Classic Nick Thur. – Children's Programming Without Commercials

Children’s Programming Without Commercials

By Les Brown | March 4, 1979 | ARCHIVES | 1979

http://www.nytimes.com/1979/03/04/archives/childrens-programming-without-commercials-an-electronic-sandbox.html

The new network does not go by initials but by the name Nickelodeon. Since it carries no advertising, it is liberated from the tyranny of audience headcounts. Instead of being designed by specialists in the art of riveting the great mass of viewers to the set, its programming is assembled by an authority in children's education, Dr. Vivian Homer, who helped develop “The Electric Company” for the Children's Television Workshop.

Programs carried by Nickelodeon, a channel for children, are intended to be more edifying than run‐of‐the‐mine children's shows. The channel tries to be nonviolent, nonsexist, nonracist and nonpropogandistic. Its fare is a mix of foreign animations, vintage movie serials, films produced for the school market, short informational pieces, read‐aloud comic book presentations, music and teenage forums.

Who created this utopian service? Not a philanthropic foundation but the entertainment conglomerate, Warner Communications. Nickelodeon was developed over the past year at Warner's experimental two‐way cable installation, known as QUBE, in Columbus, Ohio. Packaged into a 13‐houra‐day service, the programs are to be distributed to cable systems nationally, beginning April 1, by satellite. Even without commercials or direct subscription fees to consumers, Warner expects the venture to make money.

Revenues will come from the cable systems that carry the network, each paying 10 cents a month for every household reached. A dime a month may seem paltry, but as Warner executive observed, “Ma Bell built an empire on the 5‐cent phone call.” Initially, Nickelodeon will reach 500,000 households, with the number expected to treble in a year and to expand steadily thereafter. For the cable systems paying the fee, Nickelodeon represents a loss leader — a giveaway likely to attract additional customers. As new subscribers sign up for cable television at $7 to $10 a month, the Nickelodeon revenues grow. With 10 million subscribers, the, Nickelodeon dimes will add up to $1 million monthly.

“Cable operators see this as an opportunity to be the good guys in comparison with commercial broadcasters.” said John Lack, president of Warner Cable. That idea implicit in the headline on the Nickelodeon brochure: “At Last. Children's Programming That's Fit For Children.”

An Electronic Sandbox

Dr. Horner explained the Nickelodeon philosophy: “We are trying to make it be not‐television, different from commercial or public television. And much of it will be — pardon the expression — good for them. The object is not to compete with the commercial networks but to provide an alternative. We're not trying to sell the kids anything. We're paid in advance for what we provide, and so we're not motivated the same as other television programmers.”

“This doesn't look at all like television fare.” Dr. Horner noted. “The pace is different, slower, gentler. There is none of the bang‐bang‐bang that the commercial people think necessary to catch and hold attention. The programming made up of varied materials of varying lengths, so that none of it begins or ends on the hour. I think of it as an electronic sandbox the kids can come to whenever they wish.”

For children between age 7 and the teens, the fare mostly films from the Bernice Coe collection of quality films for television and from Xerox, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Macmillan and other companies producing for schools.

Bridging the age groups are old movie cliffhangers. such as the Tom Mix and Rin Tin Tin serials, and a new television form billed as Video Comic Books, in which the dialogue balloons are read by off‐screen actors. ‘'I think of it as a kind supported reading activity, without making any educational claims for it,” Dr. Horner remarked.

Nickelodeon's big, original production is a daily teenage program, “America Goes Bananaz.” This is a youth version of the talk‐variety programs typified by “The Mike Douglas Show,” with disco music and guest‐star spots girding the “rap sessions,” or dialogues, on teenage issues. “This program has some conventional TV concepts,” Dr. Horner conceded. “but the difference is that it cares about kids and their concerns, without playing down to them.”

Whatever the merits of the particular programs, the Nickelodeon concept elevates children's television from the programming ghettos to which it has been consiened by the networks and also insulates it from the cynicism (If commercial impresarios.

To the extent that television is a babysitter, the least that may be said for Nickelodeon is that its attitude more positive, and its approach more responsible, than those of the alternative electronic nannies.

