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.