CN Hires A New VP/Programming and Acquisitions Person...

[Mugen]

Rico Hill joins Cartoon Network US as VP/Programming and Acquisitions. Hill will oversee programming for both Cartoon Network and Boomerang, including scheduling, on-air events planning and program acquisitions. Hill will be based in Atlanta and report directly to Bob Higgins, SVP/Programming and Development. Hill spent the last decade with Nickelodeon where most recently he served as Executive Director/Production and Development, Nickelodeon Animation.


Source: http://www.cynopsis.com/content/view/2490/53/

I believe he takes over Marc Buhaj's old job. Hopefully, he'll make good decisions in scheduling and acquisitons and help both CN and Boomerang.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

His connection to Nickelodeon doesn't exactly inspire a whole lot of confidence.

Well, hopefully the concerns are misplaced and he'll do a good job for CN and Boomerang.

[launchpad25]

Here's hoping that he'll Turn Cartoon Network around for the better.

[Marinite]

His connection to Nickelodeon doesn't exactly inspire a whole lot of confidence. Why? Nickelodeon has been better than CN for the last decade or so. He's probably the one who will know how to boost ratings for CN with his experience at Nickelodeon.

[macattack]

Confirm this with a better source that doesn't screw up my Javascript, please.

If true this will either propel CN into the stratosphere or sink it for good. This guy knows how to build a winning network, looks at what he's done at Nick. But there's also the risk that he'll continue the strategy of out-Nicking Nick that CN has been trying to do with mixed (at best) results.

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Within six months, his influence will begin to fill the programming of the station (remember that he has to work through the deals of his predecessor first) and we'll know whether the station's improved or has worsened.

[RoseBusch]

Yes! Probadly he would get some new shows or work with Film Roman or Nelvana Limited.

[Dr.Pepper]

Hopefully this would be an improvement for CN

[jarjar23]

Confirm this with a better source that doesn't screw up my Javascript, please.

If true this will either propel CN into the stratosphere or sink it for good. This guy knows how to build a winning network, looks at what he's done at Nick. But there's also the risk that he'll continue the strategy of out-Nicking Nick that CN has been trying to do with mixed (at best) results.

I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Within six months, his influence will begin to fill the programming of the station (remember that he has to work through the deals of his predecessor first) and we'll know whether the station's improved or has worsened.

he didn't "build" Nickelodeon. He was only about of the animation department. So he's new to the job of overseeing overall programming and on-air stuff.

Hopefully CN will continue to keep up with on-air events/ blocks/ advertizements/ etc...Nickelodeon is HORRIBLE about that. They pretty much rerun the same ad over and over again throughout the week. Nick is not fun anymore...there is so much they can do with their blocks and on-air crap, but they are extremly lazy.

[Martianinvader]

I would be REALLY worried if they filled that spot with a guy that used to work for Disney Channel. With Nick it could go fifty-fifty either way.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Why? Nickelodeon has been better than CN for the last decade or so. He's probably the one who will know how to boost ratings for CN with his experience at Nickelodeon.

What are you having, and where can I get some?

Nick has been near unwatchable for the last decade or so. If CN starts to become like Nick, they'll pretty much be dead to me.

[Sage Shinigami]

What are you having, and where can I get some?

Nick has been near unwatchable for the last decade or so. If CN starts to become like Nick, they'll pretty much be dead to me.

Ratings wise Nick beats out CN.

Why? Nickelodeon has been better than CN for the last decade or so. He's probably the one who will know how to boost ratings for CN with his experience at Nickelodeon.

Again, on ratings Nick beats CN but for a long time CN > Nick in quality (they've been even for a number of years now though). And in my eyes, if this guy can't stop all the needless repeats (CN's animation library is MUCH too large for them), whether he raises the ratings or not he's useless.

[livingfruitvirus]

Why? Nickelodeon has been better than CN for the last decade or so. He's probably the one who will know how to boost ratings for CN with his experience at Nickelodeon.

See, that's exactly the problem CN is having. They seem to think they'll win by imitating Nick and hiring their staff. They used to be the big newcomer that didn't play by the rules and developed their own identity.

[Marinite]

Nick has been near unwatchable for the last decade or so. If CN starts to become like Nick, they'll pretty much be dead to me. And Nickelodoen soundly trumpts CN in the ratings week after week. Liking the shows is moot, since people will have different opinions.

