| | | | | Mattel May Rebuild Bratz, MGA Emergency Appeal Denied
| | | Mattel plans to build upon the Bratz fashion doll brand if it acquires the property at the end of its lengthy legal battle with MGA Entertainment.
| | | Elie Dekel Leaving Fox L&M
| | | Fox's executive vice president of licensing and merchandising Elie Dekel has resigned.
| | | Metro Group, Arcandor's Karstadt Talks Put on Hold
| | | Sale talks have been put on hold between troubled Germany conglomerate Arcandor and Metro Group. Last week, Arcandor filed for bankruptcy protection in German courts.
| | | Filene's Basement Auction Reopens
| | | Two bidders for Filene's Basement, which is currently being operated under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, have forced the troubled retailer to reopen its auction, having objected to the June 5 announcement that Men's Warehouse had won.
| | | MTV India Partners with Portico NY Towel Range
| | | MTV India has launched a range of towels, Wrapp'd by MTV, with licensee Portico New York in a global first for the business.
| | | Hamleys Posts Loss for 2008
| | | In figures just released, U.K. toy retailer Hamleys reported a loss of £2.7 million ($4.5 million) for the year ended March 2008. Sales were up by £8 million ($13 million) to £44 million ($73 million). Like–for–like trading in recent weeks is said to be positive.
| | | Home Retail Group Sales Improve in Q1
| | | The U.K.'s Home Retail Group, which includes catalog retailer Argos and DIY store Homebase, has turned in better than expected first quarter results.
| | | Son Launches Bob Marley Coffee Brand
| | | Rohan Marley, son of iconic musician Bob Marley, and friend Shane Whittle, have launched a line of coffee cultivated from the Marley family farm in Jamaica.
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| | | | The Wiggles Goes Live in the U.K.
| | | Australia's The Wiggles, are making retail appearances in the U.K. to coincide with the latest live show tour. The appearances also support the group's recent CD and DVD releases, both entitled You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.
| | | Aussie, Canadian Execs Form Chocolate Liberation Front
| | | A new independent production company, called Chocolate Liberation Front, is developing a wide range of entertainment properties for TV, video games, online and more.
| | | Ludorum's "Chuggington" Steams on Disney U.S.
| | | Ludorum has sold its pre–school train-based animation "Chuggington" to Disney Channel for its Playhouse Disney programming block in the U.S. The 52–episode series will launch in spring 2010.
| | | Moonscoop Racks Up TV Sales
| | | Moonscoop is heading to Discop East in Budapest this week with a number of TV sales already signed with key broadcasters in the region.
| | | Fox's New Strawberry Shortcake Film on DVD in Sept.
| | | The Strawberry Shortcake Movie: The Sky's the Limit will debut on DVD on Sept. 15 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, American Greeting Properties and Cookie Jar Entertainment.
| | | September Films Lands "Blast Lab" Season 2
| | | DCD Media–owned September Films has been commissioned to produce season 2 of science–based game show "Richard Hammond's Blast Lab" for CBBC.
| | | Cartoon Finance Kicks Off Next Week
| | | Cartoon Finance, which takes place in Munich on June 24 and 25, has set up a number of sessions focused on making animation profitable.
| | | TV-Loonland, Gulli TV Signs Two New Seasons of "Raymond"
| | | TV–Loonland and French broadcaster Gulli TV have commissioned a further two seasons of animated comedy series "Raymond."
| | | Wizard of Oz, FIDM Ruby Slipper Museum Opens
| | | Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising opened The Ruby Slipper Collection and Oz Fine Art Exhibition to the public today in Los Angeles. The event is part of The Wizard of Oz's 70th anniversary celebration.
| | | Peppa Pig DVD Sales Hit 2 Million Mark
| | | Sales of preschool brand Peppa Pig DVDs in the U.K. have passed the 2 million mark, according to E1 Entertainment (formerly Contender Entertainment), which releases Peppa on DVD and licenses the property globally.
| | | The Simpsons Celebrate 20 Years at October's Mipcom
| | | Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution and Mipcom are set to celebrate 20 years of The Simpsons at Mipcom 2009 in October with a series of events.
| | | Kidz Entertainment/EEMC Expands into Russian Market
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| | Kidz Entertainment/EEMC co–owner and director of entertainment Claus Tømming is spearheading a drive to increase the company's presence in Russia, as it signs its first direct–to–retail deal in the country.
| | | PBS Commissions Scholastic for More "WordGirl"
| | | Twenty–six additional episodes of Scholastic Media's "WordGirl" are now in production for PBS Kids. The show currently airs daily on the PBS Kids Go! afternoon block.
