Discovery Kids (Latin American TV channel)

Last updated

Discovery Kids
The channel's current logo since 7 April 2021, depicting a green lowercase K with a yellow D enclosed on a blue sphere.
Country Latin America
Broadcast area Latin America
Brazil
The Caribbean
Headquarters Miami, Florida
Programming
Language(s) Spanish
Portuguese [a]
English [b]
Picture format 1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 480i/576i for the channel's SDTV feeds)
Ownership
Owner Warner Bros. Discovery Americas
Sister channels Cartoonito
Tooncast
Adult Swim
Cartoon Network
History
Launched1 November 1996;28 years ago (1996-11-01)
Former namesDiscovery Kids Channel (1996–1998)

Discovery Kids (stylized as DK) is a Latin American subscription television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and headquartered in Miami, Florida, which started as a programming block on the Latin American version of Discovery Channel. It launched on 1 November 1996, with programming aimed for older children and preschoolers. It was owned by Discovery Networks Latin America and is one of two Discovery Kids-branded channels that remains airing (the other being Discovery Kids India). The programming is entirely in either Spanish or Portuguese, depending on the region.

Contents

The channel is divided into six live feeds: Pan-regional, Colombia, Southern (plus a Chilean subfeed), Mexico and Brazil, each with their own HD simulcast feeds. Until 2019, the channel had an HD version of the channel with different schedules broadcasting to all of Latin America. The network is also available in the Caribbean alongside several islands in the Americas, such as Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

History

The Beginning era (1996–2002)

Discovery Kids Logo 1996.jpg
Logo used between 1996–1998.

On 1 November 1996, the channel launched and programming was aimed for older children and preschoolers. Preschool programming aired in the mornings, while shows for older children aired in the afternoons-evenings. The channel was originally named Discovery Kids Channel, but was shortened to simply Discovery Kids in official promos and bumpers. Its slogan was "Discovery Kids is not an infants channel, it's a kids channel!". [c] The logo originally showed a white stick figure jumping on a red background.

In 1998, Discovery Kids changed its name, with the word "channel" getting dropped. The logo got updated, now being a planet with a ring underneath it. Its new slogan "Baterías incluidas" [d] made its debut.

The Rainbow era (2002–2005)

Logo used between 2002 and 2009, notable for being the only logo to be used in more than one era. Discovery Kids 2002-2009.png
Logo used between 2002 and 2009, notable for being the only logo to be used in more than one era.

In March, 2002, preschool programming began airing around the clock on weekdays, while shows for older children only aired around the clock on weekends. The channel's current slogan "¡Aquí, en Discovery Kids!" [e] also made its debut.

In January, 2003, the channel changed its programming to target preschoolers, removing all shows for older children, which furthermore, changed its demographic to children under 8 years of age. [1]

In the early-to-mid 2000s, a website for the channel was launched, titled Tu Discovery Kids. [f] [2]

The New era [g] (2005–2009)

In February, 2005, Doki, the channel's mascot, was introduced, originally appearing in promos. [3] [4] Several prototypes of the mascot were made on 28 October 2004. [5] [6] His name is an abbreviation of the English term "A Dog for Kids". [7] It wasn't until March 2005 that the channel itself rebranded, which furthermore, also turned Doki into a standalone mascot. In 2006, the Doki Descubre shorts began airing on the channel, airing until the year 2010.

In 2008, a new mascot was introduced, named Mundi. Originally made to celebrate Earth Day, it later became one of the standalone mascots for the channel.

The Park era [h] (2009–2013)

Two-dimensional logo used between 2009 and 2016. Discovery Kids (2009).png
Two-dimensional logo used between 2009 and 2016.

In 2009, the channel received a new look. The logo now depicts a green K with a yellow D enclosed in a blue sphere, alongside a yellow ring in the K. [8] [9] [10] The channel also created specials based on several themes, such as ambience, reading, and sports. The programming was also changed to focus on shows for children with up to 10 years of age. Newer mascots also made their first appearance: Oto, Fico, Anabella, and Gabi. The change originally appeared in Mexico, Argentina, and Chile on 30 March, before expanding to other regions on 30 May, and eventually expanded to Discovery Familia in the year 2010.

In December, 2009, a TV series based on its mascots, named Las Aventuras de Doki, [i] premiered, being produced by Nelvana

In 2010, the final Doki Descubre short aired on the channel.

