 | |
| Network | SMG |
|---|---|
| Launched | 1 May 2005 |
| Closed | October 2007; 17 years ago (2007-10) |
| Country of origin | China Mongolia Hong Kong Macau |
| Owner | SMG (51%)[1] Viacom (49%)[1] |
| Headquarters | Shanghai |
| Format | Children's television |
| Running time | 6 hours |
| Official website | web |
HaHa Nick (also spelledHAHA Nick;Chinese:哈哈尼克) was a televisionprogramming block co-produced byNickelodeon andShanghai Media Group (SMG). It consisted of original live-action host programs and several of Nickelodeon's flagship American shows, dubbed in Mandarin. It aired on multiple SMG channels, mainly their children's network, Oriental.[2]
The block began development in March 2004, following a change in China's media regulations that allowed foreign ownership of televised content.Sumner Redstone, the chairman of Nickelodeon's parent companyViacom, oversaw the creation of the block. HaHa Nick marked the first time that a foreign investor took an equity stake in a major Chinese content producer. The block premiered on 1 May 2005, and stopped airing in October 2007. It ran for 6 hours daily, with start and end times depending on the day of the week.
Around 100 episodes of the block's original host programs were produced. The on-air continuity featured the host characters from these programs, in addition to original animation created by local Shanghai studios. Dubbed content includedOobi,Blue's Clues,ChalkZone andThe Fairly OddParents. After HaHa Nick stopped airing, two of the host shows were retooled for SMG without Nickelodeon's involvement.
The creation of HaHa Nick was first announced in March 2004. China'sState Administration of Radio, Film, and Television had recently passed new legislation that allowed foreign ownership of television content.[3] This madeViacom, Nickelodeon's parent company, "jump at the opportunity" to establish a partnership with a major Chinese TV station. Viacom chairmanSumner Redstone visited Shanghai in March 2004 to discuss a Nickelodeon-branded programming block withShanghai Media Group. Negotiations continued until November 2004, when Nickelodeon and SMG formally ratified their partnership. The venture was planned to have an authorized capital of $6 million. By establishing HaHa Nick, Nickelodeon became the first foreign investor to take an equity stake in a Chinese content producer.[4]
To comply with government regulations, Viacom only held a 49 percent stake in HaHa Nick. Both Viacom and SMG sold advertising and shared revenue from the block.MTV Networks chairman Bill Roedy called HaHa Nick a "strategically significant development for MTV's and Nickelodeon's positions in China," noting that "China has the creative talent to become one of the world's leading animation hubs, and HaHa Nick is tapping into the local industry."[5]
The Guardian reported that Nickelodeon would also produce a parallel block forBeijing Television, but Viacom denied this, stating that HaHa Nick was their only programming venture to date in China.[6]
Nickelodeon supplied SMG with raw copies of their flagship American shows, beginning withOobi (which was localized as 小手乌比, meaning "Little Hand Oobi") andBlue's Clues. SMG translated the scripts into Mandarin and recorded Mandarin voice-overs at their in-house dubbing studio.
Nickelodeon also produced several original series, filmed locally in Shanghai. For the first few months of production, they contributed 25 hours of locally produced programming to HaHa Nick each week.[7] Production was later increased to 50 hours of programming per week.[5] The longest show wasHaHa Nick Weekend Play, avariety show with a live studio audience that ran for two hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Other programs includedSoNick, a lifestyle show that profiled the lives of Shanghai children, andNick Tong: Painting Expert, an instructional art-themed show. In October 2007, right before the block was discontinued, food companyDanone sponsored HaHa Nick's art-themed segments.[8]
Animation for the on-air continuity and the original programs was produced by Chinese animation houses in and around Shanghai.[9] The block's logo combined elements of both SMG and Nickelodeon's iconography. "HaHa" refers to SMG's children's mascot, a purple frog named HaHa.[10] Geoffrey Fowler ofThe Wall Street Journal described its logo: "The logo for HaHa Nick ... features the trademark orange Nickelodeon splat and the word 'Nick' as the dot to an exclamation point that says 'HaHa.'"[11]
HaHa Nick premiered on SMG's Oriental channel on 1 May 2005. When the block debuted, it was available to 3.5 million households in China.[12] Throughout 2005, it also syndicated several of its shows to China's 30 regional children's cable channels, available to another 100 million households.[13] To promote the block's premiere, Nickelodeon held a HaHa Nick roadshow that toured Shanghai.[14] It also launched a website called HAHANick.com. Toys and online games based on HaHa Nick began production by March 2005.[15]
In September 2005, Viacom's co-presidentTom Freston said HaHa Nick was "off to a good start."[16] Sumner Redstone toldThe Hollywood Reporter "It's going very well."[12]
Young noted: 'We are doing a roadshow in Shanghai next month to promote HaHa Nick and will hold a party at the end of April.
