“Kids get summer lesson on safety” plus 3 more

Kids get summer lesson on safety
Smart Kids Group Inc. Initiates Positive Step Moving Forward
Kids upfront poised to wrap, up 3%-5%
Kids Summer Programs Filling Up Quickly

Posted: 21 Jun 2010 02:19 PM PDT

GREENSBORO -- Some kids in the Piedmont-Triad are spending part of the summer playing games like "Red Light, Green Light," but along with the fun and the thrill of winning, comes a lesson in safety.

"These are really good life skills and safety sets that they need to learn," said Cpl. Robyn McDonald, the head of the Greensboro Police Department's Safety Town program.

The free, two hour a day, two week program gives children a lesson on everything from traffic signals to poisons.

"We've had stories and stories from the volunteers about the things that they learned at Safety Town that made a difference in decision making that probably saved their life," said McDonald.

The program is in its 36th year and every year along with a new batch of students, comes a familiar group of volunteers.

"I think it builds a foundation for remaining safe because it's embedded in your mind," said Emily Audilet, a Safety Town graduate turned volunteer.

She was 5 years old when she joined the program and so was Steven Buccini.

"I definitely know that I was one of the only kids looking both ways before I crossed the street when I was little," said Buccini.

The soon to be high school junior says the program was instrumental in making him think twice in order to stay safe. Now he is joining hundreds of volunteers who will pass on the lessons of the past to the new students of Safety Town.

"Through the use of the different activity books and some of the different games that we play, we're able to keep them focused and still get the message across of safety," said Buccini.

Safety Town is open to kids ages 5 and 6. This year's summer sessions are full but there is a waiting list.

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Smart Kids Group Inc. Initiates Positive Step Moving Forward

Posted: 22 Jun 2010 06:30 AM PDT

EDMONTON, Alberta, June 22, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- We inspire vision! Smart Kids Group Inc. (OTCBB:SKGP - News), www.smartkidsgroup.com, a global provider of children's digital education and entertainment, has announced the appointment of David Benson to the Board of Directors, the creation of subsidiary company, Smart Kids Productions, collaboration with Anethum Corporation for Development of the Smart Kids Community, as well as the approval of the registration statement and acceleration letter from the SEC for an equity drawdown facilitated through Auctus Private Equity Fund.

David Benson joins Smart Kids Group as a Director on the Board and brings an impressive wealth of knowledge, he is a talented television veteran, credited in productions airing on the world's leading networks including CBC, CTV, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC (UK), Outdoor Life Network, Rogers SportsNet, Life Network, Global, TSN, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, ESPN, TBS and others. David is credited in everything from Reality Documentaries, kids' shows, medical documentaries and Live Sports. Some of his most notable experience includes the Olympics (2 summer and winter), Commonwealth Games, NHL and CFL, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Adoption Stories, Chasing the Sun (Morocco), Island of Faith (Ethiopia) and Ribbons of Steel. Corporate clients have included IBM, TELUS, Petro-Canada, CN, Canadian Pacific, Capital City Savings, ATB Financial, Syncrude, EPCOR, People Against Impaired Driving (PAID) and many more. Like other members, the Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association, IABC and CFTPA have bestowed upon David numerous nominations and awards for his projects.

David's experience will bring only positive quality edutainment to the company. David has previously worked with Smart Kids and was instrumental in bringing Richard Shergold, Founder of Smart Kids Group series Be Alert Bert(R) to fruition. We welcome David as a Director, friend and mentor.

Opened in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Smart Kids Productions will be instrumental in bringing the new series, The Adventures of Bert and Clare(TM) to the mainstream public. Repackaging of the current series of Be Alert Bert(R), Full Motion Fitness(TM), the songs and story books, Full Motion Fitness 2(TM) and the new Bert series will start, when funding is in place, our team is ready to go!

Smart Kids Productions is being led by veteran TV and Film Producer Pati Olson, a talented and creative individual who has been involved with Be Alert Bert(R) from the beginning with Richard Shergold, Founder of Smart Kids Group and produced numerous shows under Be Alert Bert(R). Pati has been in the film and television business since 1976. As an experienced producer and writer, Pati has a passion for social/environmental themes and for arts and animation stories.

Partial credits include: the 31-episode 'Full Motion Fitness(TM)' Tai Chi series broadcast across Canada and Australia; Pure Adventure' lifestyle documentaries for Global; 'Adventurous Souls & Rough made Boots' for Access/CLT; award winning 'Two Winters' animated Tutchone legend in English and Tutchone for A-Channel, APTN & CBC; award winning Opera 'Filumena' for CBC Opening Night; associate producer on award winning bilingual documentaries 'Music in the Wild' & 'Music For a New World' for ARTV, Radio Canada, TFO, Bravo, CBC and Knowledge; award winning animated Aboriginal children's specials 'Stories From the Seventh Fire' for APTN, ACCESS & CBC; recently completed 'Our Home & Native Land -- Heroine Healers' for APTN; and an animated Short "Coo Coo" for the web.

Pati is a member of the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association (AMPIA), Documentary Producers (DOC), Canadian Film & Television Production Association (CFTPA); Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT).

Richard Shergold, CEO of Smart Kids Group commented, "We have been so pleased with the initial steps Anethum has taken in the development of the community site (prototype), and continuing the development and ongoing support of the site. Furthermore, we are looking forward to exploring other areas where their application of futures and technology tools can benefit Smart Kids Group."

This is the beginning of the development of a secure, social networking system that will form the Smart Kids Community, a unique Edutainment offering. Like all social networks, our community will gain value as it aids, educates and entertains community members in meeting, interacting, encouraging each other and their collaborative activities in a safe and secure environment.

