Media Watch: Nickelodeon goes for balance in shaping appeal to kids

Children's TV watching spikes during the holidays and this Christmas kids broadcaster Nickelodoen is hoping to pull in the viewers with a premier of the first Rocket Power telemovie, developed from its popular animated series.

Smart programming has helped it rapidly gain ground in Asia and its content has proved especially popular in markets familiar with US culture, such as the Philippines.

It is now building on this with Asian programming such as Lat the Kampung Boy, a show developed in Malaysia which is being broadcast across the region. The Viacom-owned channel is also developing animations in China and Singapore for regional distribution and is about to launch a local game show in India, Dum Duma Dum, based on a US format. "We've known all along that one of our goals is to increase local content," notes Nickelodeon Asia's VP of corporate communications, Lucy Young. "But it's not about swamping our audience with anything we can find. It's about finding the right shows."

Rocket Power, which follows the escapades of children into extreme sports, highlights the dilemma facing broadcasters who have to compete for young eyeballs without alienating parents worried that their offspring are spending too much time glued to the TV.

Nickelodeon competes not just with other kids broadcasters such as Cartoon Network and Disney Channel, and local offerings such as Singapore Kids Central, but also with playtime and schoolwork as well as other media such as the internet and mobile phones.

"Indirect competition still in the TV space is also likely to be Discovery and National Geographic," observes Aditi Anand, international regional director for MEC. "Parents actually encourage their children to watch these channels. Viewing is accompanied by discussions where parents give their children explanations."

Nickelodeon has gained a repuation as a smart player however, developing parent-friendly initiatives such as this year's Lets Just Play, which encouraged children to take a break from the TV. It is also exploring further pro-social campaigns focusing on topics such as health and education and continuing with Lets Just Play in 2005. The broadcaster also mixes its schedules with a range of entertainment and educational shows. "We believe in moderation," Young adds. "Knowing how the TV is sometimes perceived by the family is reflected in the kind of shows we develop and acquire."