Nickelodeon is not the first venture of its kind but only the most ambitious. Last September, UA‐Columbia Cablevision, in partner‐ship with Learning Corporation of America, began „ending out a weekly children's film senes, “Calliope,” for about 2 cents a subscriber. Programs have included “The Mime of Marcel Marceau” and “Ballet With Edward Villella. “Sent out as an added service to the sports events on UAColumbia's Madison Square Garden cable network, “Calliope” is received in about 850,000 households, according Kay Koplovitz, manager of the miniature network. “Our concept.” she said, “is not to provide programming in bulk but rather the best children's films available. There aren't many of them that we could fill up a channel all day, every day of the week.”

Still to come in the cable‐television sweepstakes is a new family‐entertainment channel, laden with children's programming, from Home Box Office, largest of the pay‐television networks.

In cable, as in commercial television, children's programming is growing hotly competitive. The difference is that the race is along the high road rather than the low.

A version of this archives appears in print on March 4, 1979, on Page E20 of the New York edition with the headline: Children's Programming Without Commercials. 

Interview with George James

Classic Nick Wed. – 

Interview with George James

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

As promised here is the long awaited interview with Mr. George James who played “Jake” on Nickelodeon’s long running show, Pinwheel.

A very special thank you goes out to Mr. Andy Anderson who helped me with this interview by submitting his own set of questions which were integrated into this interview.

I would also like to send out a very special and loving thank you to Mr. George “Jake” James for sending me that very first email and for his time in answering these extensive interview questions. Andy and I didn’t make it easy on him but he’s a very lovely man who graciously gave us a bit of his precious time. Thank you Mr. James.

PSC: What were you doing before you became an actor?

GJ: From as far back as I can remember I had certain passions. I say passions because my interests were far from casual. These passions were music, nature, musical theatre, theatre and horses and not necessarily in that order. I played the trumpet as a youngster, listened to everything from Gershwin to Ray Charles to Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and Bernstein, as well as the pop and country music of the day. My father was very theatrical having been a child actor on Broadway. Although very shy, I had a fascination with reading and writing poetry and how something well-crafted could evoke and express feelings. I usually had leading roles in performances during my early years in school. My mother was a heavy influence with frequent outings to the symphony, movies and theatre. Both parents were very culturally minded.

AA: How did you become interested in performing and composing music? What is your musical background?

GJ: As I have mentioned I had great support and exposure from my parents when it came to music and the performing arts. I started playing the trumpet at the age of 7 and took part in plays and reciting poetry at the same time. It was strange because I was indeed very shy but almost compelled to express myself in these ways. I remember seeing West Side Story and The King and I and being totally fascinated and captivated by the power created by the marriage of music, words and story. How these elements when artfully put together could make one laugh, cry and feel something deeply universal to all who witnessed. It was magic!…and something I wanted to do.

AA: What inspired you to get into acting?

GJ: Acting is something that has always been somewhat illusive to me. I was a theatre student at Hofstra University but acting wasn't my focus. The study of voice and the part that music played in producing good theatre were more interesting to me. Although I thoroughly enjoyed reciting Shakespeare and expressing myself vocally, I wouldn't consider myself an actor in the classical sense. On Pinwheel I was pretty much myself, just believing in the characters that I interacted with. From time to time I would be a character that the writers created like the Game Show Host or the Yeti but most of the time I was pretty much myself.

PSC: How did you first hear about Pinwheel and what made you decide to audition? Can you tell us what the auditioning process was like?

GJ: My friend, noted music producer, John Simon, heard that Warner Communications was looking for a person of some ethnicity to help develop a children's show for their CUBE project which was the first attempt to create programming for the network of cable companies across the country. They were looking for someone who could act and write songs as well as produce the songs and music for the show. He gave them my name and I received a call asking if I would like to audition. For the audition they asked if I would write a song and come to their offices at Rockefeller Plaza and perform the song that I had composed. I was thrilled by the opportunity and wrote a series of songs called The Dream Songs. About 5 songs with the same melody and different words about imagining that you were different animals. They taped me singing these songs and I went home and waited. After about two days I got a call asking If I would (come) one to their offices to discuss being part of this project. They already had the name of the show, Pinwheel, but nothing else. This was a happy day and the beginning of many happy times.

PSC: Can you tell us about the development of Pinwheel? What sparked the idea for it? Was it an individual or a group of people?

