Viacom18 launches its 7th channel 'Nick Jr'

After Nickelodeon and Sonic, the third kids channel from the network caters to pre-school children

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | December 11, 2012

After a year of the launch of its second kids channel Sonic, Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd. (a 50:50 joint venture between Viacom Inc. and Network18), India's leading entertainment conglomerate, has announced the expansion of the Nickelodeon franchise in India with the launch of 'Nick Jr.', an eco-system for pre-school kids and moms. Farah Khan, celebrity mom and Dora the Explorer, the channel's cult character, unveiled the first look of the channel in a press conference in Mumbai today. With world-class content on-air, backed by a comprehensive consumer products range at retail, Nick Jr. aims to become the preferred destination for kids from 2-6 years, and their moms.

After COLORS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Vh1, Sonic and Comedy Central, Nick Jr. is the 7th channel from Viacom18 in India, (3^rd under the Nickelodeon brand, after Nick and Sonic).

Announcing the launch of Nick Jr., Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd., said, “We're delighted to add yet another successful Viacom franchise to our India portfolio – Nick Jr. With the launch of Nick Jr., the spectrum of Viacom18 offerings now extends from 2yrs to 62 yrs and beyond - an enviable position in our space.” He further added, “With 30 million kids born in India every year, and given the parents' primary concern for their overall growth and development, 'pre-school' is one segment that is bound to become significant, in time to come.”

Nick Jr. is world famous for it's kid-friendly, safe and edu-taining shows and is globally screened across 125 countries in over 25 languages. Each show on Nick Jr. is created with clear curriculum goals and keeping a child's growing needs in mind – be it motor, cognitive, creative or technical skills. With properties like Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Team Umizoomi, Bubble-Guppies and Blues Clues, amongst many others, Nick-Jr shows are well-researched and proven to aid learning amongst pre-school kids.  The channel's cult character, Dora the Explorer is a huge hit with kids and mothers including celebrity moms like Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Katie Homes amongst many more. The magic will win the hearts of millions of kids in India now with 100% international shows that will air daily from 6am to 7pm post which Teen Nick takes over.

Adds Nina Elavia Jaipuria, EVP & Business Head – Kids Cluster, Viacom18, said, “As a kids' broadcaster, the Nickelodeon brand today is an all-encompassing ecosystem for kids of all ages and brands of all genres, to interact, engage and grow together.” Nina also added, “Nick Jr. will be like a surrogate mother handholding kids and helping them learn and develop new skills and knowledge in a way that is entertaining as well as warm and caring – Nick Jr. will be the smart place to play for the child.”

Reiterating the importance of safe programming for kids from a parent's perspective Farah Khan, Film Director & Mother, says, “I look at two factors while choosing a TV channel for my kids– is it safe for my kids and are they learning something new. Nick Jr. is a perfect mix of both – the shows are not only entertaining but educative and informative as well. My daughters will love to watch Nick Jr. as Dora is their favorite toon, in fact their birthday party theme was - Dora the Explorer.”

Bringing to life Nick Jr.'s iconic characters and shows, Viacom18 plans to launch comprehensive range of consumer products at retail, across categories, to build engagement with the kids, outside television as well.

Talking about the consumer products' plan, Sandeep Dahiya, SVP, Consumer Products – Viacom18, said, “Given the line-up of iconic characters on Nick Jr., we're ready to give wings to kids' imagination, through a product range that's comprehensive as well as interactive.” He further added, “As part of our plan to create an eco-system around Nick Jr., we will not only further strengthen the Dora the Explorer franchise, but also bring to life some of our other internationally acclaimed properties like Go Diego Go, Bubble Guppies, Blues Clues and Team Umizoomi, in categories that are both, conventional as well as unconventional.

Distributed by Indiacast and available in English across all major cities in India, the channel is available on DTH platforms, like Videocon D2H (Channel 521), Airtel (Channel 354) and will soon be launched on Tata SKY. It is also available on DAS platforms like Hathway Cable & Datacom, Incable, Digi Cable, WWIL, DEN and many more.

Nick Jr. will also have strong online presence to engage and interact with young parents. The website will aim at providing useful tips and information on a growing child's need from experts. Nick Jr. website will also have interesting games for toddlers that will be on the same lines as the channel – entertaining and educational.

With the philosophy of 'The smart place to play' Nick Jr. offers the 2-6 year olds and young moms, a place where pre-schoolers learn while being entertained. Nick Jr. promises to be an exclusive pre-school channel, completely safe and in the comfort of one's home.

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