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4Kids to Rebrand TheCW4Kids Block on Saturdays
posted on by Egan Loo
The American licensing company 4Kids Entertainment confirmed with its clients before its 2010-2011 season upfront presentation this month that it will be rebranding its Saturday morning programming block on affiliates of The CW network. Currently, TheCW4Kids block runs from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 4Kids will tentatively rename the block as "Toonzai," as part of the larger effort that includes the addition of Dragon Ball Z Kai. 4Kids also indicated that it will retain Yu-Gi-Oh! and Sonic X in its lineup.
4Kids Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alfred Kahn said in March that "4Kids needs to return to its roots as a licensing and merchandising company [that] specializes in bringing wonderful Japanese programming and merchandising to the rest of the world." Kahn added that the company will be producing very little animated series on its own because it is much more costly than bringing over a Japanese franchise, even with the costs of dubbing, and so the "overall risk reward ratio is much more favorable."
Kahn added he has worked closely with his partners in Japan over the past year and a half, and the company had signed an agreement for a "very important Japanese property." Kahn also said that his company updating TheCW4Kids block with a number of "substantial Japanese hits."
