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In today’s society, the Internet and streaming services can be a very scary thing for parents with young children. But fear not, a new streaming platform has gone viral for actually being a place where you WANT your children to spend their screen time.
Kidstream is a place for kids to watch all their favorite shows that contain no violence or ‘bad stuff’, and is fully educational so that they are actually garnering information that is helpful, instead of some of those shows you see on YouTube that are teaching them how to swear in a different language.
Behind Kidstream is its co-founder Dean Koocher, a TV industry expert and veteran who was one of the main people back in the day to help bring and license the iconic Teletubbies over to the Americas.
We spoke to Dean to find out all the GOOD his streaming platform is doing including recently adding the US exclusive premiere and access to actress Keira Knightley’s animated series, The Sound Collector, which is the first of its kind to deal with the subject of a main character who is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids; innovative shows on Kidstream!
1. With so many networks getting rid of their kids-specific programming platforms, how has Kidstream managed to continue to soar?
We understand that parents and grandparents of young children want to give their kids good enriching entertainment to enjoy and do not mind spending a bit of money (in our case only $4.99 a month) to have that delivered to them in a safe user-friendly way. They are also rightly concerned with what kids are exposed to on the internet and larger streaming platforms that aim to serve all customers. And these big networks you mention, are not necessarily getting rid of kids but it is clear it is not their real brand identity or where their focus is, that is on adult fare which is often featuring crime, violence, scary, sex and much with inappropriate humor which is their bread and butter. They do keep kids shows on their platform because they are thought to reduce churn of customers. That fact we believe is true, however, if their focus is not on the well-being of kids then what you need to understand is that they really pick shows that are thought to be popular more than they are good. They are looking for views and they will program shows that will draw those as that is what advertisers pay them for. Kidstream on the other hand looks with a singular focus to give a slate of entertainment that is good for kids that they will enjoy. We focus on quality, and we bring in content from creators that are proven and have the kids best interests in mind. Many of the popular shows today are spun from YouTube that could be created by anybody, and there is no vetting by anyone, just what draws clicks. Parents can be fooled as they look harmless, but they are often created as a means to sell advertising. Some are even made in such a way to make the child want to continue to watch more in an unhealthy and addicting way.
So, to get back to the question we continue to soar because parents and caregivers can see that and that we do not have commercials or targeted ads and that they feel safe, we like to refer to Kidstream as a walled garden. Kids are allowed to explore shows and there is no algorithm pushing content at them if they watched another show, the kids are free and not tracked either (something parents do not willingly want to have happen). And what a value for the families to have at their fingertips a diverse catalog of high-quality kids shows both classics and new cutting-edge series, they can watch at home on devices and always being updated with new content.
2. Why can parents feel good about Kidstream and the shows on your app?
Simply said we only carry good shows, nothing bad and nothing that parents would object to. Sounds like a given but it is rare as most platforms carrying kids shows have different or lesser standards, we will not take a show if we feel that even though very popular is one that would have kids modeling bad behavior and language or be scared and see violence that could gradually sink into their behavior.
We are relentless in our pursuit of obtaining the best available content for Kidstream families. Shows are chosen based on five core values and principles: Safe, Enriching, Diverse, High Production Values and Entertaining.
3. You just signed the US rights to The Sound Collector animated series with actress Keira Knightley attached to it. The show is one of the first animated series to deal with the subject of a main character who is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids. Why was it important to your platform to sign this show and bring forward this type of educational subject matter to families?
The Sound Collector show is not about being deaf, it is however placing somebody who wears hearing aids at the front and center of a show for young audiences, which is remarkably rare. Throughout this series, children, as well as adults, will be inspired to go out and explore natural environments – seeking joy and wonderment in the little things and gaining a new appreciation for the world around them. Mindfulness also plays a key role in the show’s messaging. With techniques now being taught in schools as a stress-reducing aid for children, the show’s concentration on the small and real details of the immediate world in front of us will leave audiences feeling relaxed and even meditative, whatever their age!
Concerning the approach to Deafness in The Sound Collector, the producers brought in experts including Dr Edward Killan is currently an Associate Professor in Audiology at the School of Medicine, University of Leeds and is a Principal Fellow of the British Society of Audiology. Prior to working at the University, he was a Senior Clinical Scientist in Audiology specializing in working with hard-of hearing children and their families. Dr Killian says: “It is great to be involved in a children’s TV show that positively raises awareness of deafness without making it the focus of the story. Children who are hard of hearing will positively identify with the Sound Collector, whilst hearing children will gain an insight into what deafness can be like. I especially like the sound collection device that allows this little character to hear and record interesting sounds. This is a perfect analogy for a Radio Aid, a device used by hard of hearing children at school and increasingly when out and about to ‘tune in’ to sounds of interest.”
This show has an incredible team, including Keira Knightly as the narrator, the creators Eagle and Bat are amazing, and the animation studio McKinnon and Saunders is the best in the world at what they do. This is just the type of show that we want at Kidstream and we are so pleased to be the ones to bring this show to the US audience and we appreciate the trust of the team.
4. What other shows on Kidstream touch on unique topics not seen elsewhere?
We have a show called Book Hungry Bears, in which we have 52 amazing kids picture books shared in each in its own episodes, it is one of the first series to celebrate shared reading. This is produced by Pukeko Pictures from New Zealand who have common ownership with the famed Weta Workshop.
We have Bitz and Bob which is a landmark kids show that features kids learning about Engineering concepts for the young minds, where two siblings have fun making things and going on imaginative adventures with a short do it yourself segment at the end of each episode.
Most do find vocabulary to be an entertaining subject for kids but we have beautifully animated series that cover those topics in a fun way: Wandering Wenda Action! Adventure! Alliteration! It’s all waiting for you to explore with Wenda, Wes and Wu as they take you on wild, weird and wonderfully exciting adventures! Inspired by Margaret Atwood’s alliterative children’s book and Big Words Small Story, a show that features a revolving cast of four kids and the anthropomorphic pets, they have fun and in each episode sprinkles in a big word, into these kids’ lives.
I saw the recent article of Good Men Project BigFoot an American Legend, well we have on Kidstream a series called Wildwoods, which best friends Cooper the giant sasquatch and Poppy the sugar glider who have adventures together It’s gorgeous show a combination of puppetry, costumed characters and amazing live action sets.
I could go on for pages but here is just a taste for the readers and we hope they come to try us and explore.
5. Where do you see the future of Kidstream heading?
We see Kidstream becoming the trusted source for good kids shows that are also good for kids. We see a lot more growth within the US and other opportunities for expansion in other countries, including the UK and Africa and by partnering with like-minded companies and brands.
6. And finally, how can we check out Kidstream no matter where we are streaming?
If you want to check out Kidstream we are available as an Amazon Prime Video Channel, also you can just speak into your remote if you have Comcast or Cox and say “Kidstream” and try us there. We are also available via Roku, Apple or Google App store and directly from our website www.kidstream.tv We are also recently available via the Curiosity Stream smart bundle!
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This content is brought to you by Noen Noah
Photo provided by the author.