Hong Kong – Celestial Tiger Entertainment (CTE), the operator of the largest bouquet of pan-Asian channels dedicated to Asian entertainment, announced its plan to launch a 24-hour Mandarin kids channel created specifically to cater to international audiences. The new channel, called Miao Mi, is scheduled to roll out in selected territories in Asia Pacific in the fourth quarter of 2015. Miao Mi is designed for children between the ages of three to six regardless of their native language.
Miao Mi will be carefully curated with children’s programmes that entertain, educate, and empower kids with a unique Asian perspective. The programming mix will include animated series, movies and live-action series such as game shows, reality shows, and parenting shows. Miao Mi’s programmes will be sourced from the leading producers of children’s programming, educational programming and animation in Asia using research-backed content filters.
Some of the first and exclusive shows to be shown on Miao Mi include: Star Babies, the award-winning animated series about a group of babies inspired by Chinese icons such as Bruce Lee and the Monkey King; Secret Y, an animated series that introduces scientific knowledge to young children through the adorable main characters from the hit animated movie Axel: The Biggest Little Hero; and Happy Friends, Happy Hero, a top-rated animated series on Chinese national broadcaster CCTV, from the director of the megahit franchise Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.
“Miao Mi satisfies two significant gaps in children’s television; the lack of pan-regional Asian kids channels created for international audiences, and the lack of television options catering to the growing demand for Mandarin language-learning. Miao Mi will fill both those gaps and more,” said Todd Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Celestial Tiger Entertainment.
“We have been developing this channel for over a year, including consultation with a leading child development expert to create the channel’s educational framework. We are excited to be able to reveal our plans for this unique kids channel now. Not only will Miao Mi entertain and educate kids, but it will also empower them with Asian cultural references and values. We expect this channel to be a hit with kids and popular with parents,” said Ofanny Choi, Executive Vice President, TV Networks, Celestial Tiger Entertainment.
In an effort to make Miao Mi accessible to children and parents across the region, the channel will offer the option of a local language track and the original Mandarin audio track. And to meet the needs of today’s multi-screen families, Miao Mi will be offered with a comprehensive suite of digital rights including on-demand, catch-up, and over-the-top (OTT) rights.
Miao Mi will be the sixth “Made in Asia” channel brand in CTE’s bouquet of Asian entertainment-focused channels. The other brands include Celestial Movies, Celestial Classic Movies, cHK, KIX and Thrill.
