More European JimJam launches, Asia next

Kids channel JimJam will launch in the Netherlands on April 1. The dedicated preschool channel has launched in Austria and Switzerland in recent weeks and management is now working on carriage deals in Asia.

General manager Wayne Dunsford joined JimJam in January. He told TBIvision: “The plan was to launch in central and Eastern Europe, which we have done, and then Western Europe – and then the Middle East and Africa before the summer. And we’ll potentially launch in Asia this autumn.”

JimJam is a Hit Entertainment and Chello Zone joint venture. In the Netherlands it will launch on UPC Nederland, which is owned by Chello Zone parent group Liberty Global. It is also carried on UPC cable systems in Austria and Switzerland.

Dunsford admitted JimJam has entered a competitive kids market. He said: “There’s no doubt we came to market rather late in terms of the other channels already out there, but I think we offer something different. We are the preferred distributor for Hit programmes in the pay TV environment . When the schedule is made up of those iconic brands you have an advantage.”