*Nick launches in Italy

Adding to a growing roster of European venues, Nickelodeon has joined with Radio Televisione Italiana (RAI), Italy’s public broadcaster, to bring Nickelodeon to Italy. Three hours of Nick programming, translated into Italian, will be transmitted per day on RAI’s new kids channel, RAISAT2: Ragazzi.

RAISAT2: Ragazzi will offer seven Nickelodeon shows: Rugrats, Rocko’s Modern Life, Hey Arnold!, Allegra’s Window, Eureeka’s Castle, Clarissa Explains it All and The Adventures of Pete & Pete.

Nickelodeon has added a number of outlets in Europe in the past few years, including the U.K. in September 1993, Germany in July 1995 and the Nordic region in December 1996.

*CTW packs Big Bag for France

PARIS: Children’s Television Workshop’s popular Big Bag went to air on Canal J with a totally reworked French version of the program. Sacatruc, the French title, is co-produced by CTW and Le Sabre. A few of the characters have remained on board and new songs, scripts and crafts have been added. According to artistic director Anne Dorville, the length of the show has been shortened, two do-it-yourself sequences have been added and three animated shorts are included. A second season is scheduled to go into production.