Buyer Profile: TELETOON’s Caroline Tyre

February 3, 2011 World Screen

PREMIUM: Kids’ comedy tops the shopping list at TELETOON for its 2011 slate, says Caroline Tyre, the director of programming at the Canadian service.

WS: What does TELETOON aim to offer its young viewers?
TYRE: TELETOON offers the best in animation and animated-related programming for all age groups across Canada in both English and French. TELETOON focuses on kids 6-11 and offers comedy and action. In the evening we have smart, irreverent, culturally relevant comedy and movies for adults 18-34.
 
Other screens are becoming increasingly important to our viewers. TELETOON properties are available through on demand, iTunes, mobile TV and teletoon.com to give our viewers a 360-degree viewing experience. 
 
WS: How is the schedule balanced between originals and acquisitions?
TYRE: For TELETOON, 60 percent of the total schedule (6 a.m. to midnight) is made up of Canadian original programming and 60 percent of our prime-time schedule from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. The rest are foreign acquisitions. 
 
WS: Do you have any programming partnerships currently in place?
TYRE: We’ve worked on co-productions with the U.K., Australia and France, such as Totally Spies and Spiez! On our original productions, we have worked with many Canadian companies such as Fresh TV, marblemedia, Nelvana, Cookie Jar, Image, Cuppa Coffee and eOne. With respect to acquisitions, we work with all the studios and have great partnerships with Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., Lucasfilm and Marvel.
 
WS: What are some of your most recent acquisitions?
TYRE: Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (season three), Batman: Brave and the Bold (season two), The Super Hero Squad Show (season two), Transformers Prime, G.I. Joe Renegades, Futurama, American Dad, Robot Chicken, Les Simpsons (French), South Park (French), Archer.
 
WS: Where do you look to when buying content?
TYRE: TELETOON has established great relationships with independent producers across Canada, as well as abroad. We work with studios, as well as larger independent distributors, from all over the globe. TELETOON also attends markets such as MIPCOM, MIPTV, LA Screenings, BANFF and OIAF (Ottawa International Animation Festival). Other than that I am always reachable by email and phone throughout the year for new pitches.
 
WS: Has your buying budget increased or decreased in the past year?
TYRE: Our budget steadily increases every year. We are putting a real emphasis on TELETOON at Night/TELETOON la Nuit, a programming block in English and French, respectively, for older teens and adults. It’s a competitive market out there, with competition trying to buy the same programs that we target, such as The Simpsons, Futurama, etc. And with the addition of a second channel, TELETOON Retro, our programming needs are even higher.
 
WS: Do you plan to increase it next year?
TYRE: Definitely! Kids and adult television is a very competitive landscape for eyeballs and we want to be offering the best entertainment and value to our audience. This doesn’t come cheap.
 
WS: What genres are you currently looking to buy for?
TYRE: Comedy
 
WS: Are there any programming blocks or gaps in the schedule that you’re looking to fill?
TYRE: We’re in need of comedy not action and programming for a co-view audience in kids’ prime time (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.).
 
We are focused on comedy for boys ages 6-11, but don’t want to exclude girls and parents. The perfect show for us would make a 10-year-old boy laugh and is girl– and parent-inclusive. A perfect example of this would be the punchy, high-octane hit comedy series Johnny Test.
 
We’re not seeking education, preschool or shorts.


 

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