DHX revamps kids’ nets

Canadian producer, distributor and broadcaster DHX Media is set to rebrand three of its children’s channels and has ordered more original series and agreed content deals to fill schedules.

Good Luck Charlie

The changes come after DHX acquired kids’ cable networks Family Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior last year.

Under the Family Channel umbrella, the English- and French-language feeds of Disney Junior, aimed at preschool kids aged 2-6, will be known as Family Junior and Famille Junior respectively, while 6-12-targeted Disney XD will be rebranded as Family XTRM.

The new brands will debut by November 30 and DHX Television will start airing new acquisitions and original shows on the nets in early 2016. Until then, the channels will continue to broadcast Disney content, including series such as Liv and Maddie, Good Luck Charlie, Mighty Med and Jake and the Never Land Pirates.

Dana Landry, CEO of DHX Media, said: “We are excited to take advantage of this trend to combine our content strengths with our Family brand, across all our channels.

“The tastes and viewing habits of young viewers have evolved, and we look forward to leveraging our world-leading library and working with top producers to create new programming that will resonate with the new generation.”

DHX has also ordered a fourth season of Family Channel’s flagship series, The Next Step, from Temple Street Productions, as well as a fourth run of animated action series Slugterra, a DHX Media-produced show.

It is also finalising a multi-year agreement with Mattel that brings more than 70 hours of new episodes and specials to air on DHX Television’s networks, including Barbie, Monster High and Hot Wheels.