Al Kahn is Extraordinarily disappointed & furious at the results of this year

[Wes]

Original Article- http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=8562

4Kids Entertainment announced their fiscal 2005 year end results today. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2005, 4Kids Entertainment reported $5.1 million in profit on $86.7 million in sales, compared to $12.7 million in profit on $103.3 million in sales in fiscal 2004.

Most of the shortfall came in the 4th quarter, where revenue was down $7.2 million to $26.9 million and profit down $4.5 million to $.5 million compared to 4th quarter 2004.

4Kids CEO Al Kahn said he was "Extraordinarily disappointed & furious at the results of this year.”

Most of the shortfall was blamed on decreased revenue from Yu-Gi-Oh! and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Pokemon, and was offset by increased revenue from Winx Club, One Piece and Cabbage Patch Kids. In regards to Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kahn stated that the decrease is sales was largely due a slower than expected transition to Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. While sales of older Yu-Gi-Oh! products have been tapering off, sales of GX products have been doing very well, but the products have been very slow to get to market.

Heading forwards, it was stressed that 4Kids wants to focus on properties it owns, as opposed to properties that it licenses. Fully owned properties and co-owned properties do not expire or have restrictions placed on them by licensors. New properties that 4Kids is committed to include "Viva Pinata," a game and TV series being produced with Microsoft, and Chaotic, a card game from Denmark for which 4Kids has purchased all rights.

4Kids TV ratings are up 16%, however revenue was down $0.6 million to $24.1 million. The decrease was due to a shortfall in advertising revenue. 4Kids expects broadcast profit to improve in 2006 because it expects increased advertising revenue due to the higher ratings, the revenue should increase in the 2006-2007 season. Also, 4Kids has renegotiated its deal with Fox for 2 more years (2006-2007 and 2007-2008) at $20 million per year, compared to $25 million for previous years.

4Kids sold all its shares in the Pokemon Company equally to the remaining shareholders for $1 million.

4Kids closed the year with $113.5 million in cash and investments, and $30.5 million in liabilities but no bank/loan debt.

4Kids Stock closed the day up $0.17 to $17.07 (1.01%) compared the the previous day.

Heh. The only thing 4Kids got for them now is that Viva Pinata game with Rare and Microsoft!

 

[kaibachaoschampion]

If hes so dissapointed and furious then why does he not allow uncuts to be released?! He'd make a lot more money then as proven when the three Yu-Gi-Oh Uncuts were release and Shaman King with two volumes. Well, I hope their downfall continues, I hate 4Kids and I always will unless they release uncuts.

 

[Toran Frostbite]

Increase in viewers, decrease in revenue. Huh Al, I wonder why? Could it be that a great portion of your viewers are too old to be playing with half the merchandise you release? That more than half the things you release aren't as interesting as the things you should be releasing more of?

Be furious and disappointed. Get yourself a myspace account and cheer up, emo-exec! Because this serves you right. You brought it upon yourself with your remarks and your ignorance. Karma bit you in the butt and I hope she liked the taste enough to come back for more.

 

[The Big Al]

It appears Kahn has forgotten that he's in the entertainment business. Maybe he should realize he should be selling DVD's instead of toys that has someone else said, the viewers aren't buying because they're little kids. Most of the shows put out by 4Kids are watched by the typical anime viewer who just watches the show. Kahn going to be kicking himself in his oversized butt because Pokemon was perhaps the one franchise (as from Yu-Gi-Oh which is on its way out) that significantly translated into sales of other merchandise.

The moral of the story. Just dub the frakking anime and let someone else worry about selling crap for you.

 

[Haruka's Swimsuit]

The moral of the story. Just dub the frakking anime and let someone else worry about selling crap for you.

Wasn't that the reason they partnered up with FUK- *bites my hand* FUNimation in the first place?

 

[Korobooshi Kojiro]

Hmm..could perhaps YGO be sold to another company to be dubbed?

Theier could be hope for you Saiou, you may be able to keep your tarot cards!

 

[MagicBox]

I'm pretty glad sales are down. I want 4KIDS to get so desperate for money that they HAVE to start releasing uncut DVDs just to keep the company going. *tsk tsk tsk* Kahn; the secret to making more money is right in front of him, yet he's too stubborn to realize it. Moron.

 

[Kazekage]

well iam very haaaaaaaaaaaaapppppppppppppppppppppyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy beacause 4kids is **** they should relize that there is n kid aside from the idiotic people who are living in a world were they think watching one peice on 4kids is pushing it and start to think hmmm maybe we should not take animes and butcher them till they look totally awfull and increase the population of blind kids

 

[Slypher]

The moral of the story. Just dub the frakking anime and let someone else worry about selling crap for you.

But that's what Al Kahn does. I feel sorry for Kahn sometimes, judging by his interviews he doesn't know how his company is runned, and isn't even involved in dubbing it. Hell, if anything, some of the other exec in 4kids are worse because they where involved and do know they are butchering anything they dub. Kahn is simply someone who just runs a business, he also appears to appreciate anime, but he only does the marketing part. Hopefully, this means that they'll just focus on their own original properties.

They went from 12.7 mil in 2004 profits to 5.1 mil in 2005 profits. If they continue, well 4kids is simply killing itself.

 

[YoshiAngemon]

Maybe THAT'S why we don't have any new Yu-Gi-Oh episodes coming up. The sales are really lousy! Still, maybe somebody should write to Al Khan, and he'll learn from a TRUE Anime fan, about what the answer is: Release more uncut Anime, and aim it towards older teens and adults, NOT kids! And let Viz Media do the selling. That'll work, unless he says that we don't know **** from Shinola! And as for Viva Pinata, It's gonna be a show, too. And I think I'd have known someone who would hate the idea of 4Kids working with Rare.