Top News
BBC and Woolworths Scoop Multiple Prizes at The Licensing Awards 2008
BBC Worldwide scooped four prizes and Woolworths took two awards at last week’s Licensing Awards.

Other retail winners included Marks & Spencer, Mothercare and New Look. Play.com was named best overall retailer of licensed products.

Blueprint’s Mike Redfern was given the Honorary Achievement Award.

The full list of winners is:
Best Baby/Pre-School Retailer (ages 0-5) of Licensed Products: M&S
Best Schoolers Retailer (ages 5-9) of Licensed Products: Woolworths
Best Tweens and/or Teens Retailer (ages 9-16) of Licensed Products: New Look
Best Brands Retailer of Licensed Products: Debenhams
Best Direct Selling Retailer of Licensed Products: Play.com
Best Overall Retailer of Licensed Products: Play.com
Best Licensed Toys Or Games Range: “In The Night Garden” Toy Range from Hasbro
Best Licensed Dress-up and/or Party Range: Dr Who Dress-up from The Christy Group
Best Licensed Children’s Apparel or Accessories Range: High School Musical, Woolworths range from Blues Clothing
Best Licensed Adult Apparel or Accessories Range: “Sesame Street” T-shirts from Famous Forever
Best Licensed Written, Listening or Learning Range: “Dora the Explorer,” Reader’s Digest range from Simon & Schuster
Best Licensed Paper Products or Stationery Range: High School Musical 2 greeting cards and calendars from Danilo
Best Licensed Giftware Range: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Giftware from Portmeirion
Best Licensed Interactive Range: “Planet Earth” DVD game from Imagination Games
Best Licensed Home Décor, Housewares or Bedding Range: Humphrey’s Corner bedroom range from Mothercare
Best Licensed Food or Drink Range: “In The Night Garden” confectionery from Bon Bon Buddies
The Innovation Award: Queen Tooth Tunes from Grosvenor
Best Licensed Brand Range – Soft Goods: Jelly Belly toiletries from Baylis and Harding
Best Licensed Brand Range – Hard Goods: Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauces from Baxters Food Group
Best Baby/Pre-School Licensed Property (ages 0-5): “In The Night Garden”
Best Schoolers, Tween or Teen Licensed Property: High School Musical
Best Sports Licensed Property: Liverpool Football Club
Best Celebrity Licensed Property: Marco Pierre White
Best Brand Licensed Property: Haynes

RDF Signs Raft of Licensing and TV Deals
RDF Kids & Family, a division of RDF Rights, has signed licensing deals for “Mister Maker,” CBeebies’ arts and crafts show for preschoolers. 

Partners include 2entertain, which is creating “Mister Maker” DVD ‘Let’s Make It’ for release in November 2008 and Creativity International, launching an arts and crafts range also later this autumn. 

RDF has also signed deals with Dorling Kindersley and Penguin Books, with an activity books range due in spring 2009. RDFK is also working with BBC Magazines for “Mister Maker” to appear later this autumn in its new preschool magazine, CBeebies Art. A stand-alone Mister Makermagazine will launch in spring 2009.

“From the outset ‘Mister Maker’ has been a huge ratings hit with kids, who love arts and crafts,” says Rachel Barke, director of consumer products, RDF Kids & Family. “We’re delighted to have signed up our key licensees who are committed to developing exciting, innovative products which are already in high demand from parents and kids.”

Following its international launch at MIPCOM last year, RDF Kids & Family has secured TV sales with Treehouse TV in Canada, Super RTL in Germany, Discovery Kids in Latin America, Hop! TV in Israel and Vision Entertainment in Kuwait.

Meanwhile, RDF Rights has closed two new production deals for its entertainment format “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” with La Sexta in Spain and Mediacorp in Singapore. The series has now aired in 17 territories worldwide since it launched less than a year ago.

In addition, RDFR has secured nine pre-sales for season four of 19 Entertainment/Dick Clark Production’s dance show “So You Think You Can Dance,” which it is launching at MIPCOM. The pre-sales are to TVA in Canada, MBC Middle East, Channel 4 Nelonen Finland, Fox International Channels Italy, Kanal 11 Estonia and Fox Life Channel Poland. Other territories include Asia, South Africa and Turkey.

RDFR has also inked a two-year development deal with “betty.” RDFR will represent all new “betty” productions internationally, in all genres and all media. The deal also includes a first-look format arrangement with RDF USA in America.

Hearst to Launch Good Housekeeping Home Décor Line and More
Hearst Brand Development and LF USA’s home fashion division, Homestead, have partnered to develop Good Housekeeping-branded home products and a environmentally-friendly home line.

Good Housekeeping’s Quick & Simple line includes bed and bath products with mix-and-match patterns.

Also available this fall is The Daily Green Home Collection, based on Hearst’s TheDailyGreen.com, featuring bed, bath, table top and home décor products.

Zak Lines Up New Deals with Disney, Camp Rock Airs in U.K.
Disney’s Camp Rock, “Handy Manny” and princess line will be featured on Zak Designs mealtime products.

Camp Rock, a feature-length tween film will be featured on a three-pack snack sets, dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, and small and larger tumblers.

Preschool series, “Handy Manny” and its popular characters will be on plates, bowls, tumblers, flatwear and a 14-ounce fun sip bottle.

