A still from Kipper, a show on Pogo

Indian kids have lapped up Fred Flintstone grumbling at wife Wilma or snubbing friend Barney Rubble in The Flintstones (on Cartoon Network). Or, 12-year-old Eliza Thornberry talking to jungle animals on her family’s adventures around the world in The Wild Thornberries (on Nick India).

The viewing habits of tots hooked to animation while mother serves up dinner or children switching on the set after a rushed return from school, Cartoon Network has witnessed a 30 per cent year-on-year growth in advertising sales in 2003 over 2002. Pogo, launched on January 1, 2004, is already reaching 17 million C&S homes.

But the buzz from the junior remote-wielder is loud and clear: dil maange more. The cry is especially loud from our part of the country. According to an AC Nielsen survey, the number of hours spent in front of the small screen is highest in the east zone.

The kids’ genre is the largest untapped market in the country’s media sector, says the survey. India has 315 million under-15 kids, who represent one-third of the population. Even if one takes into account just the 40 million C&S households, there are 50 million kids. India does not have a single localised channel for this huge audience, while the UK has more than 20 channels to cater to 11 million kids.

So on the one hand, new channels like Animax have jumped on to the satellite bandwidth (reaching four million homes on Day I itself) with more from Disney promised. On the other, channels are turning to the largely untapped vernacular belt. Hindi audio feed was so long available for much of the content on Cartoon Network and Nick. But the action is just starting to hot up with locally produced content being lined up in Hindi.

The country’s “number two kids’ channel” Pogo is all set to speak the local tongue. “We plan to increase our language options, including a dramatic rise in Hindi content,” said a spokesperson. By the end of the year, 80 per cent of Pogo’s programming will be in Hindi.

The biggest news on this front is Hungama TV, a UTV initiative that is set for launch by the month-end. “It will be the first ‘Made in India’ children’s TV channel,” confirmed Purnendu Bose, COO, speaking from Mumbai. The channel will offer multi-genre content for kids aged 4-14 years.

“One particular genre of content is not enough. Research has shown that 47 per cent cartoon loyalists move out in search of variety,” explained Bose. So there will be game shows, magic, fairy tales and more — to keep those looking for more than animation interested.

Agreed Anshuman Misra, managing director, Turner International India, which airs both Pogo and Cartoon Network: “Pogo has a wide variety of programming from animation, live action, dramas, comedies, documentaries and movies. One channel is in no way a substitute for the other. Instead, they complement each other to provide a complete kids’ package.”

Kids fill up forms at the Hungama TV captain hunt in south Calcutta. Picture by Rashbehari Das

And kids are emerging as more than a passive audience in the scheme of the programme planners.

Hungama promises to be not just for the kids but by the kids as well. While the name Hungama itself was chosen through a nationwide referendum of children, last Sunday saw hundreds line up at a Lake Gardens school, parents in tow, for the city selections.

“We will have 20 TV captains chosen from 10 cities who will help us take decisions in all matters — content, marketing and merchandise,” said Rajeev Chakrabarti, associate vice-president, marketing.

Nick has also picked its Chhota VJ after a similar around-the-country search. Shiv Tandon, the chosen one, recently hosted the channel’s first Indian show, Say Please, inspired by Bollywood and for kids.

So, next time you dismiss cartoons as kid stuff, think again. As Bose points out, this is a segment where the action will be for the next five-seven years.