Animania HD (U.S.)

Keith O’Connell, head of programming and acquisitions

Looking for: Because Animania is part of satellite service VOOM’s High Definition package, O’Connell is looking for visually stunning programming that’s also strong on the content side. She’s currently buying everything from one-off short films to half-hour series, but is only looking for true high-def. O’Connell prefers to come in on projects early and is very interested in pre-buys. Key priorities include preschool and toons for six- to 11-year-olds, and special funding is earmarked for the nine to 11 set.

Preferred approach: Initial pitches should be sent via e-mail to Anne-Marie Ross (aross@rainbow-media.com), followed by a pitch package containing a bible, script(s) and a pilot or trailer (if available).

Market circuit: KidScreen Summit, MIPCOM Jr., MIPCOM

Cartoon Network (U.S.)

Terry Kalagian, VP of acquisitions and co-productions

Looking for: Cartoon is always on the hunt for gender-neutral comedy aimed at kids six to 11, with lots of mischief and visual gags. This year, Kalagian’s buying remit has expanded to include action-adventure for the same demo, and she’s also on the lookout for edgier shorts for the nine to 14 age range and humor-based preschool shows. A minimum of 26 x half hours is required to launch series in a strip.

Preferred approach: Kalagian doesn’t like unsolicited e-mails or cold-calls. Mail (1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia, 30318) a pitch package including demo tape, story synopsis, character bios, etc., and then call (404-885-0610) for an appointment.

Market circuit: NATPE, KidScreen Summit, Tokyo Anime Fair, MIPTV, Licensing Show, MIPCOM Jr., MIPCOM

CBBC (U.K.)

Michael Carrington, head of CBBC animation and program acquisitions

Looking for: The Beeb is over-supplied with preschool programming at the moment, so Carrington’s looking harder at concepts for older kids, particularly character-driven animated series for six- to nine-year-olds. Humor is important, and standout design helps, but story is the ultimate deciding factor. A minimum of 26 x half hours or 52 x seven minutes is generally required, although a flexible format is useful since CBBC runs a stripped schedule on the Beeb’s digital channels and a weekly schedule on the terrestrial channels.

Preferred approach: Snail mail (Room 1001, East Tower, BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane, London, W12 7RJ) or e-mail (chris.rose@bbc.co.uk) a one-page summary of the idea. If he’s interested, Carrington will ask for a detailed concept document outlining the format, premise, characters and about six story ideas, plus a sample of the artwork.

Market circuit: KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, Cartoon Forum, MIPCOM

CBC (Canada)

Cheryl Hassen, creative head of children’s and youth programming

Looking for: For the Kids CBC preschool block, Hassen is on the hunt for entertaining, educational programming that encourages preschoolers to have fun, get along with others, and be creative and optimistic in their approach to problem-solving. For the after-school block targeting eight- to 12-year-olds, animation, comedies and action-adventure series are on her shopping list. Programming should be unique, contemporary and, most important of all, realistic.

Preferred approach: Mail submissions to the CBC Children’s and Youth Programming department (P.O. Box 500, Station A, Toronto, Ontario, M5W 1E6).

Market circuit: KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, Banff, MIPCOM

CiTV (U.K.)

Estelle Hughes, head of programming

Looking for: A sitcom geared to eight- to 12-year-olds for an after-school and Saturday morning slot. Hughes is also interested in visually distinctive comedy toons to fill a 15-minute slot for ages six to 12. She is not after any preschool programming at this time.

Preferred approach: E-mail a brief outline to jamila.metran@itv.com stating the premise, target age, genre and current development/funding status.

Market circuit: KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, Cartoon Forum, MIPCOM Jr., MIPCOM

DIC Kids Network

Robby London, executive VP of creative affairs

Looking for: High-profile, completed series (at least 26 x half hours) with a track record of connecting with six- to11-year-olds. (Think recent pick-up The Smurfs.) Since DKN positions itself as a one-stop shopping destination for broadcasters looking to fill their FCC educon requirements, social lessons or curriculum components are a must.

Preferred approach: No unsolicited materials will be reviewed, but producers can start by sending a brief outline of the series with an explanation of why it would be a good fit for DKN to Angela Rodgers, director of affiliate relations (4100 W. Alameda Avenue, Burbank, California, 90266; or by e-mail at arodgers@dicentertainment.com).

Market circuit: NATPE, MIPTV, Cartoons on the Bay, MIPCOM

Discovery Kids (U.S.)

