are delighted to be in business with The CW and secure distribution
of 4Kids’ content for the next five broadcast seasons,” said Alfred R.
Kahn, 4Kids Entertainment’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We
have had tremendous success over the years collaborating with CW
Network partner Warner Bros., to whom we licensed 4Kids’ hit TV series
and movies such as Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!.
We think The CW’s outstanding affiliate lineup and young target
demographic make the network a perfect fit for our programming and
business initiatives,” said Kahn.“We have tremendous faith in Saturday morning kids television, and with
this deal we’ve renewed our commitment to remain a major player in
children’s entertainment,” said Norman Grossfeld, President of 4Kids’
subsidiary 4Kids Productions. “We look forward to embracing the fans of
Kids WB! and we welcome the opportunity to work with all the production
companies, program distributors and advertisers that share our passion
for the kids business. We also continue to value our relationship with
the Fox Network and its affiliates. Fox recently exercised its option
to extend the term of our deal with them through the end of the
2008-2009 broadcast season.”Matt Brady contributed to this article
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