4Kids Entertainment
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| 4Kids | |
 |
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| Type | Public (NYSE: KDE) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1970 (as Leisure Concepts, Inc.) |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Key people | Alfred R. Kahn Norman J. Grossfeld Thomas J. Kenney Bruce Raymond Foster Samuel R. Newborn Brian G. Lacey Lee Ravdin |
| Industry | TV production, licensing |
| Products | 4Sight Licensing Solutions, Inc 4Kids TV/FoxBox 4Kids Productions |
| Revenue |  $7.9 million USD (2006) |
| Employees | 325 (has droped by 50%) (2007) |
| Website | www.4kidsentertainment.com |
4Kids Entertainment (NYSE: KDE) (commonly known as 4Kids) is an American film and television production company specializing in the acquisition, production and licensing of children's entertainment around the world. The company is most well-known for its range of television licenses, which includes the multi-billion dollar Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! media franchises.
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[edit] 4Kids licenses and productions
4Kids Entertainment licenses, develops, and distributes a wide variety of media products, ranging from video games and television programs to toy lines featuring the British Royal Air Force.
[edit] Current TV productions
4Kids Entertainment has production and/or distribution rights for the following current TV programming:
- Bratz (Distribution Only)
- Chaotic
- Kappa Mikey
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fast Forward
- Winx Club
- Viva Piñata
- Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
[edit] On-hiatus TV productions
The following TV programs are on hiatus, and their futures are unknown.
- G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 (Distribution & Dubbing Only)
- Magical DoReMi
- Mew Mew Power (Canceled; 2nd season in hiatus)
- One Piece
- Pretty Cure (working title)
[edit] Former TV productions
The following TV programs have ended or expired (some are temporarily expired or ended) but were handled by 4Kids Entertainment along their run:
- Alien Racers
- Back to the Future: The Animated Series
- Cubix: Robots for Everyone
- Fighting Foodons
- Funky Cops
- F-Zero GP Legend
- Incredible Crash Dummies
- Kirby: Right Back At Ya!
- Pirate Islands
- Pokémon (Produced by 4Kids Entertainment 1998–2005; now handled directly by Pokémon USA)
- Pokémon Chronicles
- Shaman King
- Stargate Infinity
- The Cramp Twins
- Sonic X
- Tama and Friends
- Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy
- Ultraman Tiga
- WMAC Masters
- Yu-Gi-Oh!
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters
[edit] Other properties handled by 4Kids Entertainment
- The American Kennel Club
- Cabbage Patch Kids
- The Cat Fanciers' Association
- The Dog
- Jim Henson Designs
- Clear Channel Communications "Monster Jam"
- The British Royal Air Force
[edit] 4Kids TV
4Kids Entertainment introduced 4Kids TV, then called the FoxBox on September 14, 2002 after Fox Kids was dissolved following the purchase of Fox Family Worldwide by Disney. The block was re-branded 4Kids TV in January 2005. 4Kids Entertainment is wholly responsible for the content of the block and collects all advertising revenues from it - making it one of the main outlets in the United States for 4Kids licenses and properties.
Many of the licenses distributed by 4Kids Entertainment, and presented on 4Kids TV are managed by 4Kids Productions, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of 4Kids Entertainment. First launched in 1992, 4Kids Productions deals primarily with television, film, home video, and music licenses, and currently manages the programming for 4KidsTV.
[edit] Other notable business proceedings
[edit] 4Sight Licensing Solutions Inc.
In April 19, 2006, 4Kids had announced a new subsidiary entitled 4Sight Licensing Solutions Inc.[1] According to 4Kids, 4Sight will license and market brands aimed at adults, teenagers and pre-teens. None of 4Kids's current anime properties will be moved to 4Sight.
[edit] 4Kids and Microsoft
On January 17, 2006, 4Kids and Microsoft signed a deal to license children's video games exclusively for the Xbox 360 gaming system, in an effort to put more child-oriented games on the system, whose gaming library is currently dominated by games targeted toward the 13-and-up market.[2] One of the first titles announced was Viva Piñata which would be developed by Rare Ltd.
