MUMBAI: Viacom's kids' entertainment brand Nickelodeon is all set to blow out the candles on its birthday cake. The channel is planning a grand 25th anniversary celebrations which will feature a cocktail reception on the opening night of PROMAX&BDA on 23 June at Rockefeller Center in New York.

"We are thrilled the folks at Nickelodeon have chosen the opening night of this year's highly anticipated PROMAX&BDA to celebrate the network's 25th birthday with many of the people who have watched Nick grow to be one of the most recognizable brands in entertainment," PROMAX&BDA president Jim Chabin is quoted as saying.

As reported by Indiantelevision.com, Nickelodeon is currently undergoing 'rejuvenation treatment' in India. The channel, which has been struggling to make its presence felt in the last four years of its existence here, is now planning a huge marketing campaign, brand tie ups and a massive publicity drive as part of its resurrection plan. MTV Networks India managing director Alex Kuruvilla had hinted that Nick would be up and running by the end of 2004.

The channel is consciously undergoing a hipper image change, having dropped the 'Nickelodeon' nomenclature in favour of the crisper Nick in ads. 12 hours of Hindi have already been introduced, and if the initiative works, the channel could well add more hours to the desi lingo programming in the coming months, say sources.