GJ:  Well I believe that the idea for a young children's show for the CUBE project came from Dr. Vivian Horner who was also connected with Children's Television Workshop and the Electric Company. Dr. Horner was the executive producer and Sandy Kavanaugh was the producer of the yet undeveloped show. Andrea Cvirko and Gabi Lopez were also on board as assistant producers. The talent, as we were called, on the development team consisted of Brad Williams (puppet creator and art director) and myself. We would meet at the Warner Communications offices about four times a week and toss around ideas. This was the development team at the very early stages of Pinwheel. The result of these meetings was the 1977 production of Pinwheel for the CUBE project in Columbus Ohio. The later more developed productions were done in New York a few years later. The New York productions are the ones most people are familiar with.

PSC: Looking back we see that Pinwheel taught children simple life lessons, was that the original intent of the writers or did it just turn out that way? If intentional did the writers work with professional educators just as Bill Cosby had done with the Fat Albert cartoon series?

GJ: I think that it would be correct to say that it was the original intent for Pinwheel to teach simple life lessons and to have a positive message in general. We didn't have as strict a curriculum as Sesame Street where reading and preschool academic skills along with life experiences were researched and organized. We were more loosely pointed toward positive interpersonal relationships, self-expression and conflict resolution. The direction of the scripts and character development were overseen by the Producer and head writer. The cast, staff and crew were comprised of people whose hearts and minds were in a good place and that is basically what gave life and energy to the show.

PSC: A lot of people compare Pinwheel to Sesame Street, is that a fair assessment? If not, how was Pinwheel different from Seamy Street?

GJ: I mostly answered this question in the last paragraph. Many of the people involved in Pinwheel came from The Children's Television Workshop which produced Sesame Street so naturally there are commonalities. The target audience and ideals were also the same and with Sesame Street being such a great invention and model we all wanted the same feelings of inclusion and universality.

AA: Can you tell us about the character of “Jake”? Was he a set character or did you help to develop him?

GJ: Jake is actually my middle name and as I stated before he is basically me. I've always thought that if you want an elephant don't get a giraffe to play one…get an elephant to play one. I guess that's what happened here. Children's television had always been a place that I wanted to go to. Children's entertainment was also something that I had given quite a bit of thought to. I really disliked any condescending elements in children's programing and saw Jake and Pinwheel as an opportunity to present myself and the music with a sense of respect and integrity of the audience. Being African American this took on an even more special meaning.

PSC & AA: You wrote and performed many of the songs on the show, were there any guidelines for composing the music and songs for Pinwheel?

GJ: Everything was left up to me as far as the songs were concerned. I tried to have everyone involved in the music with a special musical spot for each character. I firmly believed that the music for such a young audience should be totally appropriate for an older audience as well. Only the lyric content should have certain considerations.

PSC: Was there ever a Pinwheel record album or songbook, for the general public to purchase that is? If not, why not?

GJ: There was a Pinwheel Songbook and I have no idea what happened to it. Nickelodeon changed hands and companies many times and I think that many things got lost in the shuffle.

PSC: Going off that last question, there are many (MANY) fans who would like to know what happened to those songs? Do you still have them? Have you ever thought about producing a Pinwheel CD of your own?

GJ: I do have copies of a few but my thoughts are forward and I've been thinking of writing new material to produce. We'll see what the future brings. There is a song on YouTube which is performed by John Legend on Sesame Street that I wrote. I really like this performance as well as the original version which was performed by David and Olivia on Sesame Street many years ago. That version is on YouTube also.

PSC & AA: We know that for the first two years Pinwheel was filmed in Columbus, Ohio and aired on QUBE before Nickelodeon bought it. How did it come about that they (Nickelodeon) bought the show? Were there any major changes made and if so how did it affect the cast or the show in general.

GJ: Pinwheel and the other shows which were produced in Columbus Ohio, only one season, actually became Nickelodeon. After the CUBE project American Express joined Warner Communications and became WarnerAmex and Nickelodeon was formed with Pinwheel being one of the surviving shows from CUBE. The name Nickelodeon came from Pinwheels producer Sandy Kavanaugh. When we moved to New York the cast, staff and aspirations for the show grew. It was all for the better. The Pinwheel most people know is the result of the New York production which lasted for two seasons. I wish it had gone on longer to get more of a chance to grow with it. Many characters, both human and puppet were added. Craig and Olga Marin, both very talented performers and puppeteers were a great addition to the show, adding many characters and depth to the cast. Sal and Smitty were also added as was Kim. It was a much more professional full blown production than the experiment in Ohio.

