Nickelodeon

Irma Lemus SOUTH SAN FERNANDO DISTRICT -- Nicolette Barischoff and Allison Cameron Gray have cerebral palsy and are wheelchair-bound, but they want people to know they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. Nicolette, 15, who has had training as an actress and a model, is also a writer. She recently finished a play and is working on a television screenplay. Allison, a 12-year-old model and actress, said she plans to go into a career in art. On Wednesday, the two Los Angeles students visited the Nickelodeon studios as part of National Disability Mentoring Day. The day is a key component of National Disability Awareness Month each October.

Laura Sturza Cable television's growth means cartoon lovers have a few more choices than when shows like "Top Cat" and "The Jetsons" were in their heyday. Networks continue to expand their lineups to remain competitive and satisfy viewers and advertisers looking for the next hit, officials said. Cartoon Network recently announced the addition of three shows and Nickelodeon has two new ones. Both studios are based in Burbank. "We are looking to green-light more properties faster, and get more new shows on in a quicker manner," said Brian Miller, Cartoon Network senior vice president and general manager.

CTN-X to open Nov. 20 in Burbank The Creative Talent Network, a virtual community of professional artists from the animation gaming, film and video industries, has announced the launch of the first Creative Talent Network Animation Expo to be from Nov. 20 to 22 at the Burbank Marriott Convention Center. Burbank has partnered with Creative Talent Network to declare the event “Animation Week,” where attendees can see local and international talent and an opportunity to interact with more than 50 presenters from major animation studios, including DreamWorks, the Walt Disney Co., Sony and Nickelodeon.

Gary Moskowitz Rob Renzetti is loving every minute of his "life as a teenage robot." The Toluca Lake resident is the creator and executive producer of the animated Nickelodeon television show, "My Life As a Teenage Robot," a show that has been nominated for five Annie awards this year. Renzetti works at the Nickelodeon studios in Burbank. The 31st annual Annie Awards ceremony will be Saturday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, at which individuals and studios will be honored for excellence in animation.

Laura Sturza Students headed for studio-related careers can learn what it's like behind the scenes from Burbank industry pros. In NBC's internship program, which hosts about 70 students each year, students get experience in their own department, and also attend brown-bag lunches with the heads of different divisions, Human Relations Director Lucy Alarid said. "How many people have the opportunity to sit down with the CEO of the company?" Alarid said.

Lolita Harper SOUTH SAN FERNANDO -- Workers at Burbank's Black Entertainment Television offices may find themselves with a new corporate boss. Fresh off its acquisition of CBS, media conglomerate Viacom Inc. has made a bid to add the cable network to its roster of companies -- a list that includes Paramount Pictures, MTV, VH-1, Simon & Schuster, Blockbuster Video and Burbank-based animation studio Nickelodeon. The deal would end Robert Johnson's 20-year ownership and control of the largest African-American-targeted cable network.

Irma Lemus MEDIA DISTRICT NORTH -- The opening of the new Nickelodeon Reading Corner at George Washington Elementary School thrilled students Thursday as animators read and drew a story for students. The brightly colored corner was built at the school's library by Nickelodeon Animation Studio. The corner contains about 70 books, and more will be added in coming weeks, said Mark Taylor, vice president and general manager of Nickelodeon Animation Studio.

Nickelodeon recently donated more than 60 “gently used” computers and 40 monitors to the Burbank Unified School District Arts For All program. A number of the machines donated by the Burbank animation studio were used in the production of computer-generated shows, said Carson Smith, Nickelodeon Human Resources manager. The company made the donation for two reasons. “We at Nickelodeon think it is extremely important to partner with the community, and since our motto has always been 'Kids First,' we thought it was fitting that the machines would benefit children in the area,” Smith said.