company news:
Nickelodeon Inks Deal With Metromedia To Launch in the CIS and
Baltic Republics
Wednesday, September 16, 1998 11:03 AM
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--September 16, 1998--Nickelodeon, the worldwide entertainment brand for kids, has inked a deal with Metromedia International Group, a global communications and media company, to bring Nickelodeon to the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and Baltic Republics. The 24-hour channel will broadcast in the Russian language and will be launched exclusively on Metromedia International's cable and MMDS systems in fourth quarter 1998. The announcement was made today by Bruce Tuchman, General Manager, Global Network Ventures, Nickelodeon International, and Stuart Subotnick, President and CEO, Metromedia International Group, Inc.
Nickelodeon in the CIS and Baltic Republics will feature first-run programming for the marketplace, including Nickelodeon's high-quality animation and live action programming for preschool and older kid audiences as well as original interstitials.
"Nickelodeon is thrilled to team with Metromedia to bring the CIS and Baltic Republics a top quality channel dedicated to kids," said Tuchman. "We are confident that Nickelodeon will be a hit in this market because of our kid-first programming philosophy that has been so successful all over the world. Nickelodeon speaks meaningfully to kids and features kids as heroes in its programming while reflecting universal kid issues in a way that does not talk down to them."
Subotnick adds, "Metromedia's unequaled strength as a local provider of multichannel pay television in the CIS and Baltic Republics, coupled with Nickelodeon's creative expertise and unique programming approach, will ensure this channel as a big hit. There is a clear need for imaginative and innovative children's programming in the region and Metromedia is uniquely positioned to partner with Nickelodeon to make this programming widely available to children and their families."
Highlights for Nickelodeon's service in the CIS and Baltic Republics include a mix of animation, preschool and live-action programming, such as KABLAM!!!, the first-ever animated sketch comedy that collides cartoons and comics; Rugrats, the Emmy Award-winning animated series
from a baby's point of view; Allegra's Window, a music-filled program for preschoolers combining puppets and live-action characters; The Journey of Allen Strange, the story of an alien who comes to earth and befriends two teenagers; and Global GUTS, a sports show featuring 96 kids from around the world competing head-to-head in sporting events such as track, field, water, and aerial events.
Nickelodeon, a programming service of Viacom International Inc., is a global entertainment company dedicated to kids. Launched in 1979, the company includes television programming and production in the U.S. and around the world. Additionally, the Nickelodeon brand has successfully
expanded into online, consumer products, recreation, publishing and feature films. Currently, Nickelodeon is seen in nearly 90 million households worldwide on dedicated channels in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Latin America, the Nordic Region and Turkey and in over 80 countries via individual program sales. In the United States, Nickelodeon can be accessed at Nick.com, NickJr.com, TVLand.com, Teachers.nick.com; in the United Kingdom, Nickelodeon
can be accessed at nickelodeon.co.uk; and in Australia, Nickelodeon can be accessed at nickoz.com. Nickelodeon, and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.
Metromedia International Group, Inc. is a global communications and media company. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Metromedia International Telecommunications, Inc., the company owns and operates communications and media businesses in Eastern Europe, the Republics of the former Soviet Union and other emerging markets. These businesses include wireless and wired cable television stations; FM radio stations; radio paging operations; and a variety of telephone
operations including GSM cellular, international toll calling, fixed wireless local loop and trunk mobile radio. Through its approximately 58% ownership of Metromedia China Corp., MITI operates ventures supporting Public Switched Telephone Networks and GSM systems in China.
CONTACT: Denielle Bertarelli
Nickelodeon International
(212) 846-7581/dbertarell@aol.com
or
Jeffrey Luth/G.A. Kraut Company
Metromedia International Group
(212) 696-5600/jluth@gakraut.com
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