The World era [j] (2013–2016)

In April 2013, another TV series based on its mascots, simply titled Doki , premiered, being produced by Portfolio Entertainment. [11] The channel got rebranded as well, with the logo now being in 3D, rather than flat 2D. A high-definition feed also launched, with the D in the logo being replaced with the initials HD. [12] The Discovery Kids logo was portrayed as a planet, full of colorful and bright buildings and houses, and the channel's mascots all lived in there.

In September, 2014, the entire channel started airing entirely in 16:9. Back then, the channel mostly aired in 4:3, with some 16:9 programs airing since the rise of HD TVs.

On 5 October 2015, Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures premiered on this channel, which was also the first program for older children to be premiered after January 2003, originally carrying a TV-Y7 rating in the United States. It was also the only TV show on the channel to be based on an arcade game. This era lasted until 1 April 2016 in Latin America.

The Modern era (2016–2021)

Three-dimensional logo for the 2016-2021 era. Discovery kids logo.png
Three-dimensional logo for the 2016–2021 era.

On 1 April 2016, programming for older children returned after a 13-year hiatus for afternoons and evenings while preschool programming continues airing in the mornings. The logo was updated as well, replacing the "D" sphere with a speech bubble and removing the ring around the K. Doki characters were also removed from the bumpers and as the channel's mascots, though its TV series was still aired until December 2019.

On 2 January 2017, Angry Birds Toons premiered, making it the only TV show on the channel to be based on a mobile game. [13]

Current era (2021–present)

On 7 April 2021, the channel received a new logo, designed by Spanish design agency Dtmg.tv Studio, with the "D" speech bubble being changed back to a sphere, and the K becoming more lowercase. [14] Children also appear in promos.

Programming

Current programming

Original programming

Programming from ABC Kids

Programming from Channel 5's Milkshake!

Programming from Family Channel

Programming from Hulu

Programming from PBS Kids and Sprout/Universal Kids

Programming from TVOKids

Programming from YTV and Treehouse TV

Other acquired programming

Former programming

Original programming

Programming from ABC Kids

Programming from Canal 5

Programming from Cartoon Network Canada

Programming from CBBC and CBeebies

Programming from CITV

Programming from Channel 5's Milkshake!

Programming from CBC Kids

Programming from TVOKids

Programming from Discovery Kids/Hub Network/Discovery Family

Programming from various Warner Bros. networks

Programming from Disney Channel and Playhouse Disney/Disney Junior

Programming from Amazon Prime Video

Programming from Hulu

Programming from Netflix

Programming from Nickelodeon and Noggin/Nick Jr.

Programming from Pakapaka

Programming from PBS Kids and Sprout/Universal Kids

Programming from YTV and Treehouse TV

Other acquired programming

Website

Discovery Kids has a website that launched in the early-to-mid 2000s, with the app launching in the early-to-mid 2010s. A Brazilian version was also made, with all of its content being translated into Portuguese.

One common feature of the site are its online games, which originally required the Flash Player plugin.

The site offers games and formerly interactive books, and activities. At launch, the website was titled Tu Discovery Kids, [l] with the app being simply titled Discovery Kids at launch.

In March 2005, the website received a major update. New games based on the channel's mascot were made, such as Saltando con Doki. [m] [n]

In 2008, the website received another major update. A video player was added to its home page, alongside a Flash-based interface and the addition of minigames. Accounts were also implemented.

In 2011, the website received yet another major update, now featuring a 3D logo casting shadows in the banner. During this era, the app launched.

Between February 2012 and 2018, a webpage appeared on the website, title Kids en Control. [o] Kids en Control allows children to vote for shows, similar to Cartoon Network's 'Votatoon' which was exclusive to Latin America. The show that have the most votes would air via marathons on Saturdays.

In April 2013, the website received a minor update. The background has been changed to the one from the new look at the time. The background has three variants depending on the hour set in the user's computer: day, noon, and night.

In July 2015, the website and app got rebranded as Discovery Kids Play, featuring the addition of protected content that could only be accessed via an account, as well as HTML5-based games. [28] Web browsers with Flash Player support are still able to play the old site's Flash games. The tudiscoverykids.com domain remained in use until late 2016, when it was changed to discoverykidsplay.com, originally used as a redirect following the launch of Discovery Kids Play.

In December 2019, the website and app was renamed to Discovery Kids Plus, with a new design. [29] The new website is also geo-blocked, being exclusive to Latin America. All of the Flash games from the old sites were also removed due to Adobe Flash Player's end-of-life. The Brazilian website was also updated to redirect to the Spanish website once accessed outside of Brazil.