Dea Connick Perez, VP of programming and operations

Looking for: Preschool programming is a focus this year, and Perez is open to animation, puppetry and live action with a curriculum of persistence, resilience and optimism. Episodes should be 22 minutes in length. Both animation and live action also work for the six- to 14-year-old demo, as long as the concept has a basis in reality, with facts woven into the story lines. Perez is keeping a keen eye out for reality show formats, as well as strong narratives.

Preferred approach: All submissions must go through the website at htttp://producers.discovery.com. Once this step is taken, Perez likes to see as much material as is available by mail (641 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10022-4503), followed by a phone call and an in-person meeting.

Market circuit: NATPE, KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, MIPCOM Jr., MIPCOM

Disney TV (France)

Julien Borde, director of programming

Jean-Baptiste Lamotte, acquisitions coordinator

Looking for: Disney is open to pitches across all demos, formats and styles, but animation for the four to six set is particularly needed. Pitches must be new, innovative and exclusive – Borde is not interested in vintage series that already have a lot of local play. All series must have French or European content, and 26 x half hours or 52 x 13 minutes are ideal as far as formats go. Having said that, Borde is open to seven-, five-, or three-minute eps.

Preferred approach: Producers should e-mail acquisitions manager Malika Abdellaoui (malika.abdellaoui@disney.com) to set up a meeting, preferably at a market. Shorter pitches are better, featuring just a few sentences about the concept, story and principal characters. But Borde also likes to see a bible, synopsis and one script.

Market circuit: MIPTV, Annecy, Cartoon Forum, MIPCOM

Family Channel (Canada)

Sandra Walmark, manager of original production

Looking for: Walmark is mainly after animated or live-action comedies, as well as light dramas for eight- to 14-year-old viewers. She’s also constantly keeping an eye out for high-quality, light entertainment for the net’s family and preschool blocks. A commitment from Family can trigger funding from the Canadian Television Fund, but producers should be aware that the channel always looks for an exclusive first window.

Preferred approach: Mail a detailed description (script, bible, outlines, etc.), production schedule, preliminary budget, financing plan and information about the production company and key creative players. All proposals should be sent to the attention of Walmark or original production programming coordinator Swin Chang (BCE Place, 181 Bay Street, Box 787, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2T3). Please do not e-mail proposals or creative material.

Five (U.K.)

Nick Wilson, controller of children’s programs

Looking for: Model-animated, CGI or high-end puppetry co-pros/acquisitions for preschoolers. Wilson needs at least 10 episodes of two, five, seven, 11 or 22 minutes. For older children, he’s after 11-minute dramas for four- to eight-year-olds and 22.5-minute drama series for the five to 11 crowd. Good, strong storytelling is key, and concepts should be high on content and low on gimmicks. Wilson is not interested in teen programs.

Preferred approach: E-mail (nick.wilson@five.tv) or mail (22 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9LY) a short, sharp synopsis and pilot footage (if available).

Market circuit: MIPCOM

Jetix (U.S.)

Tracy McAndrew, director of original series development and acquisitions

Looking for: High-octane action-adventure animated series and films targeting kids six to 11, with a healthy dose of mischievous humor. McAndrew likes strong characters with distinct personalities, fantastical worlds, good vs. evil, speed and noise. Creator-driven projects are extra appealing, and 26 x half hours is her ideal format.

Preferred approach: Pitches can be submitted by mail or e-mail (3800 W. Alameda Avenue, Burbank, California, 91505 or tracy.mcandrew@disney.com) and should include a synopsis/concept outline, character descriptions and sample story lines, as well as designs if possible. McAndrew is OK with seeing materials at various stages of a project’s development, as long as it’s a good fit for the Jetix brand.

Market circuit: NATPE, KidScreen Summit, Tokyo Anime Fair, MIPTV, MIPCOM Jr., MIPCOM

Kids’ WB! (U.S.)

Betsy McGowen, senior VP and GM

Looking for: Dual-gender or slightly boy-skewing animated and live-action series (including reality, game show and scripted) for kids six to 11. Pitches should be character-driven comedies or action-adventure, and McGowen prefers half hours, although these eps can contain more than one story.

Preferred approach: Mail pitch materials (411 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, 91505) including a mini-bible with a show synopsis, character descriptions and episode springboards. Materials should be submitted by an agent, manager or attorney in the entertainment industry. For acquisitions, completed episodes dubbed or subtitled in English are preferred.

Market circuit: NATPE, KidScreen Summit, Tokyo Anime Fair, Licensing Show, MIPCOM

The N/Noggin (U.S.)

