KidsCo, the international channel targeting children 6-10, will close following a joint decision by shareholders of the JV, NBCUniversal and Corus Entertainment.
KidsCo released the following statement:
“As one of many children’s linear services available in the international market, growing the KidsCo business has been challenging. As a result, both shareholders – NBCUniversal and Corus Entertainment – have decided to discontinue the joint venture service by early 2014.”
The children’s channel saw a revamp under new Managing Director Hendrik McDermott, who took over the channel from founder and CEO Paul Robinson in November 2011. McDermott secured a Syfy Kids programming block on KidsCo that debuted on July 22, 2013 across Asia and South Africa, featuring original programming and acquired titles from JV partners NBCUniversal and Corus Entertainment. All primetime programming in Asia was fully dubbed in Malaysian, Indonesian, Cantonese and Mandarin to cater to local markets.
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Update – November 21, 2013
The KidsCo’s Board of Directors have voted in favour of closing the channel and propose to cease all operations in all territories.
This closure is proposed to be completed, on a rolling basis, from end of December through mid-February 2014.
With immediate effect all marketing activity has ceased.
