Big Bird isn’t hurting

It’s interesting to see the hype about mean old Romney clobbering Big Bird.  Children’s [Television] Network could easily stand on its own without any assistance from the taxpayer.   Now it’s bigger than Disney.  Should we be fund raising for Disney?  Sprout was created in 2004—with Comcast and Apax, a global venture capital firm that invests in telecommunications, not unlike the one Mitt Romney was associated with years ago and which is regularly demonized in Obama ads.

Children's Network, LLC, doing business as PBS KIDS Sprout, operates a preschool destination available on television, on demand, and online for kids aged two to five, and their parents and caregivers. The company’s digital channel follows the day of a preschooler from breakfast to bedtime with its interactive programming and original hosted blocks. It also provides on demand services for younger children. The company offers its services through digital cable and satellite television in the United States. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Children's Network, LLC operates as a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=24178721

And in July 2012:

Preschoolers will have six new shows to watch on Saturday mornings starting this weekend on NBC.

The Peacock Network will launch “NBC Kids” Saturday, a new three-hour block from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. that aims to address developmental needs of preschool children and to promote healthy lifestyles.

When Comcast acquired NBC Universal last year, it joined forces with Sprout, the first 24-hour channel for kids ages 2-5 and their families.

The channel has been available via Comcast since its 2005 launch, but “NBC Kids” will be the first opportunity to see these shows for families who aren’t customers of the cable provider. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-07-05/news/32555218_1_nbc-universal-peacock-network-nbc-kids

And Apax. . . and Sandy Wax, President PBS KIDS Sprout

Apax Partners LLP is a global private equity and venture capital firm, headquartered in London. The company also operates out of eight other offices in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Tel-Aviv, Madrid, Stockholm, Milan and Munich. The firm, including its various predecessors, have raised approximately $35 billion (USD) dating back to 1969. Apax Partners is one of the oldest and largest private equity firms operating on an international basis, ranked the seventh largest private equity firm globally.^{[1] . . .} As of the end of 2007, Apax had invested in approximately 340 companies in all stages of development. . . .  One of the firm's co-founders, Alan Patricof, was an early investor in Apple Computer and America Online (AOL). [Wikipedia]

Sandy Wax, president and general manager of PBS KIDS Sprout, the first 24-hour TV channel dedicated to little ones ages 2-5. “As content creators, we’re constantly challenged to think about how technology changes the ways kids watch and interact with television.” Since launching in 2005, Sprout has generated more than a billion video-on-demand orders while seeing consistent ratings growth. It’s now the number one kids’ TV brand in the country, ahead of both Disney and Nickelodeon. http://www.mainlinetoday.com/Main-Line-Today/October-2012/Power-Women-Sandy-Wax/

http://steinerkierce.blogspot.com/2012/05/sandy-wax-president-and-general-manager.html