New Line-up to Include U.S. Broadcast Premieres of "The Wiggles"
Sprout's "Noodle & Doodle," Jim Henson's "Pajanimals," "Poppy
Cat" and "Justin Time," as well as the Popular "LazyTown"
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - March 28, 2012 -- NBC will launch NBC
Kids, a new Saturday morning programming block designed
specifically to address the developmental needs of preschool-aged
children, premiering on Saturday, July 7. Programmed by the
kids experts at Sprout, the nation's first 24-hour preschool
television channel, this new three-hour block will feature
educational series that promote active, healthy lifestyles for
younger children.
NBC Kids will include the U.S. broadcast premieres of quality,
preschool series "The Wiggles," Sprout's "Noodle & Doodle," Jim
Henson's "Pajanimals," "Poppy Cat," "Justin Time," as well as the
popular "LazyTown," designed to encourage healthy eating and
exercise.
The announcement was made jointly by Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of
NBC Entertainment, and Sandy Wax, President of Sprout.
"NBC is proud to partner with Sprout in providing progressive new
programming that will entertain and encourage children to achieve
more positive life choices," said Greenblatt. "This is an
ideal blend of entertaining shows that also offer promising
benefits to the development of children on many
levels."
"Producing this new block for NBC will extend the reach of quality
preschool programming beyond Sprout's cable, VOD and digital
platforms affording millions of families the opportunity to watch
quality preschool series that promote active, healthy lifestyles,"
said Wax.
NBC Entertainment develops and schedules programming for the
network's primetime, late-night, and daytime schedules. NBC's
quality programs and balanced lineup have earned the network
critical acclaim, numerous awards, and ratings success. NBC has
earned more Emmy Awards than any network in television
history.
NBC's roster of popular scripted series includes such critically
acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning comedies as "The Office" and "30
Rock," the latter starring Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. NBC's
drama slate includes the veteran, award-winning series "Law &
Order: Special Victims Unit" and the popular first-year musical
"Smash." Unscripted series for NBC include the vocal
competition hit "The Voice" as well as "The Biggest Loser," "The
Celebrity Apprentice" and "America's Got Talent." NBC's
late-night story is highlighted by "The Tonight Show with Jay
Leno," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," "Last Call with Carson Daly"
and "Saturday Night Live." NBC Daytime's "Days of our Lives"
consistently ranks among daytime's top programs in the valuable
women 18-34 category.
The five-time, Emmy Award-winning NBC.com streams full episodes and
provides original content for NBC entertainment shows online and
through apps for mobile and tablet devices.
About Sprout®
Available in over 50 million homes, Sprout is the first 24-hour
preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for
children ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers. The
24-hour digital channel, which launched in September 2005 along
with the website (SproutOnline.com), is the only channel that
follows the day of a preschooler from breakfast to bedtime with its
distinctive, interactive programming and original hosted
blocks. Sprout's VOD offering is the #1 on demand service for
younger children with over one billion views.
Sprout is a partnership among NBCUniversal, PBS, Sesame Workshop
and Apax Funds. Its program lineup of gold-standard,
curriculum-based preschool shows includes: Sesame Street®,
Bob the Builder™, Barney & Friends™, The Wiggles®, Caillou®,
Pajanimals™, Thomas & Friends™, LazyTown™, and more.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Nate Kirtman, NBC Publicity, 818/777-3111