Anybody remember 4Kids Entertainment? The guys originally responsible for dubbing Pokemon and later for taking over the Saturday morning timeslots of both Fox Kids and Kids WB? Remember how they made Fox Box, then 4Kids TV, then The CW4Kids, and now Toonzai? Well, we can finally say goodbye to 4Kids and their programming blocks because they have gone BANKRUPT!
Now, for those who still remotely care about these people, you might be wondering what's going to happen to the timeslot that Toonzai occupied on The CW. Well, it's being taken over by another company. A company whom many of us 90's children ought to be familiar with: SABAN! Saban Capital Group, that is (Saban Entertainment went under years ago). And in place of 4Kids' league of programming comes a new programming block that mixes things up a bit, calling back to the days of not only Fox Kids but Kids WB and even some lingering Toonzai shows:
Vortexx.
For the whole story, see the following ANN news stories below:
Konami to Get 4Kids' Yu-Gi-Oh! Assets Under Proposed DealOn Friday, North American anime distributor 4Kids filed a notice in its bankruptcy case that outlines who will take over its contracts and obligations. Under a proposed agreement, Kidsco Media Ventures LLC (an affiliate of Saban Capital) and 4K Acquisition Corp. (an indirect subsidiary of Japan's Konami Corporation) would divide the assets and obligations of 4Kids.
The proposed agreement has not been finalized, since Judge Shelley C. Chapman still has to approve the proposed agreement after a June 20 hearing.
If approved, the "Proposed Transaction" would assign several 4Kids contracts to Saban's Kidsco Media Ventures, including the following:
•The CW Network's Saturday Morning programming block (currently known as Toonzai) agreement terms
•Four Cubix agreements with Daiwon C & A Holdings, Cinepix, East Japan Marketing & Communications, CSC Media Group
•Dragon Ball agreement terms with Toei Animation and Funimation Productions
•Sonic X agreement with TMS Entertainment
If approved, the proposed transaction would also assign the following contracts and others to Konami's 4K Acquisition Corp.:
•Yu-Gi-Oh! distribution agreement with Warner Bros.
•2003 Yu-Gi-Oh! movie deal memo with TV Tokyo, Nhon Ad Systems, Shueisha
•Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time movie deal memo with TV Tokyo, Nhon Ad Systems
•TV Tokyo's agreement for Yu-Gi-Oh! seasons 1-3
•Nihon Ad Systems's agreement for Yu-Gi-Oh!
•Yu-Gi-Oh! music and soundtrack agreements with Cherry Lane, SKG Music, RCA Music Group
•Yu-Gi-Oh! merchandise license agreements with 2Feet, A&A Global Industries, Bentex Group/Extreme Concepts, Boss Creations International, Coveroo, Konami, and others
•Yu-Gi-Oh! foreign broadcast licenses to Ares Films, Digital Platform Iletisim Hizmetleri, KM Productions, Magus Entertainment, Nickelodeon UK, SIC TV, Televix Entertainment, Turner, United Channels of Israel, YTV, and others
•The lease on 4Kids Entertainment's 23rd/24th Street offices in New York City
The formal bankruptcy auction for "substantially all of [4Kids'] assets" began on June 5 between Konami's 4K Acquisition Corp. and Saban's Kidsco Media Ventures LLC. However, after a series of bids, the auction was adjourned to allow the two parties to consider an agreement that would split 4Kids' assets between them.
Konami is the Japanese licensor and distributor of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, while Saban once produced the Fox Kids programming block. (4Kids also once produced Fox's Saturday morning programming until 2008.)
4Kids Sells Yu-Gi-Oh!, CW Network-Related Assets Jointly to Konami, KidscoThe United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York filed a document on Tuesday after a 10:00 a.m. EDT hearing granting the sale of 4Kids' Yu-Gi-Oh! and CW Network-related assets to a joint bid by Saban's Kidsco Media Ventures LLC and Konami's 4K Acquisition Corp.
