Disney comes alive in your living room

Disney comes alive in your living room

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Preschool-aged children of between two to five years old are the
most neglected segment when it comes to television programming,
mainly because this age group is the most susceptible to
influence and therefore, the most difficult to serve.

Many programs directed at preschoolers fall flat because they
cannot hold the toddlers' attention for long, become too preachy
and underestimate the kids, or get on the wrong side of parents
because they fail to be educational and fun.

"So you can appreciate the difficulty in creating these
programs," Raymund Miranda, vice president and managing director
of Walt Disney Television International for Southeast Asia and
Korea, said here recently.

Rising to the challenge, Walt Disney Television International
has introduced a special 24-hour channel designed especially for
children between two to five years old, the Playhouse Disney
Channel.

The Playhouse was originally broadcast in the United States in
1999, then expanded to the United Kingdom the following year.

"We've been preparing for the last three years for Asia;
preschool programming that's safe, wholesome and good for kids;
To help them grow up and be a stimulus for kids," Miranda said.

The Playhouse was created together with child education
experts and is based on early childhood specialist Renee Cherow-
O'Leary's Whole Child Curriculum.

The curriculum is aimed at stimulating a child's thinking
skills, developing motor skills, imparting early academic
learning, instilling moral and social lessons, and encouraging
creativity and artistic expression.

"We've also worked with Asian child experts to make them (the
programs) work in Asia," Miranda added.

The Playhouse's key programs include Rolie Polie Olie, which
teaches children about relating to and cooperating with others;
Stanley, which focuses on developing the imagination while
teaching early academic learning; The Book of Pooh, which focuses
on literacy and academics through Winnie the Pooh characters;
PB&J Otter that deals with thinking skills; and Jim Henson's Bear
in the Big Blue House on emotional growth and social skills.

Music is synonymous with Disney productions, and the Playhouse
Disney Channel abounds with catchy simple tunes with which
children can sing along.

The programs boast Disney's animation expertise -- whether
two-dimensional, three-dimensional or puppetry -- together with
live hosts Monica, Colin, Jeremy, Kaeng and Zack.

Parents and other caregivers are also included in the
equation. Understanding the key roles these adults play in
childhood education, the channel's website
www.playhousedisneychannel-asia.com provides activity sheets,
recipes and stories based on the programs for caregivers to use
actively in rearing and teaching children.

Ultimately, the parents and caregivers are the ones who holds
sway over the channel. Although the channel provides programs 24-
7, "we do not encourage kids to stay up late", Raymund said,
adding that the purpose of the round-the-clock schedule was for
those occasional times when "for any reason, parents want to turn
on the TV and make sure that the programming is safe for
children".

Playhouse Disney Channel can be viewed on Kabelvision, Channel
51. Please check your local cable guide for a complete list of
programs and air times.