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World `Wiggles' on. (Television/International). Author/s: Magz Osborne Issue: March 3, 2003 SINGAPORE Preschool pop is big business, and the Mouse House is expanding "Playhouse Disney" to include more of the Australian singers on the Disney Channel in Asia. Wiggles interstitials, filmed at Disneyland, will now form the backbone of "PlayHouse Disney" on the Disney Channel Asia skeds. While Disney Channel programming is split into three zones, preschool, kids and family, preschool strand Playhouse Disney now runs from 7 a.m. through 3 p.m. on weekdays. There has also been talk of separate Playhouse Disney Channels in Asia, but such plans are "still at the exploratory stage with various opportunities being evaluated," says Disney. The move comes alongside a Wiggles tour, which is being run by Disney. Localized versions of the group will perform in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, China and Thailand. The first non-Aussie Wiggles will launch in Taiwan in March 2003. The Wiggles' general manager for business affairs Mike Conway says the relationship with Disney is significant. "It's been a concept that we've been working on for a while," Conway says. "But we knew we couldn't do it on our own. The obvious partner was Disney--it is the perfect fit." |