And in my eyes, if this guy can't stop all the needless repeats (CN's animation library is MUCH too large for them), whether he raises the ratings or not he's useless. People really should stop letting their feelings get in the way of business. Him raising the ratings is the sole reason CN is hiring him.

Whatever "identity" people think CN has, had, or should have, doesn't mean much if they go out of business, after all.

[HG Revolution]

And Nickelodoen soundly trumpts CN in the ratings week after week. Liking the shows is moot, since people will have different opinions.

Nickelodeon also has better promotion and is in more homes. The only way you can fairly say that people like Nick better than CN or vice versa would be if their shows got the same ratings for the premiere episode but one show dropped in the ratings after that and the other didn't.

CN hasn't done anything very creative for few years, but do you honestly think Nickelodeon has been better for the whole past decade? When CN showed a mix of classic shorts, the early Cartoon Cartoons, Space Ghost: Coast 2 Coast, and a bit of action anime, they were pretty hard to beat in my eyes.

[Sage Shinigami]

And Nickelodoen soundly trumpts CN in the ratings week after week. Liking the shows is moot, since people will have different opinions.

People really should stop letting their feelings get in the way of business. Him raising the ratings is the sole reason CN is hiring him.

Whatever "identity" people think CN has, had, or should have, doesn't mean much if they go out of business, after all.


A.) People mention the identity because CN wants to be Nick, but clearly this has not raised their ratings, so maybe it should try to be its own being instead of just being a mimic.

B.) I know that. I didn't hire him. I say again. Whether he raises ratings or not over there, if he can't stop the unnecessary repeats, he will be useless in my eyes. The only people letting their feelings get in the way of business are the fans. And we're supposed to.

[William C. Maune]

Of note: It looks like his most recent gig involved just Nick animation, as opposed to Nick programming in general.

[Pomegranate]

John Lasseter would've been better, but I hope Rico Hill will make CN more watchable in the near future, otherwise CN is going to be seriously dead to me forever!

[Mugen]

John Lasseter would've been better, but I hope Rico Hill will make CN more watchable in the near future, otherwise CN is going to be seriously dead to me forever!

The only problem with John Lasseter is that, well, he works for Disney.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Of note: It looks like his most recent gig involved just Nick animation, as opposed to Nick programming in general.

Yeah, but Nick's animation has been pretty horrible ever since Spongebob premiered in the late 90s. Like I said, doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

[Super Leviathan]

Nicks Batting Average over the Last Decade (as far as cartoons go) was actually Pretty good: Kablam, Angry Beavers, Spongebob, ZIM, MLaaTR, Danny Phantom, and to a lesser extent Catscratch and The X's which are unspectacular but not "bad"

[Wanted]

See, that's exactly the problem CN is having. They seem to think they'll win by imitating Nick and hiring their staff. They used to be the big newcomer that didn't play by the rules and developed their own identity.That's kind of strange that you say that... didn't Betty Cohen and Linda Simensky work at (for) Nick at one time or another before coming to Cartoon Network? And, weren't they the cornerstones of both networks?

But, that's beside the point... what we need is more creative women to fill some of these positions (and, as much as that needs to happen, it doesn't seem too likely).

[RoseBusch]

Defientley. Linda worked for Nick since Nicktoons came up in 1991, then left in 1995 with Nicktoons starter Vanessa Coffey.

[.bg]

Didn't Betty Cohen get moved from TNT to Cartoon Network? She's at Lifetime now, though.

[DarthGonzo]

Yeah, but Nick's animation has been pretty horrible ever since Spongebob premiered in the late 90s.

Considering Spongebob is an absolute ratings powerhouse 8 years after it first premiered it must be doing something right.

[Mugen]

Didn't Betty Cohen get moved from TNT to Cartoon Network? She's at Lifetime now, though.

Well, she was at Lifetime. She left right before their Upfronts.

[livingfruitvirus]

That's kind of strange that you say that... didn't Betty Cohen and Linda Simensky work at (for) Nick at one time or another before coming to Cartoon Network? And, weren't they the cornerstones of both networks?

But, that's beside the point... what we need is more creative women to fill some of these positions (and, as much as that needs to happen, it doesn't seem too likely).

Linda was, but nowadays it feels like CN is trying to be more like Nick, so it's not surprising to see their former staff being hired.

