CABLE CAMPS Out for KIDS' EYES

Cable World, June 19, 2000 by Tim Clark

Parents beware. Cable nets are fighting over your children's eyeballs this summer. Sure, they can run. But if the onslaught of new programming is any indication, they'll have a tough time hiding.

"Summer gives us the broadest array of programming possibilities, even if a certain percentage of kids go to camp or on a family trip," Disney Channel GM/EVP-programming Rich Ross says. "It's a good opportunity for us to get the eyeballs and the interest."

Capitalizing on tried-and-true genres -- reality, comedy, drama, movies and music -- are key to lure the Disney crowd, Ross says. According to Nielsen, Disney's `tween viewership is on the rise, up 21% from over a year ago for ratings and up 45% for delivery.

New to Disney's reality realm is Totally Circus, a half-hour documentary/adventure series. Circus follows a crew of kids on the acclaimed, Vermont-based traveling act Circus Smirkus. Throughout the season, all 37 kids -- ages 9 to 19 -- eventually realize the hard work and responsibilities that go with being a "Smirko." Circus airs weekends.

Disney's new half-hour comedy series, Even Stevens, also on weekends, illustrates the misadventures of sibling rivalry inside the Stevens family, a clan of overachievers. Louis Stevens is a typical kid entering junior high school who tries to shed the title of "Ren Stevens' little brother." Meanwhile, Ren, an academic marvel, tries to live down the embarrassment of Louis' upstaging shenanigans.

As part of Disney's Sizzling Summer Weekend, Jessica Simpson & Jason Raize In Concert premieres June 24. The Hollywood-taped event will feature songs from both artists' debut albums and behind-the-scenes footage.

For August, Disney Channel has ordered 21 episodes of In a Heartbeat, a new drama series inspired by the real-life story of volunteer EMT squads staffed by high-schoolers. The live-action series combines the spirit of teenage life with the drama of emergency medicine. Heartbeat will air along with the original movie Quint, about a 13-year-old whose parents have quintuplets. According to Ross, the reason for Disney's ambitious August schedule is simple: "By August, kids have tried every activity and have become ardent TV viewers."

Joel Andryc, EVP-kids programming and development for Fox Family Channel & Fox Kids Network says kids aren't available in droves in the summer months compared to Saturday mornings in the winter. "But there are a lot more available eyeballs just because they're out of school," he says. Fox Family is trying to position itself as a network for the `tween demo (9-14). "Kids are growing up a lot quicker these days and are flipping over from Nickelodeon and Disney directly to the WB and MTV. We'd like to think of ourselves as somewhere in between those services," says Andryc.

Music-oriented programming on Saturday mornings proved successful last year for Fox Family. They recently outperformed Disney Channel by 17% with kids 6-11 in a May 20 comparison. This summer, the network will continue to face the music in an effort to snag transitioning kids.

Last year, S Club 7 in Miami jumped 200% with kids 6-11 (1.5 vs. 0.5) vs. the 2Q '99 time period average. The British pop sensation returns again for a Fox Family second season on Saturdays. This year, the band says goodbye to sunny Miami and takes on Tinseltown in S Club 7 In LA. Infamous projectile-vomiter Linda Blair joins the cast, playing an ex-hippy who steers the band straight.

Another Fox Family musical fave, Great Pretenders, is committed to 22 new episodes. Now in its third season, the half-hour game show offers young fans the opportunity to emulate their favorite musical artists, ranging from the Spice Girls and U2 to LeAnn Rimes and Britney Spears. Each episode groups 12- to 18-year-olds into five different acts. At the conclusion of the show, the audience picks the best lip-sync performer. RCA's female vocal trio Wild Orchid hosts each episode of Pretenders. "The promotional opportunities with Wild Orchid will be a great opportunity to help publicize the show," says Andryc.

The week's ten hottest music videos are featured in Fox de Family Video Countdown, Saturdays. In addition to music videos, the latest concert news, album reviews and other top-ten lists from movies, TV, books and celebrities are announced. The half-hour show is hosted by Chris Leary, also the host of Fox Family Radio Countdown.

In the popular music arena, Andryc believes MTV speaks more to the teenage audience, not the young adult audience. "It seems as if the `tween demo we're trying to hit doesn't have a regular place to go," he says. Andryc says the music programming offered by Fox Family is accessible to `tweens, yet edgier than a show like Double Dare. "We're not going to be doing slime," he says.

Fox Family will also launch two additional music shows in July. MXG's Beach Countdown, a revamped version of Fox Family countdown, celebrates girl power on the beach. Each episode takes place in Southern California, focusing on the beach lifestyle, fashion, extreme sports and celebrity appearances. "California is very aspirational, and everyone wants to be at the beach. MXG is a great way on Saturday mornings for kids to hang out and check out what other kids are wearing," says Andryc. MXG's Beach Countdown is produced in conjunction with popular girl-mag, Moxy.