In the midst of the wheeling and dealing at Digital Hollywood and Forbes MEET, one of the most interesting tidbits I picked up this week came from a different direction. According to a source familiar with AOL’s strategy (go ahead, insert punchline here), the Time Warner unit is so enchanted with the results of its TMZ.com JV with Telepictures that execs are quietly looking for a partner to do the same thing with existing kids and teen franchises KOL and RED. The wish list includes a JV or private equity partner for a separate business that would supply AOL with kids and teens programming while also seeking strategic ventures across platforms from cable to mobile and everywhere in between. One ideal mate, so the thinking goes, would be a cable partner along the lines of Viacom or the content side of Comcast. Sibling Turner Entertainment would also seem like a possibility; KOL already provides original programming for CBS so perhaps that would be a fit.  I gather they’d also be open to working with the right toy company although that would seem a bit risky. 
KOL (for kids) and RED (for teens) moved to the ad-supported web this week. AOL has other joint ventures in play—In2TV with sib Warner Bros., broadband sports channel Lat34.com with Fusion Entertainment. And it has one that bit the dust quite publicly—Network Live.
Related: AOL, Fusion Team Up For Broadband Action Sports Channel Lat34.com, JV