[Karl Olson]

Well, CN's always capitalized on Ex-Nick talent (I'm shocked they didn't try to snag Scannell for the GM position,) but I think problem is, Nick realized that CN had it right back in the late 90s/early 00s when CN really let the animation staff do things the way they wanted too. Nick picked up on that and has given their own animators and their animation partners (IE: Frederator) the kind of freedom and general work environment that CN used to have. As Nick went away from being a script-driven network, CN moved towards it (and CN forced anyone working with them to move towards it as well,) and while CN has allowed the creators of series a lot of creative leeway, they've also reduced the amount of the say the the animators doing the grunt work have - rather than getting to add their own creative flares, they have to stick to the script and character sheets all the time. Meanwhile, Nick has the Random Cartoons project that if nothing has produced some brilliant one shot shorts.

Case in Point: Adventure Time (http://www.buenothebear.com/animation/adventuretime.html) is something the CN of 1997 would have made. Instead it's made by the Nick of 2006-7.

Basically, as CN has tried to become Nick, Nick's tried to become more like CN, at least in terms of how animation is developed and made. Add to that Nick's aggressive marketing sense (the second a show is a hit, there is all sorts of merch for it everywhere,) and of course they're going to flatten CN.

[Jeff Harris]

The only problem with John Lasseter is that, well, he works for Disney.And he would have to concede a lot of power if he became an exec at Cartoon Network. He runs Disney Animation, Disney Imagineering, and Disney PIXAR, three of the most powerful creative units on the planet.

Yeah, but Nick's animation has been pretty horrible ever since Spongebob premiered in the late 90s. Like I said, doesn't exactly inspire confidence.A lot of what Nick has to offer animation-wise is top-notch. Plus, Nicktoons Network seems to have become a truly diverse outlet to be a part of last time I checked.

Well, (Betty Cohen) was at Lifetime. She left right before their Upfronts.Actually, she left AT the Upfronts. That's ballsy.

Linda was, but nowadays it feels like CN is trying to be more like Nick, so it's not surprising to see their former staff being hired.Betty was at Nick as well. She and Linda were part of a team that included the likes of Gerry Laybourne, Fred Seibert, and Herb Scannell that transformed Nickelodeon from "The Young People's Channel" to "The First Kids Network."

I find it funny that everybody that was a part of that team, as well as Dea Connick Perez who also played a vital part of Cartoon Network's initial image, all ended up in network management. Cohen was at Lifetime. Laybourne's at Oxygen. Simensky's at PBS Kids. Connick Perez is at Discovery Kids. Scannell and Seibert are currently developing Next New Networks.

[RoseBusch]

Hey, you know what's funny?


Nick/Viacom was the one for launching Joe Murray, Everret Peck, Linda S., Betty Cohen, Fred Seibert, Vannesa Coffey's , and many other careers.


CN was responsible for Rob Alavarez, Butch Hartman, Michael Ryan, and many other careers.

They all switched places to both CN and Nick (well, most of them).

[BCVM22]

That's hilarious.

Or it's just the nature inherent to most creative businesses, i.e. go where the work is.

One or the other.

[.bg]

Hey, you know what's funny?
Yes, I do, and it's not that post.

[Mugen]

Well, CN's always capitalized on Ex-Nick talent (I'm shocked they didn't try to snag Scannell for the GM position,) but I think problem is, Nick realized that CN had it right back in the late 90s/early 00s when CN really let the animation staff do things the way they wanted too. Nick picked up on that and has given their own animators and their animation partners (IE: Frederator) the kind of freedom and general work environment that CN used to have. As Nick went away from being a script-driven network, CN moved towards it (and CN forced anyone working with them to move towards it as well,) and while CN has allowed the creators of series a lot of creative leeway, they've also reduced the amount of the say the the animators doing the grunt work have - rather than getting to add their own creative flares, they have to stick to the script and character sheets all the time.


Well, it seems CN slowly is going back to storyboard-first, since Flapjack is suppose to be like that(according to an interview with the creator).

[Karl Olson]

Well, it seems CN slowly is going back to storyboard-first, since Flapjack is suppose to be like that(according to an interview with the creator).

Well, maybe the fact that EEnE reruns usually beat new episodes of all of Cartoon Network script-first series had something to do with that. That or Greenblatt was in a position to say "let me make my show my way, or I'll take it to to Frederator."

But yeah, board first works best, especially when you're making something that's not the Simpsons or Family Guy or Futurama (IE: an animated prime-time sitcom,) so I'm glad to see CN eating crow on their previous decisions and letting the creators truely do what they want.

[Dorks UNITE!!23]

This means that Cartoon Network will be just fine after all.