Kids
BT and Cartoon Network team up for next-generation TV
MUMBAI: British Telecom (BT) has signed a deal with Cartoon Network to license programming and develop interactive content for BT’s next-generation TV offering.
Turner Broadcasting will work with BT to deliver Cartoon Network’s distinctive programming and to develop entirely new interactive offerings. These will be based around Turner properties including games, advertising, sponsorship and other commercial revenue opportunities, all designed around the advanced capabilities of BT’s next-generation TV platform.
Turner’s most popular programming, including The Powerpuff Girls, Codename: Kids Next Door and Dexter’s Laboratory will be also be made available on demand to customers of BT’s new service.
This agreement builds on the content and interactive deals already announced with some of the world’s biggest entertainment companies including BBC Worldwide, Paramount, Warner Music Group, Endemol, National Geographic Channel and kids TV programming leaders Hit Entertainment and Nelvana.
The service will be a world-first, combining access to digital-terrestrial channels through the aerial with broadband-powered video on demand. This combination, delivered on a software platform powered by Microsoft and through a set-top box made by leading manufacturer Philips, will allow customers choice, control and convenience. Unlike other services, there will be no mandatory monthly subscriptions.
BT will unveil further deals this year as it builds to a launch of the service in autumn 2006.
Customers of the service will be able to choose from a range of on-demand film, music and television programming as well as an interactive communications service, all available through their TV sets.
BT Retail chief executive of TV services Dan Marks said, “We are delighted to have completed an agreement with Turner. This agreement will allow BT to deliver Turner’s very fine programming to our customers and will develop new and innovative ways of extending the impact and appeal of that programming for next generation TV. Significantly, our next-generation TV service will be offered nationwide and not restricted to metropolitan areas, and customers will not be required to commit to a monthly subscription.”
“The agreement with BT maximisies all the strengths that Turner values and represents. It is where strong programming and interactive content, packaged under clearly defined channel brands, meet today’s technology to give the consumer the ultimate choice and flexibility,” said Turner Broadcasting System Europe executive vice president Jeff Kupsky.
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.
