Come September, Chum Television launches into the children’s business as Toronto-area kids’ back-to-school blues are somewhat alleviated by Big Bad Beetleborgs antics on a new after-school block on Barrie-based ‘The New VR.’

‘We’re committed to building a long-term franchise in the kids’ business,’ says Chum vp programming Jay Switzer. ‘We’re going to grow slowly. It’s something that fits in with what vr can do and should do.’ Beginning with an hour on weekdays, kids’ programming will replace talk in the 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. slot, bookended with four hours on weekends, Saturday afternoon and Sunday mornings.

Switzer says the kids’ business in the market was split between Fox border station wutv, cfto and ytv, but when cfto went with Oprah Winfrey over its Disney block, Baton left a gap in the Toronto market which vr hopes to fill.

In terms of potential gain anticipated, ‘we’re building a new station with The New VR, so there’s only upside here,’ says Switzer. ‘It’s an underserved area, and the Fox border station is getting more than its fair share. We’re looking at all the kids who watch programming on Fox, and figure there’s a great repatriation opportunity here, both for viewers and for dollars.’

Since this is Chum’s first year at the helm of the former ckvr, comparison is difficult, says Switzer, however, ‘the early response from the industry has been extremely enthusiastic,’ he adds.

The advertising base is national, ‘there’s not a lot of local dollars available for kids’ programming,’ says vr program manager Peggy Hebden, who adds: ‘We’ve heard that there is a market for more stations to be carrying kids’ programming, actually they’ve been trying to get us into the kids’ market for a few years. It’s a really tough market to break into, the kids are so loyal to the stations they’re used to watching.’

Like kids’ show p.j. packaging whizzes tvontario and ytv (ytv took international gold at Promax for best on-air promotion and marketing campaign), the new vr will eventually have program jockeys.

‘The look for fall is a `being there, doing it’ theme,’ says Hebden, ‘so our kids’ programming will be tied around with kids’ activities from vrland.’ The target age niche is eight to 15.

Dale Taylor, vp programming and production at ytv, says, ‘Good luck to them, they recognized an opportunity. It’s a finite world,’ says Taylor, ‘so everyone will have to become better in program flow and presentation and all the rest of the aspects of the business.’

As to share impact, Taylor responds: ‘We battle it out with everybody else, including homework, volunteerism, video games and the Internet. After school is probably one of the most highly trafficked and tracked marketplaces. We’re delighted with our performance to date, but know that we’ll have to work harder to maintain, much less grow, the audience,’ says Taylor, adding tvo, cbc and Global ‘a bit’ to the list of competition Switzer mentioned.

In the 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. slot, ytv’s national average share is about 25% of all viewers 2-11 (Fall ’95 Nielsen). Proprietary studies on the Toronto market show a higher capture, around 40%.

Taylor, who describes trying to get teens as akin to holding on to mercury, says ytv’s best audience performance is in the seven to 11 bracket.

In terms of the u.s. simulcast approach impact, ‘competition can be good,’ says Taylor, ‘if there’s a commitment, in an intellectual and a fiscal sense, to reinvest in the commissioning of Canadian coproductions.’ (ytv has triggered over $308 million worth of production activity in Canada since 1988.)

On the vrland kids’ grid so far, a Fox simulcast strip has been locked for the weekday 4:30 p.m. slot, the aforementioned live-action/animation Beetleborgs.

Also new to the sked are VR Troopers (weekdays at 4 p.m.), Wonderful Wizard of Oz (weekdays at 2:30 p.m. and on Saturdays), Action Man and Skysurfer (Saturday 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.), as well as Dragon Flyz and Skydancers, which will be simulcast with Fox on Sunday mornings in the 8-9 a.m. slot.

Further expansion of the animation-heavy kids’ lineup will include local programming, but not at launch.

‘The whole daytime is being rejigged,’ says Switzer. In addition to moving some of the classics and some talk not coming back, the rejigging includes beefing up the local news and sports. And along with ongoing Raptors coverage, expect to see more recreation programming.

The concentration in these areas – a heavy sports skew and pacey/ live news format – which began last year, has resulted in the reach going up and the demographic going down (in age that is).

According to vr vp/gm Doug Garraway, an integrated approach to programming, such as a recent five-camera plus helicopter coverage of a triathlon (which doubled as sports programming and news), live cameras at ski hills in the winter and now on the roof of the hot club at Wasaga Beach, has caused the 18-34 demo to more than double from spring ’95 to spring ’96, and men 18-34 to almost quadruple for the 6 o’clock newscast.

Switzer says the plan includes local sports and rec, strong local news and a serious commitment to the kids’ business, and other shows that attract a younger active demo.’

The 18 new first-run series for ’96/97 include u.s. primetime titles The Burning Zone, Viper, The Sentinel, Homeboys in Outer Space, Nick Frenco: Teacher, Goode Behaviour and Malcolm and Eddie.

vr’s 2+ reach is 1,869,000, up from 1,840,000 in spring ’95.