Lastly, Zak Designs will update it’s Disney princess line products. An ice cream set, sculpted crown fun sip, squeeze n’ sip and a prism tumbler will be redesigned with shades of pink and a “jeweled” finish.

Last week’s U.K. movie and television premieres of Disney’s Camp Rock is supported by an extensive range of products created for tweens including apparel, accessories and footwear, beauty, home, stationery, electronic role-play items and consumer electronics. 

Products include an MP3 Speaker Secret Diary Pillow; a Camp Rock Musical Brush and Stand, a Stud Factory to customize clothes, Camp Rock talking pens; and singing Mitchie and Tess dolls.

From Corn Flakes to Calendars, Michael Phelps
Lang Holdings will produce exclusive 2009 limited edition Michael Phelps wall calendars.

The monthly calendar, approved by the U.S. Olympic Committee, will feature pictorials of Phelps’ memorable Olympic experiences.

The 14-time Olympic gold medalist is currently featured on Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes cereal boxes.

Lang Holdings is the owner and distributor of Lang, Avalanche Publishing and Turner Licensing. Its clients include the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, several collegiate teams, ESPN, Hallmark and more.

Highlights Magazine Gains Ripe Ideas
Columbus-based Highlights for Children, owner of Highlights magazine, is seeking out licensing opportunities through new agent, Ripe Ideas.

The popular 62-year-old North American children’s magazine publisher is looking to expand its brand into toys, video games, apparel, board games, puzzles and more. The agreement includes the Highlights brand and magazine content, as well as the new Highlights High Five magazine for children 2-6.

Ripe Ideas’ other clients include vintage fashion brand, Camp Beverly Hills and The New York Botanical Garden.

Editor's Note
License! Global, in partnership with MIPCOM Junior, has announced the finalists for the 5th Annual Licensing Challenge. They are:

The six finalists will make live presentations on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 4:00 p.m. during the Licensing Challenge held at MIPCOM Junior in Cannes.

A panel of judges will choose one winner. The panel includes: moderator Tony Lisanti, global editorial director, License! Global, Advanstar Communications (USA); Alyson Grubard, associate publisher, Little Simon, Simon & Schuster Publishing (USA); Matthew Wexler, director global licensing and business development, Spinmaster (Canada); Patricia De Wilde, Marathon Animation (France); Sandra Sheppard, head of children’s programming, WNET Channel Thirteen (PBS) (USA); and Andrew Kerr, executive director, consumer products and marketing/international, Entertainment Rights (UK).

The judges will select the best new children’s television property with the highest licensing and merchandising potential, based on criteria that includes: uniqueness and overall appeal of the property; innovation and character development; the look, story and themes of the show; distribution plans and/or broadcast plans; and suitability/match of property with identified audience target.

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MIPCOM news
BabyFirst Creates Two New Series
Commercial-free BabyFirst network will roll out its first preschool properties, “The Greenies” and “Hello Around The World” at MIPCOM Junior in mid-October.

“The Greenies” is a non-dialogue series with three characters who learn to appreciate and protect the planet in various comedic adventures.

“Hello Around The World” teaches children how to say hello in different languages.

The network, targeted to young children and their parents, recently launched an in-house production unit called BFTV Productions. BabyFirst reaches 100 million homes through DirecTV and Dish Network in the U.S., as well as Time-Warner, Comcast, Charter and AT&T cable systems. The company is currently seeking international opportunities.

PorchLight Builds on “Tutenstein” with Film, Debuts “Tan”
Two new PorchLight Entertainment properties, feature-length Tutenstein: Clash of the Pharaohs and series “Tan” will be showcased at MIPCOM, mid-October.

Tutenstein: Clash of the Pharaohs is a spin-off film of the Discovery Kids series, “Tutenstein” in the U.S. The feature is expected to debut on the network this fall.

An 11-minute episode of PorchLight’s new Lincoln Butterfield Animation series, “Tan,” will be screened at MIPCOM Junior, too. The Tan character is an egg who sets about the world making new friends and goes on adventures after graduating from Lo Fat Martial Arts Academy & Cooking School. Twenty-six half-hour episodes are to air globally in fall 2009.

In addition to “Tan,” Lincoln Butterfield Animation will also pitch family show, “NIT: Neighborhood Investigation Team” and two adult properties, “Venture Probe” and “When in Rome” at MIPCOM, all available for expansions into comics and children’s books, broadband, mobile and feature films.

Weta and Chapman’s First Joint Series, “Trooper Tom” to Debut
Sci-fi animation series, “Trooper Tom,” working title, is ready for viewing at MIPCOM Junior, reports Weta Workshop and Chapman Entertainment.

This is the first series, targeted to boys ages 6-9, that the two creative companies co-produced since partnering in late 2007. Target Entertainment has landed worldwide TV distribution rights, excluding U.K., North America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Weta Workshop is known for its work on the Lord of Rings trilogy, King Kong and The Chronicles of Naria. The company recently expanded into children’s television with “Jane and the Dragon” and “WotsWots.” Chapman Entertainment has created international preschool shows, such as “Fifi and the Flowertots,” “Roary the Racing Car” and “Bob the Builder.”

“Spooky Sisters” Shorts To Get Spin-Off Series
“Spooky Investigations” is a new spin-off series in development through a deal between Bejuba! Entertainment, Skaramoosh London and Creative Visual Media.

