Paramount Explores Sale Of Majority Stake In Streaming Service Noggin

Paramount Global is exploring the sale of a majority stake in Noggin, its online learning service for children, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the situation.

The company is looking at an opportunity to develop Noggin, which is known for content like "PAW Patrol" and "Peppa Pig", into an interactive learning platform, and is seeking an investor for the job, the report said.

Paramount wants to retain a stake in Noggin, the report added. Paramount Global declined to comment.

The reported exploration of the stake sale is part of the company's effort to support its streaming service Paramount+. The company said in February it will increase the prices of the service's premium and essentials tiers.

Paramount+ is set to integrate with the company's other streaming platform Showtime. The company expects an impairment charge of $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion in the current quarter from the integration.

Recap To Last Year: Hoho's 'Toad And Friends' Ready To Roll With Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA

Hoho Entertainment today announced that it has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA to bring the riverbank adventures of Mole, Toad, Ratty and Badger to life for a new generation of viewers in Toad & Friends (52 x 11’), a brand-new CG animated series based on Kenneth Grahame’s classic British novel The Wind in the Willows (1908).

“With over 85 million copies of the book sold in 29 languages, The Wind in the Willows is not just a British classic, it’s a global classic,” says Oliver Ellis, Joint Managing Director of Hoho Ent. and producer of Toas & Friends. “We can’t wait to introduce today’s children to these beloved characters, with 52 new and original stories.”

Toad & Friends is produced by London-based Hoho Entertainment, animated in Scotland by Wild Child Animation and directed by Tim Searle (Danger Mouse, Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed!). The new series has been developed and supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and produced with the support of the Creative Media Program, MEDIA of the European Union, and is set to launch on Warner Bros. Discovery’s preschool brand Cartoonito across EMEA and on HBO Max in Europe in 2023.

“Toad & Friends is a beautiful series packed full of adventure and wrapped in the nostalgia of the original The Wind in the Willows stories that many parents will remember with such fondness. It’s a perfect fit for Cartoonito and HBO Max and we’re thrilled to add it to our growing slate of European productions,” comments Zia Sands, Lead – Acquisitions, Partnerships & Coproductions, Kids & Family EMEA, Warner Bros. Discovery.

Working with a diverse cast, group of writers and production team, Toad & Friends aims to honor the legacy of the original novel and its gentle values about community and citizenship while refreshing the characters and storylines to resonate with a modern audience. The original characters are joined by some ‘feisty’ new female protagonists, including fearless Hedge, scheming Tinker, diligent Heron, mischievous Adder and motherly Mrs. Otter.

The series celebrates the countryside and children’s simple joy of being outdoors as they follow their favorite characters on brand new humorous adventures in which they discover moral courage, respect and the value of friendship.

“It is a joy to bring the teeming hedgerows and bustling riverbanks of the beautiful British countryside to life using the very latest animated technology and techniques,” adds Wild Child Animation’s Ken Anderson. “We hope our reimagined version of Grahame’s world of natural adventure and discovery will encourage children to venture into the great outdoors a little more themselves.”

New Series Alert: Kartoon Channel! Announces Premiere Of Shaquille O’Neal's ‘Shaq’s Garage’

The animated action-adventure comedy follows the Shaq PA, a family of vehicles inspired by the NBA Champion’s love of cars, as they go on missions to help the community; Pluto TV debut coming June 5.

Genius Brands International has announced Kartoon Channel!’s premiere of the new kids’ animated action-adventure comedy series, Shaq’s Garage, starring and executive produced by Shaquille O’Neal. Genius Brands will debut all 26 episodes exclusively June 5 on Kartoon Channel! on Pluto TV.   

Shaq’s Garage stars O’Neal, four-time NBA champion, rap impresario, and global icon, as both himself and one of the show’s main vehicle characters, Biggie D. According to Genius Brands, the series, inspired by O’Neal’s real-life love of cars, features his “family” of cars, known as the Shaq PA, as they go on various missions to help others and do good in their hometown community of Ollanta and beyond! The Shaq PA is a funny and diverse cast of 10 different characters, including the Grenoble, voiced by NFL Superbowl champion Rob Gronkowski.  

A variety of companion content, influencer collaborations and a comprehensive social marketing campaign across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok will support the premiere. Additionally, Genius Brands will develop a full-scale consumer products retail program for the show.

