Rai, DQE strike up music toon copro

Rai Com, the commercial arm of Italian pubcaster Rai, is partnering with DQ Entertainment (DQE) in India to coproduce an animated series based on a hit radio song.

Pio the Chick (52×7′) is about the adventures of a plucky little character and his friends and will feature a strong musical element, DQE said.

It is based on a Brazilian children’s song created and launched by Radio Globo in Italy in 2012, remixes of which charted in Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands and other European countries and racked up millions of views on YouTube.

Rai Com was formed earlier this year to incorporate the pubcaster’s distribution arm, Rai Trade, with Rai Net and Rai Cinema. The deal with DQE marks one of its first coproductions.

“We’ve changed our business model. We wanted to create a new product that would allow us to generate revenue globally from all licensing rights, including merchandising,” said Luigi De Siervo, commercial director at Rai Com.

The principal terms of the deal were agreed at Mipcom and the final agreement is expected to be signed imminently, DQE said. The series is due to be ready by 2016.

The show will be designed by Italian cartoonist Giorgio Cavazzano, who has previously worked with Disney and Marvel in Europe.