The new show is based on the series of shorts, “Spooky Sisters,” produced by Skaramoosh London for Disney U.K. Bejuba! Entertainment is currently seeking co-production partners and financing for new half hours or 52x11 episodes for “Spooky Investigations,” expected to air in 2010.

“Spooky Sisters” aired on ABC in Australia and Binweevils.co.uk, a U.K.-based children’s online entertainment platform. The “Spooky Sisters” shorts will show at MIPCOM Junior in mid-October.

Haber to Distribute “Breaking the Magician’s Code” Series
Nash Entertainment’s new “Breaking the Magician’s Code: Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed” (13x60) series is set to air first on MyNetworkTV in the U.S. on Oct. 2.

Nash Entertainment hooked up with Alfred Haber Distribution for exclusive global distribution rights. The original, “Breaking the Magician’s Code” aired as a series of specials on Fox. The show reveals the secrets behind magic tricks, illusions and trade secrets of magicians that have been performed for years.

“Breaking the Magician’s Code: Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed” will be shown for the first time at MIPCOM.

Jim Henson Creates “Dinosaur Train,” “The Skrumps”
Two new CGI-animated series, “Dinosaur Train” and “The Skrumps” are currently being developed by The Jim Henson Company.

“Dinosaur Train,” for ages 3-6, features a steam train that carries dinosaurs to various prehistoric era stops. There are currently 52x11 episodes in progress for PBS Kids.

“The Skrumps” is based on artist John Chandler’s collectible figures and illustrated storybook characters. Currently, the property is in development for long-form, direct-to-DVD sale with a possibility for a TV series. Already, several short videos, a music video and character video-blogs launched on Yahoo! Kids in January 2007. “The Skrumps” were also featured on an interactive game on Yahoo in March 2008.

Both properties will be shown internationally at MIPCOM, mid-October.

Retail
Shopko Expands Women’s Apparel Offerings
National women’s apparel brands Sag Harbor, Gloria Vanderbilt, Norton McNaughton and Briggs New York are now available at Shopko stores.

The retailer, known for carrying name-brand merchandise, pharmacy and optical services, has also added to its accessories offerings with Sag Harbor handbags and a Nine & Co. jewelry line. Recently, Shopko also launched a juniors and young men’s line for the back-to-school season.

The Green Bay, Wis.-based Shopko has 133 retail stores and 5 Shopko Express Rx stores in 13 states throughout the Midwest, Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions.

Steve & Barry’s to Close 103 Stores
Recently rescued NYC-based apparel retailer Steve & Barry’s will shut down close to half of its stores.

“We’re finalizing a strategic business plan that will put Steve & Barry’s on track to meet our profitability goals over the long term,” says Andy Todd, Steve & Barry’s president.

The retailer plans to keep 173 of its stores open, and close the remaining 103. A complete list of the closing locations can be found at http://www.steveandbarrys.com.

A new Manhattan location is still planned to open at 692 Broadway. Todd says Steve & Barry’s will continue to offer its celebrity collections created with Sarah Jessica Parker, Venus Williams, Amanda Bynes, Laird Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Bubba Watson.

After filing for Chapter 11 in July, the retailer was picked up by BH S&B Holdings, an investment affiliate of Bay Harbour Management and York Capital Management.

First USA Today Shop Lands in Detroit Airport
HDS Retail North America, under a licensing agreement with USA Today, has developed and will operate three retail stores in the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, under the name USA Today Travel Zone.

The stores, located in Detroit’s new North Terminal, will carry various traveler products, including reading materials, sundries, travel accessories and convenience items. One of the three Detroit stores will also have a Caribou Coffee stand with coffee drinks and snacks.

Other USA Today Travel Zones are expected to open at the Indianapolis International Airport in November and LaGuardia Airport in late 2008.

The stores are just one of the daily newspaper’s expanding brand deals. Most notably, USA Today has launched USA Today Crosswords for Nintendo DS, magazines, calendars, reading glasses, sudoku books and more.

Woolworths’ Retail Losses Deepen
U.K. variety store retailer Woolworths has reported deepening first half losses. Group sales were down 3 percent to £1,107 million, while retail like-for-likes were down by 3.2 percent for the period. Loss before tax was £99.7 million, down from £63.8 million in the first half of 2007.

New chief executive Steve Johnson is undertaking a strategic review of the business.

“I took this job because I am convinced that there is space on the high street for a successful home-based variety store offering great value and convenience,” says Johnson. “My first weeks in the job have only reinforced that view and shown me that Woolworths has a core of strong, profitable stores, a great retail brand and many very committed people who want to succeed.

“It is too early for me to have a fully developed strategy,” he continues. “That plan is in progress but still some way from completion and we will update investors as soon as possible. Right now, this business does not require lots of new strategic initiatives, it requires a good dose of basic shop keeping and attention to the detail of retailing. Everyone in Woolworths is clear that our first priority­­—in all parts of the Group—is delivering a successful Christmas for our customers.”

H&M Opens in Japan
H&M opened its first store in Japan last week in the Ginza district of Tokyo.

“It has been H&M’s dream to open in Japan,” says Rolf Eriksen, chief executive. “Japan is a strategic and exciting market with great fashion awareness. We hope that we can offer our Tokyo customers added value through fashion and quality at the best price.”

The 1,000-square-meter store covers four floors with women’s, men’s and accessories product.

Entertainment
“Gossip Girl” Series Gets Board Game
Warner Bros. Consumers Products has teamed up with Imagination International to create the “Gossip Girl” Never Have I Ever board game.