O’Neal stated, “I am thrilled that our hard work over the past couple of years is finally coming to fruition with our new series. I am extremely proud of what we have created, and I am looking forward to inspiring kids all over the world with Shaq’s Garage.”

“We are thrilled that Kartoon Channel! is partnering with Pluto TV to premiere the first season of Shaq’s Garage, which embodies the value-driven content we seek to create at Genius Brands,” stated Todd Steinman, President of Genius Networks. “I’m delighted that Shaq’s vision for the series has been realized. The show offers action, adventure, and comedy through positive messaging and quality role models. We are excited to offer this unique series to both kids and their families around the country.”

Afrikaans Voice Actors For Jy Is My Seun

 

Donovan Pietersen as Murat
Reginald Hufkie as Hasan
Rina Nienaber as Melek
Susan Coetzer as Asiye Karasu
Eddie De Jager as Ali Kemal
Jakkie Groenewald as Osman
Lizelle Pike as Sule
Natasha Jacobs as Emine
Mari Molefe Van Heerden as Asye Sahin
Claudia Joens as Akca Yilmaz

Source: Insidus Plus

Afrikaans Voice Actors For Jy Is My Seun

Donovan Pietersen as Murat

Reginald Hufkie as Hasan

Rina Nienaber as Melek

Susan Coetzer as Asiye Karasu

Eddie De Jager as Ali Kemal

Jakkie Groenewald as Osman

Lizelle Pike as Sule

Natasha Jacobs as Emine

Mari Molefe Van Heerden as Asye Sahin

Claudia Joens as Akca Yilmaz

Afrikaans Voice Actors For Jy Is My Seun

Donovan Pietersen as Murat
Reginald Hufkie as Hasan
Rina Nienaber as Melek
Susan Coetzer as Asiye Karasu
Eddie De Jager as Ali Kemal
Jakkie Groenewald as Osman
Lizelle Pike as Sule
Natasha Jacobs as Emine
Mari Molefe Van Heerden as Asye Sahin
Claudia Joens as Akca Yilmaz

WildEarth Expands To India Through Jio

WildEarth’s mission is to make viewers feel present in nature by delivering a live and interactive channel where viewers can embark on remote safaris across Africa for 12 hours a day, 365 days a year which will now be available on the JioTV app.

With WildEarth’s channel, JioTV achieves the milestone of hosting and streaming 1000+ TV channels on their app, that is free for all Jio users.

“Now the fans in India can stream the best in nature and wildlife. WildEarth is all about sharing nature with everyone so we can all see why we must conserve our beautiful home. This partnership with leading online streaming app Jio TV is a major step in achieving this,” commented Emily Wallington

The company said that this partnership will amplify its footprint in India through JioTV’s customer base and the country’s rising demand for nature content.

New Channel Alert: DStv Compact Gets ESPN 2

DStv added ESPN 2 to its channel catalogue for Compact subscribers, increasing its sports offering for these customers to ten channels.

ESPN 2 is the home of basketball and American football in South Africa, with the channel airing National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) content.

“This announcement is our way of rewarding our loyal customers with a wider catalogue of entertaining content to choose from,” says MultiChoice South Africa CEO Marc Jury.

Regarding content, MultiChoice said Compact customers could look forward to the NBA playoffs and NFL draft in the coming weeks.

“DStv Compact subscribers will] be able to watch, among others, the nail-biting NBA playoffs and soon, the highly-anticipated NFL draft,” the company said.

Despite the NFL’s biggest event of the year — the Super Bowl — concluding in February, NFL fans can look forward to the draft, which is scheduled to take place from 27 to 29 April 2023.

The draft is the primary player recruitment event for the tournament, and NFL said a schedule of games should follow in May.

“We are excited to be bringing ESPN’s compelling content and unique personality to new viewers across Africa,” says the Walt Disney Company Africa’s director of sports Kyle de Klerk.

“With our unparalleled portfolio of international, local and US leagues, together with live games, sports news, films and documentaries, audiences now have every opportunity to relive the greatest moments in sports history and see those moments being made.”

ESPN 2 is available to DStv Compact subscribers on channel 219 from Thursday, 6 April.

New Channel Alert: Ignition TV Expands To DStv Access

Ignition TV, South Africa’s leading TV channel for car fanatics and petrolheads, is shifting a gear. From this week, it is included in DStv’s Access platform, broadcasting on the DStv 189 channel.

