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Grooming takes toon route
Cartoon characters have been reinvented as tools for education, with Pogo, Nicklodeon, Toon Disney and Disney Channel all joining in.
Infotainment is the name of the satellite television game. Cashing in on the innovation of programming on the boob tube, almost all private TV channels seem keen on adopting the age-old marketing mantra: To each to his own. And the channels have rejigged the programming format to boost the TRPs.
As the new programming initiatives gain currency, kids also find a pride of place among the target audience. And what better way to grab their eyeballs than an overdose of the obvious toon mania. The twist to the predictable tale lies in the fact that cartoon characters have been reinvented as tools for education. Cartoon Network — the first to set up shop in India in 1995 — may have been a trendsetter. But Pogo, Nicklodeon, Toon Disney and Disney Channel have now all jumped on the bandwagon for a fair share of the children’s attention span through informative educational programmes.
The concept, however, is still at a nascent stage. “Presently, kids’ channels address less than 10 per cent of the child audience in India. This is because pre-school programming, aimed at children between three and five years, hasn’t fully developed. We are trying to make good use of the vacant slot by introducing programmes that will educate the toddlers,” explains Rajat Jain, managing director, Walt Disney Television International (India).
All the kids’ channels are looking beyond the usual “fun while you learn” module. Numerous co-curricular activities like music, drama, craft and elementary scientific experiments, form the core of these programmes, aired between 8 am and noon to coincide with the crèche timings. “The exercise aims at imparting social skills among children. It’ll also instill confidence in them,” adds Jain.
The out-of-the-box programmes, according to the channels’ authorities, have all been conceived in “proper consultation” with academicians and psychologists.
For instance, Mad on Pogo, which train tiny tots on good manners and everyday science, have found many takers. Parents, too, are impressed with its edutainment value. Gradually, Mad has evolved into an alternative study material. Similarly Playhouse Disney, a science-based programme, is targeted at kindergarten kids. Ditto for Nicklodeon’s J Bole to Jadoo.