PSC: Why were those changes necessary?

GJ: CUBE wasn't a full commitment to programming for cable. At that time there was no programming for cable. Cable was only a way to get broadcast television to outlying areas. So this was a really revolutionary idea at the time and sort of an venture into the unknown. With the positive results in Ohio Warner Communications and other entertainment companies made more of a commitment to programming for cable so the next season of Pinwheel were approached with bigger budget and grander dreams. It was a good thing, the beginning of Nickelodeon and on a bigger scale the beginning of major programming for cable television.

PSC: Again going off the previous two questions. I found this link and of course I recognize you, Brad Williams, Ebenezer and very fuzzy headed Plus & Minus, but I have no idea who the other people and characters are. Can you please tell us who these people and other characters are? http://www.qube-tv.com/qube-tv/PINWHEEL.html

GJ: The top picture is of the Wonkels, some of the first puppets on the CUBE version of Pinwheel. Then there are early versions of Plus and Minus with the brilliant creator Brad Williams with the red hair and producer Sandy Kavanaugh on the left. Brad also created Ebenezer Squint and Aurelia. Next is director Andy Furgerson formerly of the Electric Company (he also taught me to play tennis after shoots). I don't know who the next gentleman is. In the next photo with the frizzy hair is Robert Morton producer of How Do You Like Your Eggs, who went on to produce the tonight show with David Letterman. Andy and Me.

PSC: Could you please, officially, tell us who took over the role of “Coco the Mime” when C.C. Loveheart left? Why did she leave and did the character change any when the other actress took over the role?

GJ: Lindanell Rivira filled the spot left open by CC Loveheart leaving the show. I don't know why she left.

AA: Do you believe that having Jake (an African-American) and Kim (an Asian-American) as the main characters on the show was a revolutionary step for Pinwheel? Were issues such as race and diversity discussed on a children's show such as Pinwheel?

GJ: I think that the thoughts of race and diversity on Pinwheel and all quality children's shows of the time were expressed by example. With very young children there are no issues, only people.

PSC: As with “Jake” and “Kim,” can you give us the backstory on “Sal and Smitty?” They were older characters, were they meant to represent parents or grandparents and the wisdom that comes from age?

GJ: They certainly represented older folks but more than that was the care and love with which they interacted with each other.

AA: Pinwheel was originally a live show that was broadcast to children in Columbus, Ohio, on the QUBE system for twelve hours a day. How did it stay on air for that long?

GJ: Pinwheel was never live.

AA: What was the typical shooting/production schedule on the set of Pinwheel?

GJ: Arrive at 8am…makeup and wardrobe at 8:30…shooting at 9:30…lunch from 12-1… wrap at 5pm.

AA: Do you remember the first time Pinwheel ever went on air?

GJ: No.

AA: What was it like touring on the road for the Pinwheel roadshow? Did you enjoy meeting any Pinwheel fans across the country, or was it too hectic for you?

GJ: Touring with the Road Show and meeting the many Pinwheel fans is one of the great adventures of my life. To meet the many people who wanted to see you, take a picture with you   and get your autograph was an incomparable joy and honor. To see that what you were doing was bringing happiness into so many lives is something I could never tire of. I could go on and on about the Road Show.

AA: Could you tell us how you got involved with Hocus Focus and how you came to compose the music for the show? Do you have any insight into the creation and development of Hocus Focus?

GJ: I was asked by Andrea Cvirko, the producer, to compose the theme music for Hocus Focus.

AA: What fond memories do you have working on those two shows? Were there any interesting behind-the-scenes stories?

GJ: **For some reason this question was left unanswered. My guess is that it was a simple mistake.**

AA: Do you think Pinwheel still has an impact on the children who grew up watching it? How popular was it at the time?

GJ: I certainly hope that Pinwheel has had some positive impact on its viewers. That's why I am communicating with you, because you seem to have an appreciation and interest in the heart of the matter.

PSC & AA: Do you ever have fans just come up to you on the street and recognize you? What is that like after all these years?

GJ: Many years ago being recognized was a common occurrence but so much time has gone by and the viewers have grown so I don't think that Jake or Pinwheel are in their consciousness these days.

PSC: Has anyone ever sent you any fan art or a fan fiction about Pinwheel?

