Posted by Steven Wood on 2/4/2008, 8:26 pm
220.239.196.X
IT was high-fives all round at Channel 9 yesterday after the network bought a stake in popular childrens' entertainers Hi-5.
The network - along with production company Southern Star - purchased part of production company Kids Like Us from Hi-5 creators Helena Harris and Posie Graeme-Evans.
Nine's director of commercial development Martin Hersov described Hi-5 as a "great brand".
"We are extremely proud to be picking up the Hi-5 baton and look forward to growing the brand around the world," Mr Hersov said.
Hi-5 - formed in 1998 - now only has two original cast members after Charli Delaney announced she was quitting last month.
The group has won three Logies, produced 435 half-hour episodes and released 25 DVD/videos and 11 CDs in Australia alone.
The television series also screens in 118 countries around the world.
Nine and Southern Star buy Hi-5
With free-to-air digital multicasting to be allowed here in Australia next year, I see the potential for substantial synergies to result from this combination. The series libraries of both Cushion Kids and Hi-5 will be valuable resources for Nine's future children's programming needs on The Family Channel which Nine hopes to launch on the Nine Digital network next year. This new Nine Digital Family Channel would probably be a joint venture between Nine and Southern Star, and they can even invite Screentime (which own the Popstars reality show format and also made Underbelly through their own partnership with Nine) to take a stake in this future Family Channel partnership, so that they can bring back the Popstars show which will definitely help in the discovery of other future Hi-5 cast hopefuls.
Cheers,
Steven Wood
Message Thread:
« Back to thread