Expected to be in stores this October, the game allows players to pose questions about school, style, family, dating and gossip, with an eventual winner being crowned the Queen Bee. The game is suggested to retail between $20-$25.

“Gossip Girl” debuted in 2007 on The CW and is based on the best-selling book series written by Cecily von Ziegesar.

Brandzoo hits BLE with new properties
Brandzoo has added of a number of properties over the last twelve months, which will be showcased at Brand Licensing Europe 2008. In addition, Brandzoo’s Jenny Johnstone has added to her team by enlisting the support of industry veteran, Jane Forbes, on an on-going consultancy basis.

Among the new properties: Daisy, created by design studio, Big Ideas, Daisy is a single, 30-something career girl in a permanent quest for self-improvement and looking to find a man. Big Ideas have created a portfolio of images which represent Daisy in various life experiences. Brandzoo’s strategy is to launch the program with greeting cards, calendars, gift and stationery products and licenses in these categories are under discussion. 

Fresh from strong ratings in Canada, “Bo on the Go!,” a preschool TV series from Decode Entertainment, will launch on CiTV in the U.K. in autumn 2008. “Bo on the Go!” has been created to promote a love of movement and more active minds in preschoolers.

Brandzoo is also looking to develop MOBO, Europe’s leading urban brand dedicated to showcasing music of black origin. The annual MOBO Awards, which are distributed to over 250 million people worldwide, have played  host to a range of A-list international artists including Justine Timberlake, Tina Turner, P Diddy, Craig David, Jamiroquari and Ms Dynamite. The agency hopes the brand will resonate with young consumers into urban culture—a culture that spends approximately £750 a year on entertainment.

Another property, Moody Little Madams, offers five striking personalities designed for girls 8 to 12 who know what they want and know exactly how to get it. Current licenses include TPD (nightwear/underwear), Helix (stationery), United Labels (socks), PMD (mobile phone accessories).

The “Bruno and the Banana Bunch” series from Cuppa Coffee is set for U.K. broadcast in 2009. Bruno, a playful little monkey, inspires preschoolers to explore and discover through interactive play. Narrator is TV icon, Brian Cant.

DreamWorks To Acquire India's Reliance
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s co-founded DreamWorks has reportedly acquired India’s Reliance Big Entertainment, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The $500 million deal is expected to allow DreamWorks to sever ties to its owner, Viacom’s Paramount Pictures. Reliance Big Entertainment is also reported to be raising an additional $700 million through J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

According to Reliance Big Entertainment’s Web site, the company is involved in the production areas of gaming, movies, animation, music, sports and user-generated content.

No official statements have been made by either DreamWorks or Reliance Big Entertainment at this time.

“Survivor” Befriends Bono, Creates T-shirt
CBS Consumer Products and Bono’s Edun Live are teaming up to create a “Survivor” t-shirt to support employment in sub-Sahara Africa.

The t-shirt features the show’s moniker, “Outwit, Outplay and Outlast” patterned into the shape of the continent of Africa with the show’s logo on the back. The “Survivor” t-shirt retails for $24.95 and is available only at CBSStore.com on Sept. 25, the premiere date of the reality show’s 17th season, “Survivor: Gabon.”

Edun Live is a socially conscious fashion company created by U2’s Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, in 2005. The company’s organic apparel is produced in Africa, beginning with the source of cotton to the logo printed on the shirt.

“Teletubbies” Opens Second Play Center in China
BBC Worldwide opened its second “Teletubbies” Play and Development Center with licensee, Shenzhen Tianyuan Business Management (SZTY) in Southern China, last week.

The centers offer activities for children to develop early learning skills in a fun environment that also enhances the curriculum and gives parents a safe environment that both entertains and educates their children.

BBC Worldwide is collaborating with Chinese media companies and licensees on educational preschool children’s brands “Teletubbies” and “Charlie and Lola.”

“China has the largest population of children in the world and so there is a constant demand for high-quality children’s brands in the market,” says Joyce Yeung, senior vice president and general manager, sales and distribution Asia for BBC Worldwide. “We’ve had success with ‘Teletubbies’ since its inception and the core ethos of learning through play has enabled us to facilitate an innovative interactive ‘live experience’ for children to engage with the brand.”

“Teletubbies” is a mainstream brand in China with over 30 licensees. It is broadcast on 30 regional channels in China and over 3 million DVDs and VCDs have been sold.

MTVNI Inks Czech Deal with CME
Central and Eastern Europe television broadcaster Central European Media Enterprises (CME) and MTV Networks International (MTVNI) have signed a multi-year licensing agreement granting CME rights to launch a localized MTV channel in the Czech Republic, as well as the opportunity to distribute the channel via cable and satellite platforms in the Slovak Republic.

MTV Czech, which is slated to launch in the first half of 2009, will operate as a fully-localized, 24-hour youth lifestyle channel. MTVNI will work closely with CME and TV Nova to offer viewers a mix of locally produced content, Czech adaptations of MTV formats and international programs subtitled in Czech.

MTV Czech will be available as part of TV Nova’s family of terrestrial and cable entertainment and thematic channels.

“LazyTown Goes Live” in Spain and Portugal and Get Musical in Mexico
LazyTown Entertainment has signed a deal with Lemon Live Entertainment to produce the “LazyTown Live Show” in Portugal and Spain. The shows are scheduled to premiere in November 2009 in Portugal and in March 2010 in Spain.

