HITN acquires WHYY’s Albie’s Elevator to expand multilingual preschool programming across the Americas
Announced at MIFA in Annecy, the deal brings WHYY’s children’s series to EDYE’s 14 million viewers with Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese adaptations.
Photo credit: HITN
Educational media network HITN has acquired the children’s series Albie’s Elevator from WHYY, with plans to adapt and distribute the show through EDYE’s platform across the United States, Latin America, and Brazil. The acquisition was announced at the MIFA market during the Annecy International Animation Festival in France.
HITN, a U.S.-based Spanish-language media organization, will work with WHYY to adapt the original English-language series into both Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, including full translation of dialogue and songs. The series will join EDYE, a streaming and pay TV ecosystem focused on curated content for preschoolers.
Localized content for early learning audiences
The agreement expands the international reach of Albie’s Elevator, an arts education series originally produced by WHYY, a public media station serving the Philadelphia region. The program will be made available to EDYE’s estimated 14 million viewers across multiple markets. HITN will handle all language customization and promotional activity.
Erika Vogt-Lowell, vice president of content at HITN, says: “Albie’s Elevator is a truly beautiful and enriching series. We are thrilled to bring Albie’s unique charm and the program’s educational value to a much wider audience. This agreement not only affirms the universal appeal of top-tier productions such as Albie’s Elevator, but it also reinforces HITN's unwavering commitment to delivering this caliber of programming to the audiences in Latin America, including Brazil.”
WHYY will provide the original Spanish-language adaptations and support the rollout of the new Brazilian Portuguese version. HITN plans to promote the show through regional events and interactive contests.
Terri Murray, chief content officer and vice president of programming and production at WHYY, says: “We are incredibly excited about this partnership with HITN. Announcing this at MIFA, surrounded by the world's leading children’s content professionals, highlights the universal appeal of Albie’s Elevator. We believe HITN's extensive reach and expertise will allow Albie's positive messages and engaging stories to reach children and families in new and meaningful ways across the Americas.”
