[HALIFAX, NS] – DHX Media Ltd. has licensed the fourth season of its popular series Martha Speaks to British Columbia's Knowledge Network, with the broadcaster also acquiring the headline preschool show Rastamouse for its Canadian channel, BBC Kids.
Craig McGillivray, territory manager at DHX Media, says, "Rastamouse is performing extremely well for us in the U.K. and in key international territories, and we're pleased to extend its reach into Canada with BBC Kids, while Martha Speaks continues to be consistently popular. This deal highlights the strength of our preschool slate across both newer and more established programming."
The Canadian broadcast deal for Rastamouse follows a recent deal with BBC Worldwide Channels for its feeds in Hispanic U.S., Latin America and Africa, and as production is underway on a second season of the hit, stop-motion animated, preschool show featuring the eponymous skateboarding, music-loving and mystery-solving character and his band Da Easy Crew. Commissioned by CBeebies in the U.K., Rastamouse also airs in 40 territories around world and is supported by an extensive licensing programme.
A co-production from WGBH Boston and DHX Media, airing on PBS Kids, Martha Speaks is an animated show aimed at four to seven year olds. It's based on the best-selling books by Susan Meddaugh, which have sold nearly one million copies in the U.S. and been widely translated throughout the world. DHX Media represents worldwide television and home entertainment rights outside of the United States.
Internationally, DHX Media has sold Martha Speaks to CBBC, Italy's preschool channel JimJam, France 5, Sun TV in India, Nick Junior in Australia, Discovery Kids Latin America, Canal+ Cyfrowy Sp. z o.o. and OP Art in Poland, Noga Communication's Logi Channel in Israel and Minimax in Central and Eastern Europe. Al Jazeera Children's Channel for the Arabic countries and Finland's YLE have also signed up for the series, along with a trio of Canadian broadcasters: TVO, Knowledge Network and SCN.
