DIC in airtime-for-content alliance

MIPCOM NEWS – US animator DIC Entertainment has joined forces with UK-based media/marketing outfit Universal McCann and Cereal Partners Worldwide to form The International Media Exchange (TIME).

The joint venture will offer European broadcasters the opportunity to trade advertising time for DIC-produced programmes. DIC shows, including Mary Kate & Ashley in Action, Super Duper Sumos, Liberty's Kids, will be offered by McCann to broadcasters in exchange for a portion of commercial time.

Universal McCann will fill that time with General Mills and Nestle brand advertising and they will pay a licence fee to DIC for the programming.

Andy Heyward, chairman and ceo DIC, came up with the barter syndication strategy when his co-creations Inspector Gadget and He Man were offered for barter in 1983.

Heyward told C21: {Our programming for advertising time strategy will enable DIC to place more shows on more European networks. The broadcasters will be able to afford to programme more children's shows and the advertisers of children's products will have many more outlets for their brands.{

Cereal Partners Worldwide represents two of the biggest advertisers in the world, General Mills and Nestle. Networks signing on with this programming will receive 52-week blocks and Universal McCann will also accept time outside of kids' programming blocks and time or space in other media outlets such as radio, newspapers and the internet.