[edit] Criticism and controversy
- Further information: Editing of anime in American distribution
The management of 4Kids Entertainment has stated that they seek to "westernize anime so that children in English-speaking countries will understand it...",[3] judging that such localization is necessary in order to for their titles to be marketable. As CEO Alfred Kahn stated, in a 2005 interview:
The only money that can be made that helps pay for the acquisition is obviously whether or not we're able to outfit it for the masses. And fitting it for the masses requires editing. And if we didn't do that, it'd be very difficult for us to afford to bring it in, just to release it to the anime fan who would be looking for the uncut version.[3]
For most titles, editing includes:
- Changing dialog, sound effects, music, and exchanging clips of episodes in order to satisfy localized plot outlines.
- Skipping, or removing, entire episodes from a license's release.
- Removing items, images, or incidents that may be deemed too violent or sexually inappropriate for children.
- Changing materially suggestive objects to less harmful objects (Cigarettes to lollipops, alcohol to juice, guns to squirt guns, etc.).
- Removal of overt religious symbols such as crucifixes, or Christmas Trees.
- Alterations to visible text (such as the translation of Japanese kanji into English, or the complete removal of text that was originally in English).
- Changing Japanese food to Western food (such as changing onigiri (riceballs) to sandwiches).
- Removing stereotypes or material that would be judged offensive, or inappropriate to a contemporary American audience.
For instance, in Yu-Gi-Oh!, the issue of death is sidestepped - in the localized version, instead of being killed outright the characters are sent to the "shadow realm". Other notable examples include removing many instances of violence from One Piece, and the elimination of several episodes from Pokémon.
This editing has resulted in a backlash from within the existing fanbase of many of these titles, some of whom believe that such manipulation distorts the original license to a point where it is no longer artistically true to the creator's vision[citation needed]. 4Kids scriptwriters have appeared at times to be disinterested in understanding the original material, and non-committal in preserving it faithfully. As 4Kids scriptwriter Michael Haigney admitted in an interview "I’ve never played the game, seen the series or read the comics" when asked about his experience with the Sonic the Hedgehog anime Sonic X.[4] Critics argue that this level of insensitivity to the source material has altered some of these titles to the point where they have lost the qualities that originally made them appealing in Japan. Haigney has responded on behalf of 4Kids by stating:
I know some hardcore anime fans hate the fact that 4Kids doesn't simply air the original Japanese series with "literal" subtitles. I understand their feelings. I'd just ask them to remember that 4Kids has probably brought more anime to more viewers than any company in the world. It may not always be in the way some fans would like, but I think 4Kids has contributed greatly to the interest and availability of anime worldwide. Maybe that counts for something in their eyes.[4]
4Kids Entertainment has remained in dialog with their critics, and in 2004 they began testing the market for unedited versions of their properties by releasing uncut, bilingual DVDs of Yu-Gi-Oh! and Shaman King. Due to an alleged contract disagreement with the distributor, Funimation[citation needed], as of April 2005 future volumes of these titles have been delayed indefinitely. Alfred Kahn also stated in an interview with Anime News Network that 4Kids is planning on extending uncut DVD releases to include all anime titles in their lineup at some point in the future; there is no further indication that this is still a priority.[3]
On the whole, the statements and actions made by the company have prompted mixed reactions among anime fans, and the matter remains an ongoing issue. Emotions often run high on all sides, often going so far as alleging that the company's practices displays xenophobic and/or jingoistic tendencies. 4Kids Entertainment remains largely unmoved by these claims, stating "...if [anime fans] want this programming to come to the United States then they're going to have to accept the fact that it's going to be available in two styles."[3].
Despite these heavy edits against violence and other inappropriate content, 4Kids dubs still tend to be criticized by moral conservative groups. For example, a March 2006 study [1] by the Parents Television Council on violence in children's television programs pointed out the 4Kids dub of Shaman King. The March 3, 2006 edition of founder L. Brent Bozell's weekly column on the PTC site, titled "Poisoning Children, Too?" also pointed out Shaman King as an example of children's media with excess violence that is uncalled for.