Anethum Corporation (www.anethum-corp.com) is a company with competencies in software development, futures studies and collaborative systems. Led by Eric von Stackelberg, I.S.P, ITCP, an Information Technology veteran with twenty five years experience in custom and commercial software development, systems integration and new business development.

Auctus Private Equity Fund and Smart Kids Group Inc. are pleased to announce that the SEC approved the S1 registration statement and acceleration letter for an equity line of credit to facilitate on an as needed basis through Auctus Private Equity Fund.

Smart Kids Group Inc.

We inspire vision! Smart Kids Group develops, distributes and licenses quality children's character-based Edutainment products through a variety of media including television, DVD, retail, direct marketing, and the Internet. For more information about the company, please visit www.smartkidsgroup.com or e-mail the company at info@smartkidsgroup.com.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21B of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and only speak as of the date hereof. Forward-looking statements usually contain the words "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "expect," or similar expressions and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.

Investors are encouraged to carefully review regulatory filings prior to investment consideration. Past performance is no guarantee of future success or that there cannot be losses or business interruption. The Company is in a rapid growth sector that may or may not continue to grow in the future and therefore poses risks that may be different than other investments. Management regularly provides news and additional information believed to be true and accurate at the time of dissemination but has no requirement to modify, comment or change in the future should circumstance change or information prove to be inaccurate for any reason. Additionally, the Company makes every effort to comply with all applicable laws.

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Kids upfront poised to wrap, up 3%-5%

Posted: 21 Jun 2010 03:44 PM PDT

Estimates put total volume at $850 million-$865 million

By Anthony Crupi, Mediaweek

June 21, 2010, 06:21 PM ET

NEW YORK -- On the heels of the fastest-moving television upfront in recent memory, the bulk of the kids business has been locked in, with estimates putting total volume for this year's bazaar at $850 million-$865 million, a gain of 3%-5% from the 2009-10 haul.

Although bolstered by an improving economy and increased spending from primary endemics, the kids upfront was not nearly as robust as the general entertainment marketplace. All told, the major kid-centric networks saw CPM rates increase by 6% compared with last year's pricing, with Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite enjoying the biggest gains (8%-9%).

Nickelodeon closed out its business as the rest of the MTV Networks were finishing their 2010-11 upfront deals. Nick was boosted by its continued ratings success -- it closed out first-quarter 2010 tops in total day among ad-supported networks, averaging 2.3 million viewers and sweeping all major kiddie demographics -- and the fact that toys, games and movie spending has been on the rise since fall.

Turner's Cartoon Network and Disney XD reached the finish line Friday, with the former writing CPM increases of 5%-7%. Disney XD sources said the boy-targeted network had peeled dollars away from Cartoon, lifting its total volume 35% when compared with last year's upfront, its first under the XD banner.

Cartoon faces ratings challenges, though the channel has stopped much of the bleeding that characterized the past several quarters. During first-quarter 2010, it was up 1% in total day, averaging 1.1 million viewers, less than half of Nickelodeon's daily draw.

The sales staff also is pitching avails on Disney XD, which is challenging Cartoon for boys 6-14. SNL Kagan said that during Disney XD's first year of business, the network generated $80.8 million in ad revenue, less than a quarter of Cartoon's net haul of $338.1 million. Demos were similarly steady.

Although Disney XD has pitched itself as an alternative to Cartoon, it has a long way to go before it can boast the Turner network's reach. XD during the first quarter averaged 265,000 viewers in total day (up 4%), making it the 41st-most-watched channel on ad-supported cable. The Disney net continues to grow its core demos, with kids 6-14 improving 42% since a February 2009 relaunch. Kids 6-11 were up 20% during the first quarter to 98,000; by comparison, Cartoon dipped 6% in the demo but drew a much larger audience (358,000).

Cartoon experienced "strong demand ... for sought-after time periods, notably the 'hard 10' holiday season, pre-Easter and back-to-school," said David Levy, Turner Broadcasting System's president of sales, distribution and sports. "We saw a re-emergence of the toy category and broke new business in apparel and retail."

Levy added that the new Hall of Game awards show initiative (spring 2011) helped draw a good deal of new business to Cartoon.

Disney XD noted that toys, studios and packaged foods were up significantly, the latter category coming back after as much as $100 million was taken out of the 2009-10 market thanks to new FCC-mandated restrictions on food advertising. Among packaged-food brands, Campbell's line of healthier soups was a major contributor to Disney XD's upfront fortunes.

Because Disney Channel is not ad supported, the network does not compete in the kids upfront market; its sponsorship deals are negotiated throughout the year. Before the upfront season officially began, Disney Media already had lined up about $7 million in cross-platform deals in support of its summer movie extravaganza "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam," securing support from Best Western and Sara Lee.

(Skewed toward an older tween audience, Disney Channel is a bigger player in primetime, closing out the first quarter with an average delivery of 2.4 million viewers, up 8% compared with the year-ago period and ranking second among all basic cable networks. Disney continues to dominate core demos, enjoying a seven-year winning streak among kids 6-11 and a comfortable lead over rivals in tweens 9-14.)

Newcomer the Hub still has business to attend to ahead of its Oct. 10 launch. This year marks the first upfront for the joint venture of Discovery Communications and toymaker Hasbro.

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Kids Summer Programs Filling Up Quickly

Posted: 21 Jun 2010 06:44 PM PDT

Volunteer Charged With DUII Fire Truck Joyride

A volunteer firefighter for the Three Rivers Fire Protection District faces DUII and other charges, accused of crashing his car, then taking a fire truck and driving it recklessly through a campground early Sunday, yelling obscenities, authorities said.