Sarah Tomassi Lindman and Kenny Miller, VPs of production and programming, The N

Yvette Buono, programming manager, Noggin

Looking for: Buono is seeking live-action and animated programs that reach the upper end of Noggin’s two to five demo. Pitches should have clearly defined educational goals and/or an early learning curriculum, and 26 x half hours or 52 x 11-minute modules that can double up to air as half-hour eps are preferred. For The N, Tomassi and Miller are keen to see gender-neutral or girl-skewing programming for ages 12 to 17. There should be at least 10 episodes planned or in the can, and ideally, the series could grow into a strip of 50-plus eps. Featured characters must be 16 and up, and for live-action programming, must speak North American English. One-offs are not currently on their wishlist.

Preferred approach: Mail pitch packages (1633 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, New York, 10019) with series bible, pilot script and any tape that exists.

Market circuit: KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, MIPCOM

Network Ten (Australia)

Cherrie Bottger, manager of children’s television

Looking for: Half-hour action-adventure toons catering to the 10- to 14-year-old demo for daytime/morning blocks. Ten is recharging its brand this year to focus on gender-neutrality. Bottger says she’s covered when it comes to strong domestic children’s drama.

Preferred approach: Unsolicited e-mails are a definite turn-off. Bottger prefers a full kit including promos, visuals, research data, story synopsis with character details and a budget/license fee where applicable, as well as a rundown of why the project would fit into the Network’s schedule.

Market circuit: NATPE, KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, MIPCOM

Nickelodeon Australia

Jane Gould, programming and research director

Looking for: For the main channel, Gould is on the hunt for comedy-driven 26 x half-hour or 52 x 11-minute animated series for eight- to 12-year-olds. Protagonists must appeal to boys and girls, and quirky story lines and characters are equally essential. The same elements should shape live action for the 10 to 14 set, with at least a 13 x half-hour format. Nick Jr. has room for toons and live-actioners that aim for four-year-olds and feature the preschooler’s point of view and clear learning outcomes. In terms of length, preschool eps can be as short as five minutes and as long as half hours, with a minimum of 26.

Preferred approach: Mail (GPO Box 4371, Sydney NSW, 2001, Australia) a show bible and story outlines, as well as scripts and screeners when available.

Market circuit: KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, MIPCOM

Nickelodeon UK

Debbie Macdonald, head of acquisitions and co-productions

Looking for: Macdonald is keen to pick up more live-action comedies for kids seven to nine and animated comedies for the six to 11 set, but she’d also like to add to the net’s library of live-action and animated films.

Preferred approach: E-mail (debbie.macdonald@nickelodeon.co.uk) or mail (Rathbone Place 15-18, London, England W1T 1HU) a series outline, character design, budget and script.

Market circuit: KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, LA Screenings, Cartoon Forum, MIPCOM

PBS Kids (U.S.)

Linda Simensky, senior director of programming

Looking for: Educational and entertaining series aimed at preschoolers or the five to nine age group. Animation, live action and mixed-media all work well, but projects need to have solid educational goals and include the work of educational advisors and research.

Preferred approach: PBS will only work with producers who have experience in educational programming. Pitch packages can be e-mailed to

lsimensky@pbs.org or sent by mail to 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314. They must have clearly outlined educational goals, as well as plans for local stations and for extending the content into on-line, outreach and print.

Market circuit: KidScreen Summit, various animation festivals

Playhouse Disney (U.S.)

Beth Gardiner, director of development

Looking for: Character-based series full of music and silliness, but anchored by an appropriate story line for the channel’s preschool target. Episodes should be half hours or stackable to run as half hours.

Preferred approach: Producers should have their agent or lawyer mail (3800 W. Alameda, 19th Floor, Burbank, California, 91505) a pitch package including an overview, character descriptions and designs, sample story ideas, etc. No cold calls or unsolicited e-mails, please.

Market circuit: NATPE, KidScreen Summit, Bologna Book Fair, Licensing Show, MIPCOM

Super RTL (Germany)

Frank Dietz, head of acquisitions & co-productions

Oliver Schablitzki, executive producer, co-productions

Looking for: Potential and established hits featuring strong, unique characters. Series must also have obvious merchandising and on-line potential, and a minimum of 26 half-hour episodes. Super RTL’s core target groups are three to five and six to 13, with a slight boy skew. The net is full up on action shows, but is looking for high-quality animated family movies for prime time.

Preferred approach: Send a package with a trailer, bible and story lines to RTL Disney Fernsehen, attention Frank Dietz, Richard-Byrd-Strasse 6, 50829 Köln, Germany.

