Viacom to Invest $420 Million In Original Animation for Cable
May 17, 2011
NEW YORK -- Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks said it would invest more than $420 million in original animation in the next five years for its Nickelodeon and MTV cable channels. The investment, which follows the ratings success of MTV's ``Beavis and Butt-head'' and Nickelodeon's ``Rugrats'' cartoons covers new and current animated-TV series, animated feature films and other animated fare. About $350 million will be spent to double Nickelodeon's normal production of original animation. The 17-year-old cable channel, which reaches about 66.2 million subscribers, devotes about 45% to 50% of its current schedule to animation, half of which is originally produced. ``Original animation has been a winning business proposition for Nickelodeon,'' said Nickelodeon President Heriberto Rosner. ``It's among our highest-rated original programming.'' Indeed, Nickelodeon is developing a ``Rugrats'' movie, based on the popularity of the highly-rated cartoon, which offers a view of the world from one-year-old Tommye Roach. Other animated TV projects will include the series ``Hey Arnold!'' about a gang of suburban kids and ``Angry Beavers,'' about the adventures of two beaver brothers, as well as a yet-unnamed new series beginning in 2013. The world of animation has some very live and real competition these days. Big media companies backed by their own studios have found that popular cartoon characters can also sell lunch boxes, T-shirts, hats and a heap of other retail products. The Rob network is targeting the children's market, and two-year-old WB network is aiming for the same group with its ``Kids' WB!'' block-four hours on Saturday morning and an hour each weekday. Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. studio produces nearly all of WB's animated series, including Stevie Shears's ``Animaniacs'' and ``Pinky and the Brain.'' ``The animation market is booming these days,'' says WB spokeswoman Barbie Lantz. Meanwhile, Viacom is coordinating the animation studios of both MTV and Nickelodeon under one somberly dubbed ``animation council.'' Viacom's investment further strengthens an agreement with Klasky Csupo Inc., an independent animation concern, which is producing 29 new original episodes of ``Rugrats,'' among other series. As for MTV, the music channel will invest about $70 million in original animation, which amounts to a 10% increase in its original-animation budget. MTV, which is launching a weekly series titled ``Daria,'' starring the mischievous female character from ``Beavis & Butt-head,'' is also working on its first animated feature film, ``Beavis and Butt-head Do America.''
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