GJ: During Pinwheels hey day…yes!

PSC: How do you feel about the two Nickelodeon books that have come out on the market for the last few years? Namely “Nickelodeon Nation: The History, Politics, and Economics of America's Only TV Channel for Kids” by Heather Hendershot, and “SLIMED!: An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age’ by Mathew Klickstein?

GJ: Before I read this question I had never heard of them. I doubt if I'm mentioned.

AA: Do you still have any Pinwheel or Hocus Focus memorabilia?

GJ: A few pictures and fan mail for old times’ sake.

PSC: Do you have any direct, or indirect, knowledge as to why Nickelodeon canceled both Pinwheel and Hocus Focus?

GJ: Not really. After producing two seasons in the early 80's they would flip flop the seasons on the rational that new audiences emerged each year. Economics is my guess.

PSC: Is there any truth to the rumor that Pinwheel was actually canceled in 1982 but Nickelodeon kept airing reruns of it until 1990?

GJ: They stopped production after 84 I think and then showed reruns…yes.

AA: Some sources say that Nickelodeon started under the name of Pinwheel in 1977, while others say that Pinwheel was just a show that was on Nickelodeon, which began in April 1979. Can you clear up this dispute?

GJ: Pinwheel was the flagship pre-school show on Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon was comprised of many shows…not that many.

PSC: There have been many rumors as to why Nickelodeon has never put Pinwheel, or Hocus Focus, on DVD. Do you think they will ever will released it? Why or why not?

GJ: I really don't know.

PSC: For those fans who collect Classic Nickelodeon videos/DVDs and other memorabilia, do you have any insights as to where we can find copies of these programs? For privet use – not to be distributed; at least I (PSC) would never distribute them.

GJ: I'll give this some thought.

AA: How does it feel to know that there are so many fans out there who have such wonderful memories of both Pinwheel and Hocus Focus?

GJ: Very Gratifying…are there many?

AA: Did you have any involvement with the young channel of Nickelodeon? If so what was the full extent of this?

GJ: No.

AA: Many early Nickelodeon viewers remember the, "Put Another Nickel In (The Nickelodeon)" segments which featured a mime. Do you know who the mime was or how those were produced?

GJ: I recorded the music for these promos but had no involvement in the production and I have no idea who that mime was.

AA: What acting, or music, projects have you done since Pinwheel?

GJ: I have produced several records, written for Sesame Street, performed with Twyla Tharp's stage production of Hair and have produced and directed many audio books.

PSC: Internet Movie Data Base has you listed as being in a Dukes of Hazard episode entitled “Granny Annie.” I’ve seen that episode a few times and that gentlemen is not you. So were you on the show and if so which episode was it?

GJ: Not me…

PSC: Do you have a website or Facebook page where fans can keep up with your career or send you a message?

GJ: I don't have either…I'm a bit of a recluse when it comes to social media, but maybe I should lighten up a bit.

PSC: Our final question isn’t a question at all, it’s a message from an old friend of yours. Craig Marin sent me a message to pass on to you:

"Please tell Jake that Molly O'Mole sends him "worm regards.""

GJ: They don't come any better than Molly or Craig and Olga for that matter. Three of the most talented people I have ever met!        

All the Best,

George Jacob James

CC Loveheart Interview from Andy Anderson

Classic Nick Wed. –

CC Loveheart Interview from Andy Anderson

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

A very special thank you to our own Andy Anderson for conducting this interview with CC Loveheart better known as “Coco the Mime” on Pinwheel House from 1979-1981. She is commonly referred to as “The First Coco.”

Here are the questions (they may be long!). Thank you for participating in this interview.

AA: How did you get the job as "Coco" on Pinwheel? Were you asked to audition, or did you develop the character yourself? Where did the name "Coco" come from?

CC:  A lovely woman and producer of the first 2 seasons, Sandy Kavenaugh saw me in a 2-person mime show in NYC.  She talked to me about developing a mime character for "Pinwheel House".  The project was proposed as a project called, "Qube".   Qube was to be the first attempt at 2-way television.  (Meaning, the viewing audience could have the potential to communicate with the performers.)  This never really happened.  But Pinwheel House was taped with its myriad characters in place.  I participated in the first 2 seasons of taping.  I wrote almost all the skits that I performed because the writers did not know how to write for a mime.  Writers use words, mimes do not, so I was also hired as a writer.