Market circuit: KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, May Screenings, Annecy, Cartoon Forum, MIPCOM

Teletoon (Canada)

Carole Bonneau, VP of programming

Madeleine Levesque, director of original productions

Looking for: Gender-neutral animated series for kids nine to 12 for after-school, and teen and adult animation for the late-night Detour block. Teletoon is also after movies and specials.

Preferred approach: For original productions, mail (2100 St. Catherine Street West, Suite 1000, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3H 2T3) a description of the project covering synopsis, format, style, demo, character designs, story ideas and development status, along with info on the production company, budget and schedule. For acquisitions, mail pitch packages to Shannon Hauser (BCE Place, 181 Bay Street, P.O. Box 787, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4G 2T4).

Market circuit: NATPE, KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, Banff, Annecy, MIPCOM

TV2 Junior (Norway)

Beathe A. Daae, head of programming and acquisitions

Looking for: Long-running series and specials aimed at kids two to 12. Daae is mainly after high-quality, non-violent animated or puppet series (no live-action, please) that have good stories, strong characters and humor. Series episodes may be from five to 25 minutes long, and specials should run between 25 and 90 minutes.

Preferred approach: Mail (Postboks 7222, 5020 Bergen, Norway) a pitch package including a demo tape dubbed into English.

Market circuit: MIPTV, French Screenings, Cartoon Forum, MIPCOM

VPRO TV (Netherlands)

Els Kuiper, children’s program buyer

Looking for: VPRO is aiming to fill out its Sunday morning block and daily 15-minute slots for kids six to12. Kuiper will look at any genre (animation, dramas, docs, live-action features) and length, as long as the project isn’t violent or educational in nature. VPRO favors shows that will interest parents as well as kids. Kuiper will also be buying for VPRO’s public children’s channel Zappelin next year, and needs at least 26 eps to strip in this airspace.

Preferred approach: E-mailing (e.kuiper@vpro.nl) offers or catalogues is better than phoning or sending screeners cold.

Market circuit: MIPTV, Cartoon Forum, MIPCOM

VRAK.TV (French Canada)

Denis Dubois, VP of programming

Looking for: Fiction, sitcoms and dramatic comedies for nine- to 14-year-olds and 12- to 17-year-olds. Dubois likes strong, innovative stories that reflect the lives of the target audience, and he’s particularly interested in projects starring boys. Episodes should half hours or hours, and 26 of them is ideal. Dubois is not interested in educational content, moralizing or alien protagonists.

Preferred approach: Mail pitch packages to: VRAK.TV, c/o Denis Dubois, 2100 Ste-Catherine West, Suite 700, Montreal, Canada, H3H 2T3.

Market circuit: NATPE, MIPTV, LA Screenings, Annecy, MIPCOM

YLE (Finland)

Vicky Schroderus, acquisitions executive

Looking for: Innovative, high-quality toons for kids ages two to 10, with a particular need for preschool programming. Specials and series can be anywhere from five to 26 minutes long, and should feature imaginative characters and humorous stories without too much action or violence.

Preferred approach: Send a short three-line e-mail about the project to virve.schroderus@yle.fi, including a content description, a couple of images, the target demo and a brief explanation of how the project differs from existing shows. If interested, Schroderus will ask for a short description of the project, drawings of the main characters and backgrounds, and a screener. Alternatively, you can set up a market meeting by calling 35-83-345-6225.

Market circuit: BBC Showcase, MIPTV, Annecy, Cartoon Forum, Buster, MIPCOM Jr., Chicago International Children’s Festival, German Screenings

YTV (Canada)

Phil Piazza, VP of programming for children’s TV

Bonita Siegel, director of original productions

Looking for: Strippable, kid-centric shows (predominantly animation) with an emphasis on humor over plot. Action shows must be unique as the net has a large inventory of such fare. YTV is tailored to a six to 11 audience, though it hits tweens in prime time and families on weekends. Specials are welcome, but docs and educational shows need not apply. Commissions must qualify as 100% Canadian content and require a Canadian producer.

Preferred approach: For acquisitions, send screeners and short descriptions to Jackie Pardy, manager of program acquisitions (jackie.pardy@corusent.com). For commissions, e-mail a pitch package and scripts to YTV coordinator David Watson (david.watson@corusent.com) and follow up with Bonita Siegel (fax: 416-534-1959, bonita.siegel@corusent.com).

Market circuit: NATPE, KidScreen Summit, MIPTV, MIPCOM, Banff