Lots of international news

Nickelodeon celebrates Chinese New Year with a new Ni Hao, Kai-lan! primetime special, Ladybug Festival, premiering Monday, February 2 8-8:30p (the eighth day of the Chinese New Year).  Additionally, www.nickjr.com will feature a Chinese New Year themed interactive game, Hoho's Chinese New Year Coin Catch, today.  The Nick Jr. animated Mandarin-language preschool series Ni Hao, Kai-lan premiered a year ago on the first day of the Chinese New Year.

The second season of preschool series Raggs (13 new episodes) is set to premiere February 2 on PBS stations that carry the series.  Raggs is presented by KQED San Francisco and distributed by American Public Television.  Additionally, each month this year www.raggs.com will offer a free download of a new Raggs music video from the new episodes.

Nickelodeon Australia unveils its local production and programming slate for 2009:
The Go Show (8x30), a new music show, premieres January 23.  Hosted by known talent, Maude and Kyle, the series features music clips, exclusive backstage information and interviews, prizes and a chance for kids to voice their musical tastes.
New episodes of the animated series Kids First (5x3) also debut this month.  The series focuses on kids who have been the first to do various things, like the youngest kid to sail solo around the world.
Adventure series Camp Orange returns for its fifth season.  The new episodes will air in June 2009.
The network has ordered a second season of Sorry I've Got No Head (13x30), a co-production between Nickelodeon Australia and So Television and Little Portman.  The first season of the sketch-comedy series premieres February 18, 2009, with season two following in late 2009.
Insomniacs (working title) - a creepy live-action series that is currently in production.
Season two of Nick Shorts is also now in production in association with Screenwest and the Film and Television Institute WA (FTI).  Six animated short films from creators in Western Australia will air on Nickelodeon throughout the first half of the year.
Australia's 7th annual Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards

Imira Entertainment has completed several new sales ahead of NATPE including:
Discovery Hispanic US takes all of Louie (39x26), while Discovery Kids Latin America picks up the new episodes of Louie (13x26, for a total of 39x26)
Sorpresa, a US Spanish-language channel, takes the preschool series Bali (52x13)
Vitaminix (104x2) is acquired by two US Spanish-language channels, Somos TV and Mega TV, and Film Ideas takes the non-theatrical rights in the US and Canada.
Disney Latin America takes the preschool series 64 Zoo Lane (78x11).
The animated series Lola & Virginia (52x12) is acquired by Canal Once (Mexico) and renewed by SBT (Brazil).  SBT also picks up licensing and merchandising rights with New Star taking home entertainment rights for the territory, and Quality Films taking the home entertainment rights for Chile