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K I D S’ C O N T E N T T R E N D S E T T E R S SARAH MULLER CBBC CBBC is one of the children’s services of the British public broadcaster BBC. Serving children 6 to 12, CBBC’s goal is to offer innovative, challenging and buzzworthy programming that reflects its diverse audience. The channel airs seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and its programming is also available on the CBBC iPlayer, website and YouTube channel. While wanting to open new worlds to kids and make them laugh and think, CBBC takes its public-service remit seriously, as demonstrated by several of its most popular brands: Horrible Histories, The Dumping Ground, Operation Ouch!, Dixi and My Life. Sarah Muller, the creative director of scripted, animation and coproductions at CBBC Productions, is constantly on the lookout for content. She has overseen a number of co-productions, including The Worst Witch with ZDF, Danger Mouse with FremantleMedia Kids & Family and Strange Hill High with FremantleMedia Kids & Family in association with Factory. In November Muller joins Channel 5 as its new head of children’s.
MARC BUHAJ Disney XD Part of Disney Channels Worldwide’s portfolio, Disney XD is a basic-cable channel and multiplatform brand. While aimed at kids 6 to 11, it super-serves boys with a mix of live-action, animated and lifestyle programming in the form of series, movies or short-form content. Disney XD’s content appears on television, online and on mobile and VOD platforms. Although Disney XD is committed to producing brand-defining original productions, these are supported by acquisitions and co-productions sourced by Marc Buhaj, the senior VP of programming and general manager of the channel, and his team. Buhaj oversees Disney XD in the U.S. and supports the original content development and acquisition strategies for Disney XD channels around the world. Recent acquisitions and coproductions include Right Now Kapow with Warner Bros. Animation; Counterfeit Cat, commissioned by Disney XD EMEA and TELETOON and co-produced by Tricon Kids & Family and Wildseed Studios; and Fangbone! with Radical Sheep Productions and Pipeline Studios in association with DHX Media.
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