“LazyTown” will also feature in Portuguese broadcaster RTP’s Live Show, together with other characters from RTP, which runs in November and December his year.

LazyTown Entertainment has also signed Big Picture in Portugal to sell and distribute the first season of “LazyTown” on DVD.

Meanwhile, LazyTown Entertainment and Tycoon Entertainment Group have signed to release the music featured in the “LazyTown” television series. This deal gives Tycoon the publishing rights for two albums, a karaoke sing-along CD, and four singles in Mexico, Central America, Central Caribbean, Chile and Peru. 

Tycoon is already a licensing partner and DVD distributor for “LazyTown” in Mexico.

Toys & Games
Cabbage Patch Kids are Back for 25th Anniversary
A line of limited-edition 25th anniversary Cabbage Patch Kids are now available at retailers around the world.

The re-released 1983 Cabbage Patch Kids are created by Play Along, a division of Jakks Pacific, and retail for $29.99 each.

To kick off the birthday celebration on Sept. 9, fans were able to meet with Cabbage Patch Kids artist Xavier Roberts, iVillage chief toy officer Elizabeth Werner and Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes” celebrity chef Duff Goldman at the Toys “R” Us in Times Square. The public was also able to celebrate in Minneapolis, Minn., at the Mall of America where they had games, giveaways and live entertainment. Other anniversary events are set to take place in the U.S. throughout the year.

The Cabbage Patch Kids brand is owned by Cleveland, Ohio-based Original Appalachian Artworks.

Bubble Racers, V Tech Games and More for Young NASCAR Fans
NASCAR has teamed up with Play Along, Little Kids and V Tech for a wide range of racing toys for 2009.

Play Along is creating NASCAR Pit Scenes, which includes a car, four pit crew figures, kit accessories and pit row base, retailing at $9.99 for ages 5 and up. The toy company is also working on a NASCAR 3 in 1 Racing Set, where kids ages 5 and up can race motorized cars on a track which can change from an oval to a figure-8, and retails for $24.99. Available now, through Play Along, are the Ultimate Speedway Track Set and Highway Haulers, retailing from $9.99 to $39.99.

Little Kids is creating an assortment of bubble racers, featuring drivers—Dale Earnhart Jr. and Jeff Gordon. The cars include a bubble machine and retail for $9.99 each. They will be in stores early 2009.

Also, V Tech is working on a NASCAR Academy line of games for its VSmile game systems for fall 2009. There are six games divided into two separate areas, Learning Adventure and Learning Zone, where kids can learn there way around the track by using spelling and math skills.

“Chaotic” Expands Card and Online Games
“Chaotic: M’arrillian Invasion” trading card starter decks and an improved Web site, www.chaoticgame.com, are now available to coincide with the newest season of the “Chaotic” TV series.

“M’arrillian Invasion: Beyond the Doors” booster packs have nine cards and two foil cards in each pack. The starter deck contains 48 cards and a 49th creature card.

ChaoticGame.com, the show’s Web site and online game, now features many user upgrades and a new Chaotic Pad, an application that allows players to interact and compete against each other.

The new TV season of “Chaotic: M’arrillian Invasion” airs this month on Fox and The CW.

Sports
Target to Name New Minnesota Twins Stadium
Expected to open in 2010, Target Field will be the new home for the Minnesota Twins major league baseball team.

Target Corp. and the Minnesota Twins organization agreed to an exclusive 25-year partnership for the ballpark’s naming rights and a collaborated effort for Target Place—a pedestrian bridge and public space near the ballpark in Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Ballpark Authority, the facility’s owner, will be responsible for design, construction and operation of both the new ballpark and public space. The $412 million Target Field will be located in the North Loop neighborhood and historic warehouse district in downtown Minneapolis. Construction on the 40,000-seat ballpark began in August 2007.

The Twins and Target are also working on a joint branding presence for marketing, promotional and community programs for fans.

Panini Signs as Number Cruncher for Italian football
The Italian National League, Lega Calcio, has signed a five-year deal with Panini to provide scores of the Serie A TIM, Serie B TIM and TIM Cup soccer matches.

Panini, which has previously specialized in the collectibles market, has extended its activity to statistics and multimedia, including football match data collection through a voice recognition system branded Panini Digital.

Football fans will be able obtain the scores of every match immediately after the final whistle including goal scorer ranking and the players who made the most goals or ball recoveries.

Back of the Net for Character World
Character World has signed a deal with sports, Pineapple Aroundshot, to produce canvas art featuring U.K. football clubs.

The Manchester-based licensed textile company is diversifying its range by manufacturing and distributing canvas art featuring club crests and player imagery.

Pineapple Aroundshot is the official panoramic photographer to the football league. Products will be available in the U.K. and Ireland.

“Our artwork will feature football clubs across the U.K., from Celtic to Arsenal,” Danny Schweiger, director at Character World. “We’ve already received our first order for 12,000 units and expect high demand for the products especially as the new football season kicks in.”

Character
Cabbage Patch Kids Grow Up
4Kids Entertainment International has signed Completely Independent Distribution (CID) for a range of retro clothing for Cabbage Patch Kids, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Targeted at adults aged 25 and upward—the first generation to experience the Cabbage Patch Kids—the range includes men’s and women’s t-shirts, men’s and women’s hooded tops and women’s shoulder bags, all featuring photographic images of the kids along with 1980s tag lines. The CID range also includes baby all-in-one jumpsuits.