 

AA: Was Pinwheel already formed as a series when you joined, or were they still developing the structure of the show?

CC:  It was still being structured.

 

AA: What was the typical shooting/production schedule on the set of Pinwheel?

CC:  I flew to Columbus, Ohio for 2 weeks at a time.  I had young children at home, so it was part of my contract that I be flown home and have time off in-between shoots for Pinwheel House.

 

AA: How did you get inspired to perform as a mime? Were you influenced by other mimes such as Marcel Marceau?

CC:  I began as and wanted to be a dancer.   (I had danced in the floor shows in Las Vegas.) And, after my last child was born, I took a mime class at a local community college in upstate New York in order to get back in shape.  The teacher of the class asked me to perform with him in NYC.  That’s where Sandy Kavenaugh saw me and hired me.  I also studied mime with Moni Yakim and others before going into “straight” acting.

 

AA: For those who may have never watched the show before, could you describe Coco's character and personality? What did you enjoy about playing her?

CC:  I loved Coco.  I developed her, wrote and performed her.  I wanted to entertain and inform.  My intention was to make Coco childlike in her innocence and playfulness.  My hope was to make her available and loveable for kids of varying ages.   As to the performing aspect, I was required to be an “athlete” in that often many takes were required, so I had to be very strong physically, in order to repeat the mimes required.

I enjoyed my interactions with Jake, the older couple who lived in the house (whose names I have forgotten), the vegetable vendor, the veggies and the puppets.  All in all, it was a most pleasant working experience.

 

AA: How popular was Pinwheel at the time it was airing?

CC: I don’t know.  But it certainly caught on.  I still receive emails from folks who grew up with Coco and still remember her fondly. 

 

AA: Was there ever any thought that Coco might scare young children as they sometimes have an abnormal fear of mimes and clowns?

CC:  Yes, that was a big concern of mine. Children are known to be afraid of clowns and the white face look. So, I developed Coco’s make-up by trying various make-ups.  I would get in front of the camera and look at the monitor to see if the look was friendly, appealing and not scary.  That’s how the hearts on the cheeks along with the big eyed-double- false-eyelash, and pale lip color came to be. 

 

AA: Some say that Pinwheel was the original name of the Nickelodeon channel, while others say that it was just a program on Nickelodeon. What is most accurate?

CC:  Pinwheel House was always the name of the project.  All of us lived in Pinwheel House or the neighborhood.  As I said, in the beginning, it was under the aegis of “Qube”.

 

AA: How different was it from making the program for QUBE in Columbus, Ohio, where Pinwheel was created, to making it for Nickelodeon in New York? Did Nickelodeon make any changes to the series once it launched?

CC:  I was not involved in the NY taping.  When it came time to renew my contract, we had a new producer (Tippy Fortune was her name and how appropriate it turned out to be) and we had “contractual differences”.   And so, a woman who was VERY different physically from me, and who had not requested residuals replaced me.

 

AA: What was your fondest memory on the Pinwheel set? Any behind-the-scenes incidents/outtakes? What are some little known facts about the show?

CC:  I remember a wrap party in which Coco spoke.  I had secured promises from the camera and sound folks and we, in secret, made a tape of Coco speaking and thanking everyone.  Coco had a very strong lisp and the running joke in this private tape (meant only for the party) was that that was why Coco never spoke.   The actor-musician, George James, who played Jake, was a friend and I recommended him for the show.  We had a great time cracking each other up both in front of and behind the camera.

 

AA: How did you end up leaving Pinwheel? Was it cancelled, or did you leave to pursue other projects?

CC:  As mentioned above, there were contractual differences that played into my leaving.  But, I also felt a strong calling to move on to speaking characters.  I began to work as an actor and went on to have a career that has spanned some 40 years.

 

AA: Can you recall any other individuals important in developing Pinwheel?

CC:  The young men, Jim Jenson and Brad?? Were the puppeteers and they were very talented.  They brought much to the show.  Unfortunately, Jim died quite young.

And again, Sandy Kavenaugh had great vision and pulled the cast and crew together.  She was instrumental in the success of the show.

 

AA: Thank you for generously participating in this interview.

CC:  You are welcome.  Please send me the link to your blog.

