As anticipated in B&C's Monday issue, Ion Media Networks (formerly Paxson) is teaming with partner NBC Universal, co-owned Telemundo, and several children’s media companies to launch a new billingual kids TV service.
The unnamed service is described as a “Smart Place for Kids” and will air across several platforms.
Ion will carry programming on its 60 TV stations and NBC will offer the block on Saturday mornings.
Telemundo plans to do the same on Saturday mornings and, come January, on Sunday too. In addition, the kids fare will have a 24-7 home as a secondary broadcast channel of Ion stations. The will also be a related Web site and video on demand offerings.
Ion will be the majority owner, with 51% of the network. The remaining 49% will be controleed by the content partners. Providing content are children's media companies Scholastic, Classic Media/Big Idea, Nelvana, as well as NBC Universal.
The new network is slated to launch the first Saturday in September.
That will be a busy month for new programming services. The CW and Fox's My Network TV are also scheduled to launch in September.
