Nickelodeon Latin America Celebrates 15 Years in the Region with a Screen Party and a Year Full of Original Local Productions

USA - English

• Latin America - español

MIAMI, Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon Latin America, the favorite multiplatform brand of kids, tweens and teens, celebrates its fifteenth aNICKversary in 2012 with a year full of original productions, an on-screen battle called NICK 15, new episodes of favorite shows, new animations, series and a feast of slime across the region. The announcement was made today by Tatiana Rodriguez, Senior Vice President of  Programming & Creative Strategy for Nickelodeon Latin America at the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE).

"What better way to celebrate Nick Latin America's 15th aNICKversary than by giving our audience more laughter, more local productions and more slime," commented Rodriguez.  "Our original programming has had a very strong connection with kids in the region and internationally, so we are thrilled to bring more of this hit content to our fans in 2012."

Grachi, the beloved novela that drew record-breaking ratings, returns for a second season February 27 with more music, more magic, new characters and a new school year in which Mia, a new witch, will turn the entire Escolarium on its head. Distributed by Comarex, the novela has been sold to over 52 countries, including key broadcasters in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, as well, Italy, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Philippians, amongst others.

In the second quarter of 2012, Nickelodeon will premiere MissXV, a musical novela which tells the story of three friends who fantasize about their quinceanera parties and finding their first loves. MissXV is a project co-produced by Televisa, at the helm of Pedro Damian, and is inspired by "Quinceanera," the novela produced by Televisa in 1987.

In addition, this project follows EME15, the musical group formed by the stars of the novela, Pauline Gotto, Eleazar Gomez, Natasha Dupeyron, Yago Munoz, and Jack Achaga Macarena Duarte. MissXV will have a 360-degree marketing approach including licenses for consumer products, CDs, SMS, web, mobile and social media content, as well as a home entertainment DVD release and live shows, among others.

The original local production from Nickelodeon Brazil, Julie & The Phantoms, will premiere across Latin America in the first quarter of 2012. The story follows Julie, a teenager who along with her band of ghosts combats her shyness in order to make her dream of becoming a rock star a reality. The series consists of 26 half-hour episodes and along with the television broadcasts, is complemented with live performances from the band and the release of a CD of original songs. The multiplatform production includes an interactive web component across different social networks, blogs, channels, as well as mobile content.

Also confirmed in the upcoming lineup are the local editions of the 2012 Kids' Choice Awards in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. This ceremony is full of surprises, special guests and above all fun, which seeks to recognize the favorite shows, actors, singers, bands and movies voted by kids.

This year Nick reaches the 15-year milestone of airing in Latin American households and will celebrate with a grand screen party. Who will be the host? Who will dance the waltz? Who will blow out the candles? Fans will decide in a battle of the titans that we call aNICKversary. From January to March, eight Nick series will compete: for four weeks, the public will choose their favorite shows and will be able to watch their favorite episodes on the air; during the fifth and sixth weeks, the shows with the highest votes will become semifinalists, during the seventh week there will be a final battle between the most-voted shows, and the final winner be crowned during a special airing on Nick March 10 and 11 filled with the most entertaining, loudest and most wanted shows. The eight-week voting period will be available on mundonick.com and air every Saturday and Sunday starting January 21 and 22 until the broadcast of the winner special March 10 and 11, airing from 12:30pm to 2:30pm in Mexico and Brazil, 11am to 1pm in Colombia and Argentina, 11:30am to 1:30pm in Venezuela and 1pm to 3pm in Chile.

Additionally, this year, Nickelodeon Latin America will bring new episodes of its successful series like SpongeBob SquarePants, Fanboy and Chum Chum, Kung Fu Panda: The Legend of Po, Planet Sheen, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, and the new version of Nickelodeon's hit from the 90s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In terms of live action, Nickelodeon continues its leading programming lineup for kids, tweens and teens with shows such as iCarly, Victorious, Big Time Rush, Power Rangers Samurai, amongst others.

New series include: Monsuno, Life with Boys, Bucket & Skiner, How To Rock and 11-11 En Mi Cuadra Nada Cuadra, the network's new original telenovela currently under development. 

Viacom International Media Networks The Americas, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), owns and operates the company's portfolio of entertainment brands, which include MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and their respective properties in Spanish speaking Latin America as well as Viacom Networks Brazil. Additionally, the portfolio includes Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas in the US, which targets a broad US Hispanic audience, and MTV Networks International's programming partnerships in Canada with Corus Entertainment for Nickelodeon and CTV Globe Media for MTV, Comedy Central and Vh1. The company's emerging multiplatform businesses include MTVNHD and Red Viacom in Latin America as well as VH1HD in Brazil. MTV Networks Latin America, US Hispanic and Canada also serve the growing number of digitally connected consumers via its websites: mtvla.com, mundonick.com, comedycentral.la, comedycentral.com.br, vh1la.com, vh1brasil.com.br, tr3s.com, mtv.caand nickcanada.comas well as through its broadband and community sites:  mtvrevolution.com, mundonick.com/nickturbo, mtvmusica.com, neopets.com and mtvdemo.com.

SOURCE Nickelodeon Latin America