| | | Dora Makes Cinema Debut in Australia
| | | Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! make their cinematic premieres in Australia in July in a month–long promotion set up by Haven Licensing.
| | | CBeebies Re-Commissions Preschool Series "Waybuloo"
| | | CBeebies has commissioned a further 50 episodes of the landmark preschool show "Waybuloo," 100x20, from The Foundation, part of the RDF Media Group.
| | | MTV Networks Takes Formats Portfolio to Discop
| | | MTV Networks International is taking its slate of entertainment formats to Discop East 2009, held in Budapest this week, for the first time, along with new programming for international distribution spanning the kids, comedy, reality, game show, music and documentary genres.
| | | Sid the Science Kid DVD Hits Stores in August
| | | NCircle Entertainment will release two premiere DVD titles based on PBS Kids series "Sid the Science Kid" on Aug. 4.
| | | Cartoon Forum Travels to Norway in September
| | | Carton Forum, the project showcase for European television animation, takes place in Norway this year.
| | | "Gormiti" TV Series Heads for NickToons in the U.K.
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| | The "Gormiti" television series, co–produced by property owner Giochi Preziosi and French animator Marathon Media, is set to hit U.K. television screens in October following a deal with Nickelodeon U.K. The first season will air on NickToons.
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| | | | Toys"R"Us Posts Q1 Operating Earnings Increase
| | | Toys"R"Us recently reported a first–quarter operating earnings increase of $21 million for the quarter ending May 2. In Q1 of fiscal 2008, the toy and baby retailer posted operating earnings of $2 million.
| | | U.K. Retail Sales Growth Falls Back in May
| | | U.K. retail sales fell by 0.8 percent like–for–like and rose by just 0.8 percent on a total basis in May, compared to May 2008, according to the British Retail Consortium/KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.
| | | Inditex Sales Up in First Quarter
| | | International fashion retailer Inditex, whose fascias include Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear and Bershka, reported sales of ¤2,338 million ($3,290 million) in first quarter 2009 on a local currency basis, up 8 percent on the same period in 2008. Net profit for the quarter was ¤184 million ($259 million), a drop of 16 percent.
| | | Eddie Bauer May Seek Bankruptcy Protection
| | | Bellevue, Wash.–based Eddie Bauer may seek bankruptcy protection as soon as this week. Hilco Consumer Capital and others have reportedly expressed interest in the retailer's assets.
| | | U.K. Online Sales Growth Outstrips 'Bricks and Mortar' Retailers, Says IMRG
| | | The U.K. Interactive Media In Retail Group's Capgemini Index has recorded a staggering growth of over 5,000 percent since it launched in April 2000. During the same period the Office of National Statistics' Retail Sales Index, which tracks U.K. high–street sales, recorded a growth of 21 percent.
| | | Gap to Grow Online and Int'l. Businesses
| | | Glenn Murphy, Gap's chairman and chief executive officer, has revealed the retailer's plans to open new stores worldwide, expand offerings at its online accessories site Piperlime and remodel some 50 Old Navy stores.
| | | Nick U.K. Signs with Claire's for SpongeBob 10-Year Promo
| | | Nickelodeon U.K. signed a large–scale promotional campaign with Claire's Accessories for SpongeBob SquarePants to celebrate his 10th birthday.
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| | | | | | | | | | Classico Sold to Culturenik Publishing
| | | Culturenik has recently acquired the lines, brands and publishing operations of Corte Madera, Calif.–based Classico, including its Ludlow range.
| | | Redan Signs "ToddWorld" for Two Years
| | | Corporate Creative Licensing and Redan Publishing have teamed up for a two–year deal on preschool property "ToddWorld" for Redan's compilation magazines.
| | | HarperCollins U.K. Takes The Amanda Project
| | | HarperCollins Childrens Books U.K. has signed a four–book deal for U.K. and Commonwealth (excluding Canada) rights from Harper U.S. for The Amanda Project, the multi–platform, interactive, digital mystery for teens.
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| | | | BLE Launches Game Zone at September Show
| | | Brand Licensing Europe is launching an Interactive Game Zone at the London event this autumn, providing a dedicated area for video game licensing opportunities.
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| | | | StarBound Creates Maisy Parade Balloon
| | | Children's book character Maisy will soon appear at parades nationwide. StarBound Entertainment recently created a Maisy balloon, which will fly at the National Independence Day Parade on July 4 in Washington, D.C.
| | | Fifi Named Preschool Ambassador for Jeans for Genes Day
| | | Chapman Entertainment, the creator of "Fifi and the Flowertots," and U.K. charity Jeans for Genes have named denim dungaree–wearing Fifi Forget–Me–Not, as the 2009 preschool ambassador for Jeans for Genes Day on Oct. 2.
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