Kids
Al Jazeera launches kids channel
MUMBAI: The Al Jazeera Group has launched a new pan-Arabic free-to-air kids’ edutainment channel, which will broadcast 18 hours daily on weekdays and 19.5 hours on weekends.
The channel is called Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC) and is headquartered in Doha.
According to media reports, JCC also has five regional offices in Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Rabat and Paris.
The channel was launched on 9 September by Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned.
JCC will combine entertainment with teaching tolerance and the channel’s aim is to teach modern values such as open-mindedness and tolerance to Arab children, aged three to 15, and their families.
Around 40 per cent of its programming will be commissioned. The channel is in the process of acquiring shows from various countries around the world in a range of genres, including animation, documentaries, live-action drama, performing arts and music. All these shows will be dubbed into Arabic.
The schedule includes a daily debate show coupled with an educational game show. There will be weekly spots and news shows, apart from monthly shows on science, health, multimedia and current affairs.
According to a media report, JCC’s interstitial feature two original virtual characters — Fafa the turtle, for preschoolers, and Nad the robot.
Lagard?re Images International (LII) is working with JCC on acquisitions, supervision of external productions and the visual identity of the channel, production of European segments for the magazine shows out of the Paris office and the design of the channel’s website.
LII’s sister concern, Lagard?re Networks International, will be handling the international distribution of the channel to cable and satellite operators in the Arab world and in Europe.
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
