Cartoon Network Arabic Opens Office, Goes Live

The TBS Group has dropped a number of its cartoon titles in the Middle East and Northern Africa region a number of times for a number of years, but earlier this month, TBS launched Cartoon Network Arabic -- a twenty-four-seven kid's network broadcasting entirely in the Arabic language. The business of children's animation (and of children's entertainment) has increasingly become one of international co-production initiatives whose strategically located resources often bear the creative and logistical weight of many a programming director.

Cartoon Network Arabic is a free-to-air channel pledging to offer viewers of the region a number of animation options in their native language. In October 2010, CN Arabic not only took to the airwaves, but a physical office opened as well, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The network's efforts to take root in the region have been guided by a rather palpable, cautious optimism; the MENA region is very young with animated talent, and the prospect for future growth is open to interpretation. CN Arabic is targeting an estimated 35 million households.

"Cartoon Network Arabic reflects TBS's ambition and belief in local talent," Alan Musa, Vice President and General Manager of Middle East, Africa, and Pan Region, TBS, explained a few months prior to launch. "Our initiative has come to life through investing in different strategic partnerships with companies such as Lammtara and Rubicon. Both partnerships will result in generating new ideas and content in addition to distributing them outside the MENA region."

Content on-air for CN Arabic is currently limited to Arabic-dubbed versions of Cartoon Network original programs, such as The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Ben 10: Alien Force, The Powerpuff Girls, The Secret Saturdays, and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Homegrown animation for the network is currently supplied by Lammtara (Dubai, UAE) and Rubicon (Amman, Jordan), in the form of the CG community-comedy Freej and the boy's adventure title Ben & Izzy, respectively.

"We have been approached by quite a few companies," Musa reasoned, "but we are going to engage with these guys as soon as possible. At the end of the day, if it is good content and a great idea and we feel it would work with Cartoon Network Arabic, then we will work together."

Earlier this year, Cartoon Network expanded into the Gulf region with a partnership tied to international finance and co-development group twofour54 (Abu Dhabi, UAE) [related A.I. news: "CN / twofour54 Establish Gulf Animation Studio" (04/2010)]. According to news reports, this recently founded studio is a planned contributor to Cartoon Network Arabic as well. Although it's far too early to discern the long-term success of either the animation studio/academy or the TV channel, network executives note the success of this new physical presence could lead to the opening of additional operational hubs in the Middle East.

(sources: Arabian Business, RapidTVNews, AMEinfo.com)

Recent CN Animation News:
"Dexter's Laboratory Animation Coming to DVD" at AnimationInsider.net (10/2010)
"Cartoon Network Rebranding Effort" / {video} at AnimationInsider.net (09/2010)