Ignition TV promises some of the best motoring content from around the globe, as well as a compelling slate of local content, including tuning, car reviews, spinning, advice for buyers, biking, kasi culture, and 4 x 4.

“From supercars to spinning, bikes to bakkies, Kyalami to the Kasi – if it has wheels, we cover it,” says Ignition executive producer Brandon Maary. “And we have some great new shows lined up for our Access kick-off.”

Some of the shows are:

Richard Hammond’s Workshop – a new series featuring the ex-Top Gear star trying to start his own business.

Rhythm & Smoke – a local spinning show that tracks the lives of Mzansi legends DJ Maphorisa and Stacey Lee May.

Celeb Rides – DJ Sabby and Ney-the-Bae ride shotgun with local stars and get to know them a little better through their cars.

Kasi Car Culture – S’bu Skosana and Zee Masethe celebrate the passion behind SA’s vibrant local car culture.

Tuned in SA – Vic Pardal and Kriya Gangiah show some of the fastest, most tricked-out custom builds in the country.

The Fast Lane – puts the spotlight on the lifestyles, scandals and controversies of Formula 1 racers.

Ignition, owned by Arena Broadcast, started as a weekends-only channel in 2008 and, due to its popularity, expanded to a full 24/7 service in 2014.

“South Africans are car-crazy,” says Arena Broadcast head Vernon Matzopoulos. “We’d sooner upgrade our wheels than buy a home. Ignition taps into that passion, and we’re delighted to now be able to share this with Access viewers.”

New Channel Alert: Openview To Add Some Spice To Ultra

Right in time for the Easter holidays, Ultraview is surprising audiences with a second bouquet on Ultra, their recently launched Pay TV offering.

Will have the latest addition of niche channels with never-been-seen programmes, and that launched at 6:30pm on 6 April 2023. It will be home to two channels: Star Select and Zee Family, and promise to be an entertainment hotspot with a variety of Hindi content.

Viewers can get a taste of the flavourful content for a limited period, at no cost. From there the Spice bouquet will be available on a subscription basis at R119,99 per month using the Openview decoder to activate the chosen bouquet.

Star Select is a premium Hindi bespoke entertainment channel, specially curated for South Africa’s Hindi speaking viewers. Star Select is the entertainment hotspot that offers something for every age group, making the channel a family destination that offers the best romantic dramas, entertaining comedy shows, popular reality TV and the biggest Bollywood blockbuster hits. Some of the shows include Banni Chow Home Delivery (Genre: Drama), Swayamvar: Mika Di Vohti (Genre: Reality), Pyar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara (Genre: Romance), Saubhagyavati Bhava (Genre: Drama), May I Come In Madam: (Genre: Comedy). and many more.

Zee Family offers exciting and heartwarming entertainment from India in Hindi with English subtitles. The channel caters to families showcasing award-winning romance and drama series, comedies, blockbuster movies, lifestyle, cooking and reality shows. Viewers can look forward to Baal Shiv, Ghar Ek Mandir, Kripa Agrasen Maharaj, Ki Ek Mahanayak Dr. BR Ambedkar, Main Bhi Ardhangini and the acclaimed reality singing competition, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

Afrikaans Voice Actors For Hart Van Goud

• Nehir (Biran Damla Yilmaz) voiced by Kyla Jansen
• Nazim (Feyyaz Duman) voiced by Keenan Herman
• Zerrin (Sumru Yavrucuk) voiced by Amor Tredoux
• Tarik (Burak Yörük) voiced by Conradie van Heerden
• Zahra (Iman Casablanca) voiced by Hannah Borthwick
• Ismet (Mesut Yilmaz) voiced by Wian Zeeman
• Ekrem (Tuna Orhan) voiced by Christo Snyman
• Ibrahim (Batuhan Bozkurt Yüzgüleç) voiced by Jumaine Hansen
• Halil (Samil Kafkas) voiced by Gordon van der Spuy
• Fulya (Irem Tuncer) voiced by Anoecha Kruger
• Bahar (Gizem Karaca) voiced by Emma Kotze
• Tulay (Sabriye Kara) voiced by Susanne Beyers
• Azra (Pinar Akin) voiced by Shannon Williams
• Halit (Samil Kafkas) voiced by Gordon van der Spuy