TIA to Hold Town Hall Meeting
Toy Industry Association Inc.'s Relocation Committee will hold a Town Hallmeeting Thursday, October 27, at 8:30 a.m. in the International Toy Centerduring the third annual American International Fall Toy Show. Attendees will beupdated on the choices for a new home/market center. There also will be a kioskin the lobby of 200 Fifth Avenue during the Fall Toy Show with informationsummarizing the new locations being considered. Representatives of TIA and realestate advisors Cushman & Wakefield and Murray Hill Properties will be presentto answer questions. In other news, Ron Kaye joined the Toy IndustryAssociation, Inc., as vice president of finance & administration.
USCPG Seeks Licensees for Animated TV Series
Universal Studios Consumer Products Group is beefing up the licensing programfor its upcoming TV series, The Land Before Time. Licensees are being soughtacross all categories including preschool toys, apparel, accessories,interactive games, collectibles, fine art, home furnishings, health and beautyaids, food and beverage, gifts, stationery products, and wireless communicationdevices and accessories. The series is slated to debut on Cartoon Network in2007. The 12th installment in the DVD series, Land Before Time: Dayof the Flyers, also is due in 2007.
Anderson to Lead PR Efforts
James Anderson will join Cartoon Network as vice president of public relations.In his new role, Anderson will oversee external and internal communicationssupporting the domestic Cartoon Network brand, including the flagshiptelevision network and its sister services-Adult Swim and Boomerang-andCartoonnetwork.com.
Lisa Marks to Support Palitos Locos
Scribbles Properties, Inc., owner of Palitos Locos, a collection of uniquestick figure characters with attitude from artist Billy Attinger, appointedLisa Marks & Associates, Inc., exclusive licensing agency for NorthAmerica. Under the agreement, LMA will work on not only making Palitos Locos ahousehold name for the Latin community but for the community at large with asense of humor and fun-loving spirit. For the last decade, Billy Attingerbrands and artwork have been licensed for hundreds of different products andsold throughout major retailers around the world.
Alliance Atlantis Secures Deals for Two Properties
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. secured broadcast deals with TF1 inFrance and Telecinco in Spain for Dragon Booster. The series launched on TF1September 21, 2005, with Telecinco due in January 2006. These deals are inaddition to agreements already in place with broadcasters in the U.S., the UK,Australia, Latin America, and Canada. In other news, Alliance AtlantisCommunications Inc. appointed BBC Worldwide (UK), m4e (Germany), and ABC(Australia) licensing agents for its stop-motion animated property, Lunar Jim.The trio will work with master toy licensee Fisher-Price on the licensingprogram in their respective territories. Lunar Jim is set to debut in early2006 in various regions including on the BBC and CBeebies in the UK; ZDF andKika in Germany; ABC in Australia; Discovery Communications in Pan LatinAmerica; and CBC, SRC, and BBC Kids in Canada.
New Manga Series to Address Global Issues
VIZ Media, LLC, partnered with the World Bank to present 1 World Manga, anoriginal new series that addresses key global issues, such as poverty,HIV/AIDS, and the environment. As part of its depositary library program, theWorld Bank will donate copies to 300 libraries worldwide. VIZ Media will donateproceeds to several charities.
CowParade "Mooves" Deeper into Licensing
TripleTake Media and CowParade Holdings Corp. established a joint venturedesigned to expand the CowParade brand into all areas of media andmerchandising. CowParade currently oversees a licensing program highlighted byits figurines and includes other categories such as credit cards, books,calendars, games, home d