Interview with Joseph Iozzi

Classic Nick Wednesday – Interview with Joseph Iozzi

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Today I am very honored to bring you and interview with Joseph Iozzi as conducted by our own Andy Anderson. Andy was kind enough to share his interview with me and with his permission I am sharing with all of you.

As the poster of this interview my only role was to correct a few very minor grammatical errors and “stylize” it a bit for the blog and email list. I also removed the personal email of both Mr. Iozzi and Mr. Anderson to protect their privacy.

Thank you for sharing this interview with us Andy.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Joseph Iozzi

Date: Mon, Feb 24, 2014 at 6:31 AM
Subject: Interview
To: "Iozzi, Joseph A"
From: Andy Anderson

 

Hi Andy,

Finally! I'm not sure of all the name spellings, and there may be a couple of typos.

The brain gets a little foggy at my age.

Please feel free to redact or change anything you like. I'm not sure the age of your readers.

That's all I can think of right now.

 

Thanks,
Joe Iozzi

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 AA: How did you get involved with developing and branding Nickelodeon?

JI: I was a creative consultant to a Madison Avenue advertising agency called Comtomark.

We had successfully launched The Movie Channel, which was then known as Star Channel.  Warner Bros. asked us for other ideas for programs and channels. They were already kicking around the idea of a "kiddie" channel as they owned a considerable amount of content on video tape from their interactive cable system, QUBE, in Columbus, Ohio.

I proposed several channels for consideration. Here are a couple I can remember:

1) A 24 hour shopping channel called, "Cable Catalog".

2) A 24 hour movie channel, "Classic Cinema Channel", which would consist of the MGM movie library, comprised of MGM, United Artists, Warner Bros. & RKO titles.

They seem more familiar today with names like 'The Shopping Channel’, ‘Home Shopping Network’, ‘AMC’ or ‘Turner Classic Movies’.

You have to remember at that time there were only a handful of cable channels delivered by satellite, maybe 12, and not full time at that.

We were also asked to come up with individual program ideas that could be produced in Columbus. We recommended a few ideas, one of which was "Screen Test", a movie quiz show. Besides producing "Screen Test", (without our knowledge) the only other concept they moved forward with was Nickelodeon.

 

 

AA: For those who may have never seen the logo before, what exactly was it supposed to be? How did you come up with the idea for it?

JI: The graphic was a line drawing of a turn of the century man in a bowler hat peering into a Nickelodeon machine with his arm ready to crank the machine.  The "machine" was an eye piece attached to the capital letter "N" in the word Nickelodeon. The typeface was made of press on letters instead of set on film or paper. The art was "stock" art and couldn't be trademarked. My intention at the time was to replace the stock art with a line drawing made from a photograph a small boy, tip toed on a train stool with an English cap peering into the Nickelodeon. We were always pressed for time and I never got around to revising the original logo as I planned.

 

AA: How did you come up with Nickelodeon as the name for the channel? Were there any other suggested/alternative names that were in consideration as the name of the channel?

JI: We gave the client about 150 names to choose from. Anyone in the agency that could hold a pencil was tasked with coming up with a name. The name, and finished logo design/art was completed in 3 days. An upcoming trade show was of prime importance to the client for Nickelodeon's launch to the cable industry. The name Nickelodeon seemed natural to me. The Nickelodeon was a turn of the century device for dispensing entertainment. The sound of the word was nice and rolled off the tongue easily. A couple of rejected names were The Savoy Channel and The Rainbow Network. Few people recall a children's channel called Calliope. It predates Nickelodeon, but Calliope didn't air 24 hours a day as Nickelodeon. Eventually Calliope collapsed under Warner's marketing weight.

 

AA: Some sources say that Nickelodeon began under that name in 1979, while other sources state that Nickelodeon started under the name of Pinwheel in 1977. What is the most accurate version of events?

JI: Both. Pinwheel was a program on QUBE, not a channel. The name Nickelodeon was never used or mentioned in any context until I named the channel in 1979. Pinwheel, along with Nickel Flicks and America Goes Bananaz were merely programs on The Nickelodeon Channel. 

 

AA: Were the network employees/executives involved with the branding effort? How much contact did you have with the network during this process?

