• by Wayne Friedman , May 13, 2010

In the early 90s, kids TV executive Haim Saban could be found taking meetings with anyone who listen about a kitschy Japanese action kids show called “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.”

All that turned out to be the start of a billion dollar empire for Saban, mostly as the result of a $5.3 billion sale of the Fox Family Channel to the Walt Disney Company in 2001.

Now Saban is returning to his roots, of sorts. Recently he started up a brand and licensing company to be run by an executive from his days at Fox Family, Elie Dekel. More recently Dekel headed up the bigger 20th Century Fox licensing group.

Then on Wednesday, Saban says he has bought back the rights to “Power Rangers” from Walt Disney Company, who bought the rights to the show as part Fox Family Channel sale made by Saban and then partner News Corp. The network was renamed ABC Family.

As part of this announcement, Saban sold the re-run rights of some 700 episodes to none other than Nickelodeon, to be run on its Nicktoons channel. Nickelodeon had been a long-time competitor of Fox Family.

Saban also recently secured the toy licensing rights to the show.