NEW YORK–Nov. 7, 2019–Nickelodeon has named Michael H. Levine, Ph.D. to the role of Senior Vice President, Learning and Impact, for Noggin, the net’s direct-to-consumer interactive learning service for preschoolers.  The announcement was made today by Kristen Kane, Executive Vice President, Noggin, to whom Dr. Levine will report.  An early learning and social policy expert, Dr. Levine will focus on deepening Noggin’s value to children and families through content and interactive experiences developed for learning and impact.

“Michael brings to Noggin extensive experience in child development and digital media as well as a deep commitment to improving the lives of young children,” said Kane. “He is widely respected as a staunch advocate for children and their families, as well as a field builder for innovation and impact in children’s media. We are so proud to have him focused on making Noggin a destination for joyful learning for our fast-growing subscriber base.”

Noggin subscriptions have grown by triple digits year over year from 2018 to 2019, and the ad-free service currently features over 1,500 iconic, full-length library episodes, short-form videos, Spanish-language videos, music videos featuring preschoolers’ favorite characters, and more.  New to the Noggin this month are Blue’s Clues & You! play-along videos which build on the interactivity of the brand-new series and allow users to explore the stories in an immersive way, engaging with live-action host Josh and the animated characters, by tapping, touching or swiping to navigate through enhanced learning experiences.

Based in New York, Dr. Levine previously spent 12 years at Sesame Workshop where heserved as Chief Knowledge Officer, a member of the senior executive team responsible for driving organization-wide learning, educational partnerships, knowledge exchange, and policy leadership.  He is also the Founding Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, a pioneering thought leader in the digital media and learning field.

Prior to that, Dr. Levine was Vice President for Asia Society, managing interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge and understanding of other world regions, languages and cultures.  He conceived and directed a national campaign, “I Am Your Child,” with entertainment, policy, philanthropic and practice leaders, which led to major state and national investments in health care, early learning and parenting education.  He also previously oversaw Carnegie Corporation’s groundbreaking work in early childhood development and educational media, and was a senior advisor to the New York City Schools Chancellor, where he directed dropout prevention, afterschool and homeless programs.

Noggin is currently available for iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, Android, Fire tablet and Roku devices, as well as on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels and The Roku Channel.  With over 30 series to date, including current titles like PAW Patrol, Blue’s Clues & You!, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Peppa Pig, and Bubble Guppies, Noggin’s lineup also features classic favorites such as Dora the Explorer and Team Umizoomi.

Since its launch in 2015, Noggin has consistently ranked at the top of the charts in the Family and Kids categories, and it is one of the Top 10 Kids Apps on the Free Apps chart on the App Store, in addition to being the number-one grossing app for Music and Video in the Family Category on Google Play.  Noggin was also selected by Apple as an Apple TV app of the year.

Nickelodeon, now in its 40th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

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