Target set to cultivate Fifi and the Flowertots growth

London-based distributor Target Entertainment’s garden of children’s properties continues to grow, thanks to a new deal with Chapman Entertainment to manage the TV and some licensing rights for Fifi and the Flowertots outside of North America and the U.K. These two territories will continue to be handled by Chapman, also based in London, with Vivid Imaginations signed on as the property’s master toy licensee in the U.K. and serving as global master toy manufacturer. The 52 x 10-minute, stop-motion series about a mischievous young flower girl’s adventures in a garden will debut next spring as part of Five’s Milkshake block, as well as in the cable/satellite universe on Nickelodeon UK.

Planeta Junior expands its footprint in Southern Europe

In an effort to widen its sales and co-production activities to include Italy, EM.TV has reduced its stake in Barcelona, Spain’s Planeta Junior from 50% to 33.3%, opening up an opportunity for Italian media group DeAgostini. EM.TV’s co-venture partner in Planeta Junior, DeAPlaneta (a partnership between Planeta Group and DeAgostini) now controls the remaining 66.6% of the children’s programming brand. Italian rights to EM.TV’s library of children’s properties will now be handled by Planeta Junior, which already manages Spain and Portugal.

Mediaset to pair with Turner for DTT channel

Italian broadcaster Mediaset has signed an agreement through its subsidiary RTI to launch a free-to-air digital channel for kids with Turner Broadcasting in Q4 2004. Set to debut in late December, the DTT net will target the four to 14 set with Time Warner’s Scooby-Doo, PowerPuff Girls and classic Flintstones episodes. Future programming on the channel will be cherry-picked from Turner’s library of kids toons.