It's the Kiddies

... and their desires for plastic knick knacks and huggable dollies.

Dora the Explorer has been winner for a long time. But there's a new girl on the block.

... Disney now has the top three preschool cable programs, led by what appears to be a monster-size new hit, “Sofia the First,” a cartoon that stars a pint-size princess and her zany animal friends.

Although ad revenue is small — Disney Junior accepts limited sponsorships; Nick Jr. allows advertising aimed at mothers, but only a bit — the potential payoff in the toy aisle is huge. Even at 13, “Dora the Explorer” generates about $1 billion annually in global retail sales. “People have been saying ‘Dora is dead’ for years, but the old girl still has a strong following,” said Chris Byrne, a toy analyst.

Merchandise related to Disney Junior shows is already catching fire among retailers. Disney said it expected sales to surpass $1.5 billion in its current fiscal year, a 50 percent increase from last year. ...

It ain't the television shows, friends and neighbors. It's the profits from the toys derived from the television shows. That's what makes Disney's (and also Nick's) cable execs salivate at night.

(Also, too, Disney Jr., Nick Jr. -- and all the other teevee Juniors -- are fine gateway drugs to the heavier duty stuff on Nick, Dixney Channel, and Cartoon Network.)