[edit] "Kids don't read"
Alfred Kahn also incited controversy during a manga panel at the 2006 New York Comic-Con when he bluntly stated "Kids today don't read, they read less today." This incited a negative reaction from many of those present in the room, mainly librarians and other representatives of the book world. Kahn elaborated on his comment by saying that, "In every survey, we find that they're watching more television, they're on the Internet more, and that content, although being king, is very disposable. Because the way content gets put out now, it gets put out free. "[5] Viz Media's Liza Coppola responded to Kahn's words by bringing up Viz's partnership with the Read for America literacy campaign, stating "Manga is a great medium to bring kids back to reading." Publishers Weekly went on to note in their online article that "(Kahn) noted that many people in the U.S. walk around with MP3 players or other electronic devices, whereas in Japan, everyone on the subway seems to have a '3,000-page manga'."[6]
[edit] Leadership Team
- Alfred R. Kahn Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment, Inc.
- Norman J. Grossfield has been President of 4Kids Productions, Inc., 4Kids’ television, film and home video production subsidiary, since February 1994. For two years prior to such time, he was President of Gold Coast Television Entertainment, a television production company. Prior to such time, Mr. Grossfeld served as Coordinating Director for NBC Sports from 1991 through 1992, and as Producer/Director for Television Programming Enterprises from 1988 to 1991.
- Thomas J. Kenney is 4Kids's Vice President.
- Bruce Raymond Foster has been Chief Financial Officer since December 1, 2005. From August 2002 to December 2005, Mr. Foster was 4Kids’ Senior Vice President of Finance. For more than four years prior to such time, Mr. Foster was with Deloitte & Touche LLP, most recently as an Audit Director.
- Samuel R. Newborn has been the General Counsel since January 2000. Prior to joining 4Kids, Mr. Newborn was a partner in the law firm of Janklow, Newborn & Ashley for more than five years.
- Brian G. Lacey has been Executive Vice President of International for 4Kids since July 2003. Prior to joining 4Kids, Lacey was the President and founder of Lacey Entertainment, a New York-based worldwide television marketing, production, and distribution company, specializing in innovative and creative approaches in the packaging, production and launching of television series in the U.S. and around the world.
- Lee Ravdin was named President of The Summit Media Group on February 13, 2006. He has over 30 years of experience as a planner and buyer of kids’ media. Previously, he was President of Lake End Consulting, a full service media company specializing in the design and execution of media campaigns. He started his own media buying agency, Lee Media, in 1981 and sold it to Toy Biz/Tangible Industries in 1988. He continued to run Lee Media until 1999, when he started Lake End.
[edit] Other countries
- United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland - Several 4Kids TV-distributed cartoons (notably the Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon franchises) are currently carried by leading subscription entertainment channel Sky One, generally in early morning slots. (Note that Sky is a corporate relative of Fox, via parent company News Corporation.) Other channels which show or have shown 4Kids properties include CITV, Jetix, Nickelodeon UK and Toonami in the United Kingdom, and RTÉ 2 in the Republic of Ireland.
[edit] References
- ^ 4Kids Launches 4Sight Licensing Solutins Anime News Network. Accessed April 18, 2006.
- ^ Microsoft and 4Kids Entertainment Form Alliance 4Kids Entertainment.com. Accessed 17 January 2006.
- ^ a b c d Alfred R. Kahn Anime News Network. Accessed 24 April 2005.
- ^ a b Mr. Michael Haigney Interview (4Kids) animeboredom.co.uk. Accessed February 24, 2006.
- ^ 'Manga Is a Problem' And Other Highlights from the ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference icv2.com March 05, 2006 accessed September 1, 2006
- ^ Manga: Essential or Disposable? publishersweekly.com Accessed 24 February 2006
[edit] External links
[edit] Specific edits made by 4Kids
There are a number of websites that show comparisons between the original Japanese version of a show acquired by 4Kids and its edited, North American version. By series:
