Reed MIDEM Puts in Place Kids’ Buyers Advisory Board

CANNES: Reed MIDEM’s television division has appointed nine executives to form the first Kids’ Buyers Advisory Board.

The board is comprised of Jules Borkent, the senior VP of global acquisitions and international programming for Nickelodeon at Viacom International Media Networks; Deirdre Brennan, the VP of content at Corus Kids; Jackie Edwards, the head of BBC Children’s acquisitions and independent animation; Hitoshi Furukawa, the senior producer at the global content development division in the programming department of NHK; Luca Milano, the deputy director of marketing, planning and animation at RAI; Karen Miller, the VP of worldwide programming strategy, acquisitions and co-productions at Disney Channels Worldwide; Adina Pitt, the VP of content acquisitions and co-productions at Cartoon Network; Tiphaine de Raguenel, the executive director of France 4 and director of children and youth activities; and Janine Weigold, the head of children’s content at Super RTL.

The board will offer guidance on strategy and content development for future kids’ programming projects related to Reed MIDEM’s portfolio of TV events, including MIPTV and MIPCOM. The new board will meet several times a year, including a meeting at MIPJunior in October.

Reed MIDEM’s television division director, Laurine Garaude, said: “We are delighted to bring together this international group of highly influential and talented executives to help us continue to anticipate new industry needs in the rapidly evolving kids’ marketplace. Together, and with their expertise to guide us, we are looking forward to developing new concepts and projects across all our MIP Markets.”

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with good friends and international colleagues to help kids’ acquisitions executives and commissioners produce and curate the very best quality content across all regions and platforms,” said Pitt.

“Demand for high quality programs for kids from all over the world is exploding. Buyers, acquisitions executives, and commissioners have a more challenging task than ever in delivering what audiences want, now and in the future,” added de Raguenel.