The deal covers the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia and the Czech Republic.

Meanwhile, 4Kids Entertainment has awarded a license to Spearmark Housewares for lunch bags and plastic drink bottles for the U.K. and Ireland market branded with pictures from the Artlist’s photography franchise The Pig. Spearmark has already produced a successful range of lunchware based on Artlist’s The Dog.

Legends Licensing Signs Agency in Dubai
Dubai-based licensing agency, Copyright Licensing Agency, has signed to represent all celebrity properties handled by Legends Licensing. The deal includes photographic images of Marilyn Monroe.

Copyright Licensing Agency operates in Algeria, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Legends Licensing and its Marilyn Monroe Licensing Group claims to have the largest and most diverse collection of Monroe images in existence. Legends Licensing also represents the libraries of Audrey Hepburn, Sammy Davis Jr., and photographer David Sutton’s photographs of John Wayne.

Legends Licensing is exhibiting at the upcoming Dubai International Character & Licensing Fair from Oct. 28 – 30 at the Dubai World Trade Center.

PixFusion Brings Kideo Characters to The Netherlands
PixFusion, creator of photo and audio-personalized video products and services, has signed a multi-year deal with PersonalGifts covering The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg for its Kideo “Dora the Explorer” and “Spider-Man” titles. Plans are in the works to expand with other titles in the Kideo library, as well as for local characters.

Using licensed content Kideo produces photo-personalized DVDs targeted to children. As part of this deal the content is translated into Dutch.

New York-based PixFusion says this will be the first of many European distribution deals.

Food
Bon Bon Buddies Feels the Force of Pez
Bon Bon Buddies is launching a Pez candy and dispenser for Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

As the sole distributor of Pez in the U.K., Bon Bon Buddies is launching a new PEZ dispenser to mark the 30-year anniversary of Star Wars and to celebrate, the new animated film, The Clone Wars.

“Star Wars is still the No. 1 movie of all time,” says Martin Sutherland, marketing director at Bon Bon Buddies, “so fanatics of all ages will be keen to get their hands on our Clone Wars Pez dispenser.”

Bon Bon Buddies is a leading supplier of licensed confectionery and biscuits in Europe, working with over 20 licensors.

Publishing
Carrie Bradshaw Goes Back-To-School in New Teen Book
HarperCollins Publishers has gained international rights to author Candace Bushnell’s new teen book—The Carrie Diaries.

Buchnell’s first foray into the teen genre through The Carrie Diaries, features a high school-aged Carrie Bradshaw’s friendships, romances and her desire to become a writer.

“I’ve always been interested in exploring Carrie’s teenage years,” says Bushnell. “Carrie in high school did not follow the crowd—she led it. It was there that she began observing and commenting on the social scene.”

The first of the two-book deal is expected to go to print fall 2010.

Bushnell is the critically acclaimed best selling author of Sex and the City, Four Blondes, Trading Up and Lipstick Jungle. Her latest book, One Fifth Avenue, is available now.

Peter Rabbit Books Go Green for New Year
The Penguin Young Readers Group will debut its new Naturally Better Peter Rabbit line on Jan. 8.

The titles to be released are The Tale of Peter Rabbit “Special” Edition for ages 3-5, Peter Rabbit Snuggle organic cloth book for ages 0-5, Peter Rabbit I Love You with photo frame cutout for ages 3-5, Peter Rabbit Peekaboo for ages 3-5 and Peter Rabbit baby record book for all ages.

The Naturally Better book line is printed on Forestry Stewardship Council-accredited or recycled paper with vegetable-based inks. Other titles in the line are expected to be published in summer 2009.

Additional Peter Rabbit books not in the Naturally Better line are expected to debut in the spring, too. Penguin will release two classics, Peter Rabbit and the Flopsy Bunnies (a sound book) for ages 3-5 and Peter Rabbit Easter Egg Hunt for ages 3-5.

More news
Hotel For Dogs Gets Upper Deck, Aquarius Deals
Upper Deck is creating a line of trading cards for the upcoming Jan. 16 release of Hotel for Dogs, produced by Dreamworks Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies. Aquarius has signed up for movie-inspired products, too.

Upper Deck’s card line will retail for $1.99 and $2.99 and will land in mass retailers and hobbies stores early next year. The cards will feature all of the major stars, played by Emma Roberts, Don Cheadle and Kevin Dillon, as well as the canines.

Aquarius is developing posters and jigsaw puzzles for the movie based on the Lois Duncan book of the same name. Both lines will be available in mass, mid-tier and specialty stores with the film’s release in January 2009.

Breakthrough Gets Slew of Broadcast Deals
Several broadcast deals were made for Breakthrough Entertainment’s kids properties, documentaries, TV movies and more.

In the kids genre, “Atomic Betty,” season three was licensed to Cartoon Network (America) and “The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon” to APTN (Canada).

Documentaries, such as “Crime Stories” was acquired by TV4 (Sweden), “It Seems Like Yesterday” to MEN TV (Canada) and “Streets of the World” to Spektrum HBO Europe.

Factual program deals included “Re-Inventors” to Spektrum HBO Europe, Polsat (Poland) and TV 2 (Norway); “War of the Wheels” to AB Groupe (France); “Disaster of the Century” to SKAI (Greece); and “Truth Duty Valour” to Spektrum HBO Europe.