During a June 5 auction for the assets, 4Kids considered the joint bid "after a number of rounds of competitive bidding" by Kidsco and 4K, and the three companies agreed to the joint bid on Sunday.
The executed Asset Purchase Agreement document filed on June 24 outlining the joint bid notes that the purchase price for the assets is "Fifteen Million One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($15,000,000)." A final document clarifying whether the purchase price is US$15 million or US$15.1 million has not yet been filed, although the document filed on June 24 mentions US$15 million in another section.
4Kids had filed a notice on June 15 proposing that KidsCo and Konami would divide the assets and obligations of 4Kids.
According to the executed Asset Purchase Agreement, Konami will receive the rights to the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime franchise, which includes — aside from all production materials — internet domain names, website assets, print publications published by 4Kids, and music and sound recording rights. The company will also receive machinery and recording/editing equipment as well as office equipment, furniture, and computers located at 4Kids' 23rd Street offices in New York.
Kidsco will receive rights to the Dragon Ball Z agreement terms with Toei Animation and Funimation Productions that includes Dragon Ball Z Kai; the Cubix agreements with Daiwon C & A Holdings, Cinepix, and East Japan Marketing & Communications; the Sonic X agreement with TMS Entertainment; and The CW Network's Saturday Morning programming block agreement terms.
Konami is the Japanese licensor and distributor of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, while Saban once produced the Fox Kids programming block. (4Kids also once produced Fox's Saturday morning programming until 2008.)
Saban Returns to Saturday Mornings With Vortexx TV BlockSaban Brands announced the upcoming launch of Vortexx, its Saturday morning television block, at Comic-Con International Thursday. Starting August 25, the block will replace 4Kids' Toonzai block and run from 7:00 a.m. to noon on CW-affiliated stations. Saban Brands also confirmed that the block will be available online and on mobile devices as well.
Saban Brand president Elie Dekel stated, "Vortexx will have the shows that our audience knows and loves, with a mix that is very different from anything else — a programming lineup that features electrifying moments of action and humor, and stories that feature characters that are larger than life, but also very relatable."
The line-up includes Saban staple Power Rangers (currently in its 20th season) and Yu-Gi-Oh! Saban acquired the programming block rights after 4Kids' assets were split between Saban's Kidsco Media Ventures LLC and Konami's 4K Acquisition Corp in bankruptcy court last month. Saban also assumed the Dragon Ball Z agreement terms with Toei Animation and Funimation Productions that includes Dragon Ball Z Kai; the Cubix agreements with Daiwon C & A Holdings, Cinepix, and East Japan Marketing & Communications; and the Sonic X agreement with TMS Entertainment.
Dragon Ball Z Kai, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and Sonic X all previously aired on the Toonzai block.
4Kids' former online streaming site Toonzaki will be run by Konami according to the site's official Facebook page.
Saban Debuts Vortexx TV with Yu-Gi-Oh, DBZ Kai, RangersSaban Brands announced its August 25 launch line-up for Vortexx, its Saturday morning television block on Friday.
7:00 a.m. CubixIn
7:30 a.m. Rescue Heroes
8:00 a.m. Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy
8:30 a.m. Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
9:00 a.m. Iron Man: Armored Adventures
9:30 a.m. Justice League Unlimited
10:00 a.m. WWE Saturday Morning Slam
10:30 a.m. Dragon Ball Z Kai
11:00 a.m. Yu-Gi-Oh! Classic
11:30 a.m. Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Saban acquired 4Kids' Toonzai programming block rights after 4Kids' assets were split between Saban's Kidsco Media Ventures LLC and Konami's 4K Acquisition Corp in bankruptcy court in June. Saban also assumed the Dragon Ball Z agreement terms with Toei Animation and Funimation Productions that includes Dragon Ball Z Kai; the Cubix agreements with Daiwon C & A Holdings, Cinepix, and East Japan Marketing & Communications; and the Sonic X agreement with TMS Entertainment.
At first I was skeptical, but that line up of shows has me hooked for at least two or three of them!