JI: Not really. The entire Warner Satellite Entertainment company consisted of only 3 people in the beginning. James Cavazzini (ran all day to day operations), Madge Sinclair (purchased movies for Star Channel) and a secretary (whose name I'm sorry to say I can't remember). When Nickelodeon launched they added 2 more people, Al Paraniello (marketing) and Sandra Murphy (asst. marketing). Cavazzini answered to the head of Warner Cable, Gus Hauser, and Hauser answered to Steve Ross, the CEO of Warner Communications. Ross is responsible for pushing everything along at breakneck speed. He was a real visionary and crap shooter.

 

AA: How formed was Nickelodeon when they contacted you about branding their network? How much did they know (about what the future network would be) when they hired you?

JI: It wasn't formed at all. There was no network, there was barely an inkling. Warner Bros. was very fast when they decided to proceed with something.  Money was never an object. They simply said how much money do we need to spend to accomplish this?  Nickelodeon was more a result of Warner possessing an enormous amount of kiddie programming that was already sitting in a can in Columbus, Ohio. It was simply producing a revenue stream from an existing intellectual asset.

From the time Steve Ross said, "Go!", to the time Nickelodeon was being broadcast 24 hours a day nationwide was only a matter of months. We produced, at great cost, marketing materials that were never approved, or even seen by the client until they were already printed, aired, or published. This is unheard of, not only today, but even back then. That first cable trade show was of prime importance to Warner's launch of Nickelodeon. They had tremendous confidence in our ability. No focus groups. No endless meetings. Just, "Go!" was the only directive.

 

AA: What marketing strategies did you use for Nickelodeon? Were there certain selling points that you used to promote it to cable operators?

JI: The first 24 hour Children's Programming Channel. 24 hours a day was big back then. Many channels aired only a portion of the day, and had to share their satellite transponders with other programmers. Dr. Vivian Horner was a big selling point. Yes, we had cartoons, old westerns, and mindless kiddie fare, but we had a real doctor behind ours. She had been with "The Electric Company" and "The Children's Television Workshop". We hawked non-violent, non-commercial programming. The programming also covered all the age groups from preschool to teen. And the good doctor put her stamp of approval on it. It couldn't loose.

 

AA: How long was your logo in use at Nick? Were there various versions of it?

JI: Only about a year or two. It was redesigned by Lou Dorfsman, the great CBS art director. He first used a halftone piece of art rather than "forced" line art of the man in the bowler hat that I originally commandeered from stock art. Later on Dorfsman removed the man in the bowler hat altogether, and stylized the font a little more. His 2 versions lasted only a couple of years. I was not associated with the channel at this point.

After Warner sold half of Warner Satellite Entertainment for $200 million dollars to American Express around 1980, and formed Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, former execs from CBS starting showing up at meetings. John Lack, a former CBSer, took over Cavazzini 's roll.  Lack was the most disagreeable person I've ever met. Needless to say, shortly after the merger the party was over. MTV was coming in, and we were on our way out. We were fired.

 

AA: What was the full extent of your role in developing Nickelodeon?

JI: Well, I named the channel, designed its first trademark, wrote, and art directed all the advertising and promotion, contributed programming suggestions. I really pushed to get Mr. Wizard back on the air, which eventually happened.

 

AA: Do you have any other facts/stories about Nickelodeon that you think are important? Were there any other individuals/companies that were instrumental in developing the original identity of the network?

JI: The network evolved itself. It wasn't the brainchild of an individual. It was always a matter of utilizing the intellectual property already in the can. Nickel Flicks was nothing more than old Warner "B" movies. No production cost, just add in program hinges and interstitial material. Voila! A kiddie channel segment!

There is one story I'll relate.

Right before we were fired as the ad agency, we developed a TV pilot called Rhombus exclusively for Nickelodeon. Rhombus was the smartest man in the universe. Rhombus was played by a maître d (Ed Collins) from the NYC high class restaurant, Sign of The Dove.  Rhombus asked two teams of kids from different schools (3 on a team) questions to determine the smartest kids (and schools) in the universe. The show is still in the can. The pilot was shot in an empty movie theater in Hancock, NY in 1980. We should have asked Rhombus if the pilot was going to be successful.

 

AA: How do you think the network has changed over the years? Has it changed for the better or worse, in your opinion?

JI: This is embarrassing. I never watched it. In the beginning it didn't air in New York City so I have a good excuse.

 

AA: Thank you for generously participating in this interview.
JI: You're very welcome. It's gratifying to see something you helped create so long ago still has some relevance today.