And, in the factual medical category, “Plastic Makes Perfect” and “Patient Files” both to Channel 4 (Finland). 

Lastly, “Cradle of Lies,” a television movie was acquired by YES Network (Israel).

Disney CP Launches Bolt Range
Disney Consumer Products is launching a licensing program to support the new Walt Disney Animation Studios film Bolt, rolling out from 2009. Products include toys, publishing, stationery and homewares. The product range will be themed to action and adventure.

Featuring the voices of John Travolta as Bolt and Miley Cyrus as Penny, Bolt’s human co-star on the television series, this is the story of a super-dog whose days are filled with adventure, danger and intrigue. When Bolt is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet—a cross-country journey through the real world.

“Disney is confident that the Bolt movie has all the right criteria to make it a hit among children of all ages and can be transferred perfectly to a fun and exciting product range that captures the adventurous spirit of the film,” says Becki Fleming, director, franchise marketing, Disney Consumer Products Europe.

BabyTV Launches in Africa
BabyTV is launching on DaarSat, a new satellite provider, in Nigeria in October.

The new station is operated by Daar Communications, which also operates terrestrial broadcasters Africa Independent Television and Ray Power Radio Station.

DaarSat will be the first satellite Pay TV platform offering service in Nigeria and from Nigeria. It starts with 40 channels, BabyTV among them.

BabyTV is already available in Africa through MyTV and TrendTV.

Galleon and Dragonfruit Brings Two New Properties to U.S.
U.K.-based Galleon has joined forces with U.S.’s Dragonfruit Studios to debut “Super Soccer Star” and Web sitcom, Apollo’s Pad, in the states.

“Super Soccer Star” is a family reality series to find the world’s next soccer star. The show is produced in association with the Chelsea Football Club. It was recently launched in China and already has many sponsorships, live and online events, and branded merchandise.

Apollo’s Pad is a Web-based comedy property targeted to the young male audience, and features Webisodes and exclusive music videos.

Lots of Latin Deals for “Fluffy Gardens”
Target Entertainment Group has penned several merchandise deals in Argentina and Brazil for preschool animation series, “Fluffy Gardens.”

In Brazil, Deomar Editora is set to produce sticker albums and activity magazines, while MoviClips Mobile Marketing will create downloadable wallpapers to mobile phone providers. Editorial Vertice will produce coloring and activity books in Argentina.

“Fluffy Gardens” (40x7) airs on Discovery Kids in Latin America. The series also broadcasts on Cartoonito (U.K.), France 5, ABC (Australia), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), KTV (Thailand), RTV (Slovenia) and EBS (Korea).

“This is just the beginning of what we know will be a very successful licensing program in the territory,” says Richard Oren, vice president of licensing, U.S.A., Canada and Latin America at Target Entertainment.

Mickey To Decorate Your Lawn
Encore Group is launching a line of Disney-inspired lawn and garden products for spring 2009.

The outdoor line will include stepping stones, wall plaques, screen savers, rain gauges, decorative flags, statuary and garden stakes featuring Mickey Mouse, Pooh and Tinkerbell. The garden products will retail from $5-$160.

Encore Group also has licenses with Harley Davidson, Anheuser-Busch and John Deere.

LIMA Looks for Licensing Conference Speakers
Submissions for speakers and presentations are now being accepted by LIMA for this year’s Licensing University conference program, held in conjunction with the Licensing International Expo.

The program goes from May 31 to June 3. It includes an event aimed at international attendees but is open to all. Throughout the week guests will discuss key industry topics and trends through hands-on workshops, breakfast roundtables, panels and networking opportunities.

Those interested in taking part can click here. There you may also fill out speaker information and/or application forms. Only online submissions are accepted and the deadline is Friday, Oct. 10.

The Licensing International Expo will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, June 2-4. For more information on this event, click here.

HIT Entertainment Prepares for Snow Days with DVD
Snow Days, a DVD collection of winter-themed preschool TV offerings, will be released on Nov. 4 from HIT Entertainment.

The collection, which retails for $14.98, includes Barney’s “A Visit to Santa,” Thomas & Friends’ “Thomas’ Tricky Tree,” Bob the Builder’s “Mr. Bentley Winter Fair,” Angelina Ballerina’s “No Match for Angelina,” Fireman Sam’s “The Big Freeze” and Pingu’s “Pingu at Sledge Academy.” There’s a also a bonus episode of Fifi and the Flowertots’ “Soup of the Day.”

Fly Me to the Moon Gets Merchandise Catalog
W.I.S.E. Retail Solutions has launched an online B2B and consumer-merchandising catalog for the new 3D-animated film, Fly Me to the Moon.

Through a deal with film’s producer, nWave Pictures, the catalog will feature apparel and Moon Dust Pens: The Apollo 11 Commemorative Collector’s Edition. Items are available to theaters, affiliates, gift shops and retailers at www.wrsdirect.com

Fly Me to the Moon was released in mid-August and features celebrity voices—Christopher Lloyd, Kelly Ripa and Buzz Aldrin.

 “Shaun the Sheep” To DVD
Aardman Animations will release the first “Shaun the Sheep: Off the Baa!” DVD compilation on Nov. 11.

The Shaun character first appeared in the Wallace & Gromit short film, A Close Shave in 1995. This led to a spin-off series of 40 seven-minute episodes currently airing on the Disney Channel.

The “Shaun the Sheep: Off the Baa!” DVD will feature eight adventures—“Off the Baa,” “Timmy in a Tizzy,” “Buzz Off Bees,” “Who is the Mummy,” “Mower Mouth,” “Fleeced,” “Shaun Shoots the Sheep” and “Mountains Out Of Molehills.”

The DVD also includes a “Meet the Animals” featurette and video game sneak peaks for Nintendo DS’ “Shaun the Sheep” and Telltale Games’ “Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures.” The Nintendo DS game is available now.

The “Shaun the Sheep: Off the Baa!” DVD will retail for $14.98. It will also be available as a two-pack, “Unsheared Edition,” that includes “Wallace & Gromit’s Three Amazing Adventures” DVD, retailing for $19.98.

Entertaiment Rights Bags “Frankenstein’s Cat”
Entertainment Rights (ER) has won the U.K. Home Entertainment Rights to “Frankenstein’s Cat,” produced by award-winning Mackinnon & Saunders. The 30x11 animated comedy series targets 6- to 9-year-olds and is being aired on CBBC.

The show follows a friendship between a girl, Lottie, who doesn’t fit in and a cat called Nine whose body parts don’t fit together properly. As part of the deal ER has the option to distribute further series and spin-offs as the show develops.

ER is launching the first “Frankenstein’s Cat” DVD, The Cat From A Kit in October. The initial DVD will contain 8x11 minute episodes selected from the TV series and will also contain bonus content including an interactive game.

Beano and Dandy Release 70th Anniversary Collection
Delta Leisure Group is releasing eight DVDs in November celebrating the 70th anniversary of DC Thomson’s comics Beano and The Dandy.

This DVD collection celebrates the 70th anniversary of the launch of two of the most influential comics ever published—Beano and the Dandy.

These two titles have introduced the world to a range of characters including Bananaman, Dennis the Menace, the Bash Street Kids and Minnie the Minx.

Arch to Distribute “Miffy and Friends” DVD Series
Big Tent Entertainment has asked Peach Arch Entertainment to distribute the preschool series “Miffy and Friends” on DVD.

DVDs now available are “Miffy’s Surprise” and “Miffy’s School Day,” and both include nine themed episodes. Other releases are expected every three months—“Miffy’s Colorful World,” “Miffy’s Summer Vacation” and for November 2008, “Miffy’s Christmas Tree.”

For the past year, the series has been airing on public television through WLIW New York Public Television. The show is based on the children’s book by Dutch author and illustrator, Dick Bruna. Netherlands-based Mercis Bv is the “Miffy” brand’s international licensor.

Guinness World Records Gets First DVD
Bender Media Services has inked a DVD deal with En Pantalla to distribute Ultimate Guinness World Records in Mexico.

The DVD will feature a collection of the best clips from Guinness World Records international TV program and will be available in stores on June 2009.
This is the first DVD agreement for Guinness World Records brand. En Pantalla is a major DVD distributor in Mexico and Central America.

ITV Global Entertainment Means Business
ITV Worldwide, Granada International and Granada Ventures is being renamed ITV Global Entertainment. Led by Peter Iacono, president and managing director, ITV Global Entertainment acts as ITV’s global distribution arm for television, home entertainment, publishing, consumer products and international networks businesses.

Combining the merged Granada International and Granada Ventures businesses, which had been referred to as ITV Worldwide, ITV Global Entertainment distributes television series, television movies and films from ITV Productions and from independent producers to more than 200 countries worldwide. Its consumer products division has more than 250 licensees throughout 70 countries, and Home Entertainment specialist ITV DVD is one of the top 10 DVD suppliers in the U.K., with a burgeoning international presence.

ITV Global Entertainment is part of ITV’s Global Content Division, which unites all of ITV’s U.K. and international production and content businesses.

“With our new multi-disciplined teams in place,” says Peter Iacono, “applying an innovative 360 philosophy to all parts of our business, we are now extremely well placed to build ITV into a truly global brand.”

Meanwhile, preschool series “Pocoyo,” distributed by ITV Global and Zinkia, has won the Parents’ Choice Gold Award for “Pocoyo: Fun & Dance with Pocoyo” in the DVD category at the Small Screen Parents’ Choice Awards in the U.S.

Executive moves
Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising has created the new role of executive director of creative production. Michael Madnick has been appointed to take on the new position where he will manage Fox’s creative projects, TV commercials, content-heavy product development and special events. For over 15 years, Madnick worked in a variety of producer roles for shows on E!, NBC, TLV, Bravo, Comedy Central and the USA Network.

LIMA hired Roger Berman as managing director of its Japan division. He replaces Fumihiko “Pochi” Kusama who recently stepped down after serving seven years in the position. The U.K.-born Berman has lived in Tokyo since 1984, holds Japanese permanent resident status and is fluent in Japanese.

IMC Licensing recently expanded its executive team. Mark Hess was hired as vice president, client relationship management. He was previously the vice president, group director of client services for Creative Alliance. Donna Bruschi was appointed to managing director international. She was the former director of international licensing and merchandising for New Line Cinema. Lastly, Emily Wickerham was promoted to product development and account manager. She was the former product development and creative coordinator for IMC Licensing.

Spin Master has appointed Sara Reader as its new sales and business development director for Europe. She will be responsible for managing and growing the distributor base in both Europe, excluding the U.K. and France. Previously, Reader worked at Funrise International and Mattel.