Parents Not Satisified With Children's Programming

Parents Not Satisified With Children's Programming

New Survey Reveals Most Moms and Dads Want Programs That Teach Critical Thinking Skills

SEATTLE, July 18 /PRNewswire/ -- For the amount of time young children spend in front of the television, there is a huge discrepancy between the types of programming that parents want for their kids and the programs actually available to this audience. According to results released today from the Kids' Media Report Card Survey, sponsored by Braincandy, an innovative children's media company, a majority of parents (60 percent) rely on television and videos to provide educational content for their children. At the same time, while nearly all parents (90 percent) recognize the importance of being able to think critically to solve problems in their adult lives, only 25 percent feel that children's entertainment today focuses on helping kids develop those skills.

These results underscore why Johnny Dagnen and Sam Reich-Dagnen -- parents of four-year-old twins -- are launching Braincandy this month. Differentiating itself from existing offerings, Braincandy creates enriching and entertaining developmental videos that help grow the "whole" child -- products that stimulate children to learn about themselves as they experience the world around them. Through the medium of children's programming, Braincandy has a goal of creating products that encourage parents to worry less and play more with their children, while laying the foundation for early learning.

The company's first video, "Braincandy, My 5 Senses," uses puppet characters of the five sense body parts, real kids participating in sensory oriented activities, animations and a variety of musical genres to encourage children to learn about themselves and the world around them through their five senses. It has already received seven prestigious awards, including two Dr. Toy awards. Two additional Braincandy titles -- "Fingercandy, Can You Touch It?" and "Eyecandy, Can You See It?" -- will be released later this year, taking an in-depth look at the individual senses of touch and sight.

"As parents, we all want the very best for our kids, including anything that will help them learn," said Sam Reich-Dagnen. "But we need to remind ourselves that some of the most valuable growth opportunities are learned through old-fashioned, interactive play. The concept behind Braincandy is to offer a 'lean forward' experience, something that actively challenges young children to begin thinking independently and connecting the dots on their own."

The launch coincides with a surge in sales for learning and exploration toys; statistics from Toy Industry Association Inc. show a 19 percent jump in sales between 2003 and 2004, while all other toy segment sales declined. This is reflective of a growing number of parents -- the Dagnens included -- who feel the increasing pressure of North American society to produce "perfect" children. Newsweek magazine recently reported that 70 percent of American moms find parenthood "extremely stressful," and a new wave of books and articles, including Judith Warner's "Perfect Madness" and Anna Quindlen's "The Good Enough Mother," shows that parents are recognizing how competitive our culture is, even when raising children, and are beginning to push back. In a growing trend, parents like the Dagnens are consciously moving away from measurable educational outcomes and focusing more on learning through active play and exploration.

In conjunction with its launch, Braincandy announced a broad home entertainment distribution agreement with TH!NKFilm Kids, a division of the Toronto-based company known for such award-winning titles as "Spellbound" and "Born Into Brothels." As a result, Braincandy's videos are now available in thousands of stores across North America, including mass retailers in Canada like Wal-Mart, Safeway and Zellers and specialty stores in the U.S. like Movie Gallery and Gelson's. Additional retail availability is expected in the third quarter.

In addition to their creative video offerings, the Dagnens have collaborated with parents from across the country to launch a blog, www.PlayIsTheWork.com, which provides an opportunity for conversations about current issues that affect parenting and education in an increasingly competitive culture.

Additional findings from the Kids Media Report Card Survey include:

* So why watch? -- Despite reservations about programming, parents still need time to themselves; 76 percent say they use TV and videos to occupy or entertain their young ones. * Toddlers' Pastime -- Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of children under five-years-old watch an hour or more of television each day. * Under Pressure -- Two-thirds of parents (64 percent) feel that most early education activities, toys and games overemphasize "right" answers at the expense of creative thinking.

About the Kids' Media Report Card Survey

The Kids' Media Report Card Survey was conducted for Braincandy, by Kelton Research (an independent research firm), between June 24 and June 30, 2005, using Random Digit Dialing of both listed and unlisted numbers. Quotas are set on completed interviews by three variables: age, sex, geographic region, and race, to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. and Canadian population, 18 years of age and older.

About Braincandy

Braincandy LLC is a Seattle-based children's media company with a mission of creating educationally stimulating, enriching, entertaining content that helps young children learn about themselves as they more fully experience the world around them. The company's first video, "Braincandy, My 5 Senses," is currently distributed by Toronto-based ThinkFilm Kids and is available in retailers across North America, as well as online at www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca and www.braincandykids.com.

About TH!NKFilm Kids

Privately owned and based in Toronto, TH!NKFilm was founded in September 2001 by President/CEO Jeff Sackman. TH!NKFilm represents the new face of independent film, distributing high-quality, award-winning independent films to the home entertainment marketplace. TH!NKFilm Kids was launched in 2005 with the arrival of Braincandy, My 5 Senses, Fingercandy and Eyecandy. More information about TH!NKFilm can be found online at www.thinkfilmcompany.com.

Source: Braincandy LLC

CONTACT: Ian Jeffries of SS+K, +1-425-201-2046, or ijeffries@ssk.com; or Sam Reich-Dagnen of Braincandy, +1-206-200-3343, or sam@braincandykids.com; or Amanda Dwyer of TH!NKFilm Kids, +1-416-488-0037, ext. 242, or adwyer@thinkfilmcompany.com

Web site: http://www.playisthework.com/

Web site: http://www.thinkfilmcompany.com/

Web site: http://www.braincandykids.com/

------- Profile: Ent