ZooMoo...

I just got a press release about a new interactive channel on DirectTV in Spanish for preschoolers called Zoo Moo and because I think it's so great, I thought I'd share it with all of you.

ZOOMOO, THE WORLD’S FIRST INTERACTIVE KIDS CHANNEL 

DEVOTED ENTIRELY TO ANIMALS AND NATURE, NOW 

AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. EXCLUSIVELY ON DIRECTV 

DIRECTV’S ONLY CHANNEL IN SPANISH FOR PRESCHOOL-AGE 

AUDIENCES ALREADY AVAILABLE IN 23 COUNTRIES WITH 

WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE OF 140+ MILLION     

ZOOMOO CHANNEL AND FREE COMPANION ZOOMOO 

APP OFFER A FULLY INTERACTIVE MULTIPLATFORM EXPERIENCE     

Following its highly successful launches in Mexico and throughout Latin America, ZooMoo, the world’s first children’s channel devoted entirely to animals and nature, is now available in the U.S. exclusively on DIRECTV, now part of the AT&T family.   

Available to nearly a million homes throughout the country, ZooMoo is now the only channel in Spanish for pre-school age children and their parents available to DIRECTV Spanish base package subscribers on channel 432.     

Designed to foster a lifelong love for animals and nature through a safe and unique television experience that is both entertaining and educational for young viewers and parents alike, ZooMoo interweaves puppetry, animation, and the world’s best natural history footage available in HD to tell stories about the animal world.     

The channel is complemented by a free downloadable App to provide a one of a kind multiplatform experience that allows ZooMoo channel viewers to automatically collect animals they encounter on the TV screen and bring them to life on their tablet or smart phone with games, music, puzzles and other activities.     

Karin Simoncini, ZooMoo’s head of programming and production said, "As a Latina mom of young children I’m personally thrilled that we at ZooMoo are partnering with DIRECTV to bring ZooMoo to Spanish-speaking audiences in the United States, where today, according to Pew Research Center, there are nearly twice as many Hispanic preschoolers as non-Hispanics in the U.S. DIRECTV deserves to be commended for its commitment to offering this audience a fully interactive ‘all animals, all the time’ entertainment experience that will be educational and incredibly engaging.”      

“DIRECTV is passionate about offering high quality children’s programming to its Spanish-speaking customers in the U.S.,” said Emma Brackett, vice president of Content and Programming, AT&T. “We’re proud to be the exclusive provider of ZooMoo and a leader in entertainment to audiences of all ages.”        

The standalone revolutionary ZooMoo App, which when synced to the channel enhances the interactivity by also turning smartphones and tablets into an extension of the channel, was recognized earlier this year with a Parents’ Choice Approved Award Seal of Approval from the Choice Foundation in the United States. In bestowing the award, the Foundation lauded the ZooMoo App as “a safe, intuitively-designed and entertaining way for young children to learn facts about animals and habitats, as well as the importance of caring for them.” EducationalAppStore.com echoed a similar endorsement in its review calling the ZooMoo app “one the most professionally, thoughtful, intelligent apps out there…deeply engaging…edutainment in its finest form…cannot be recommended highly enough."

ZooMoo was developed by its CEO and former president of Fox Networks Group, David Haslingden. In 2012 he identified a niche in the market for children's channels.  “ZooMoo was born out of research that indicated that preschool-age children are hardwired to be interested in animals - 80% of their dreams are about animals – and that if early on they don’t develop a sense of respect and caring for the natural environment they are at risk of never developing such attitudes. We saw a tremendous need to show children the wonders of the animal world and seized the opportunity to create a bespoke channel specifically for 3-6 year olds that unlike any other channel provides a foundation for lasting knowledge and growth by fostering the love and caring for animals and nature,” said Haslingden.

Supported by the rich tradition of natural history programming by international producers Beach House Pictures and NHNZ, ZooMoo is brought to life by a creative team personally assembled by Haslingden comprised of 45 producers, animators, graphic artists and computer programmers in dedicated production hubs including Mexico, New Zealand, China (Beijing), Singapore and Brazil.     

Already seen in 23 countries with a worldwide audience of more than 140 million, ZooMoo’s programming comprises 7,000+ separate animal stories and more than 500 hours of original content. ZooMoo’s signature, wholly original animal stories have been scheduled into unique one hour blocks under a structure developed in consultation with a team of leading childhood learning specialists from New Zealand’s University of Otago led by Professor Jeff Smith, Ph.D

ZooMoo’s leading cast consists of funny, furry puppet characters who help young children develop a knowledge and affection for animals, leading to a lifelong love of conservation, including:      

• Flash, an engagingly good-natured photographer, dedicated, dependable and very charming, he is a keen adventurer with genial humor and a constant can-do attitude who explores the world and often ends up in unknown places in “Lost” and travels to different habitats to find out what animals are really thinking in “Look Who’s Talking?”
• Piglet, a high-energy blast of boundless, breathless enthusiasm, who invents amazing solutions in her awesome workshop and explores the planet in her “Adventure Machine.” 
• Owl, who’s smart, wise, particular and slightly precious, as he guesses which animals Flash has sent him in “Download This!”
• Ninja Gorilla, who uses his astounding ninja super-powers to turn everyday objects into amazing balloon creations in “Ninja Pop.”
• Baby DJ, a little monkey with headphones, bling and a cheeky grin whose mission is to turn the tables on all things animal and get everyone up dancing.

ZooMoo’s U.S. operations are headed by Los Angeles-based General Manager Julio Sobral, a longtime Fox Networks Group executive, alongside Miami-based Marketing Manager Alvaro Krupkin, former director of creative services and production for Telemundo Cable Networks.     

The ZooMoo channel made its worldwide debut in Brazil in September 2013.  In September 2014, DIRECTV began offering ZooMoo to customers in Argentina, the Caribbean, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay.

About ZooMoo  
ZooMoo Networks is a multi-media company that owns and operates the ZooMoo channel, programming and interactive content for children around the World.  ZooMoo is collaboration between some of the World’s foremost wildlife filmmakers, early childhood educationalists and technology developers.  Its programming engages and entertains children with the wonders of animals, to stimulate and develop their innate emotional connection with the natural world.  Bringing to life more than 7,000+ separate animal stories and more than 500 hours of original content, ZooMoo can be seen in 23 countries and boasts a worldwide audience of more than 140 million. For more information on ZooMoo and where to download the app, please visit http://america.zoomoo.tv/ and  http://prensa.zoomoo.tv/.