Following the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc., on December 12, 2022, the site rebranded to simply Discovery Kids and removed all of its videos and episodes.

Audience composition

According to TGI Latina in 2003, most of the audience who received the channel were female, which represents a total of 56%, with the male audience at 44%. [30] Adult female aged between 25 and 49 years were also involved, as they are commonly the parents of children who guide at watching the channel, representing a total of 49%. [31]

Feeds

The channel is broadcast in 3 different feeds, plus one subfeed. [32] Each feed also has its own HD simulcast feed since 2013.[ citation needed ]

Live events

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Brazilian feed only
  2. ↑ Via SAP
  3. ↑ Spanish: ¡Discovery Kids no es un canal infantil, es un canal para niños!
  4. ↑ Literally Batteries included.
  5. ↑ Literally "Here, on Discovery Kids!"
  6. ↑ Literally Your Discovery Kids
  7. ↑ Also known as "the Doki era".
  8. ↑ Also known as "the preschool era 2.0".
  9. ↑ Literally The Adventures of Doki
  10. ↑ Also known as "the preschool era 3.0".
  11. ↑ First programming from PBS Kids to first air on Discovery Kids in Brazil before Latin America.
  12. ↑ Literally Your Discovery Kids
  13. ↑ Literally Jumping with Doki
  14. ↑ Known in Brazil as Pulando com Doki
  15. ↑ Literally Kids in Control
  16. ↑ Originally, "Ciranda Discovery Kids" in Brazil.
  17. ↑ Literally The Discovery Kids Tour
  18. ↑ Literally Exploration
  19. ↑ Literally In your marks, get set, go!
  20. ↑ Literally Discovery Kids Express

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References

  1. ↑ "Discovery Kids Latin America bulks up on preschool to gain ground in kids pay-TV". Kidscreen. 1 May 2003. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Tu Discovery Kids". Archived from the original on 24 March 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Doki, una imagen nueva para Discovery Kids" [Doki, a new image for Discovery Kids]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). 13 April 2005. Archived from the original on 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Soy Doki Bonus Track #01 - Primer aparición (Video) (in Spanish). 13 October 2021.
  5. ↑ Soy Doki - Mis Prototipos - Capitulo 01 (Video) (in Spanish). 19 September 2021.
  6. ↑ Soy Doki Bonus Track #03 - Prototipos de Id's (Video) (in Spanish). 18 October 2021.
  7. ↑ Soy Doki - El Origen de mi nombre - Capitulo 02 (Video) (in Spanish). 23 September 2021.
  8. ↑ G. Manuel, Alberto (7 April 2009). "Mi Discovery Kids es su Discovery Kids". Brand New. Armin. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "Discovery Kids actualiza su imagen". Ideas Frescas. 8 April 2009. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Discovery Kids renueva su imagen". TotalMedios. 29 March 2009. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  11. ↑ "Doki: La serie llega a Discovery Kids con una serie animada con nuevos amigos". Estereofonica. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Discovery Kids HD se lanza en Latinoamérica". www.prensario.net (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  13. ↑ "Angry Birds Toons llega a la pantalla de Discovery Kids para entretener a grandes y chicos". Latam Noticias (in Spanish). 30 December 2016. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "Dkids New Brand - Toolkit 2021". Behance . 8 April 2021. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "Junio en Discovery Kids: Estreno de Lupi y Baduki, Nuevos Episodios de Sasha y Milo junto con Mini Beat Power Rockers". www.anmtvla.com. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  16. ↑ "Franjito y Milena - En Busca de la Ciencia: Discovery Kids y Max revelan el primer tráiler de la serie". anmtvla. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  17. ↑ "Open Season - Call of Nature: Discovery Kids estrenará una serie animada en 2D de la película". www.anmtvla.com. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  18. ↑ "Deals of the Week: Portfolio, Genius, Babyfirst". Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  19. ↑ mi.tv. "Programação Discovery Kids, Hoje | Programação de TV | mi.tv". mi.tv (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  20. ↑ "Hotel Silvestre de Ana Flor se estrena este lunes en Discovery Kids y HBO Max". www.anmtvla.com. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  21. ↑ https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/max/barneys-world-premiere-monday-october-14-max
  22. ↑ "Gulli, Discovery Kids revive Totally Spies!". Kidscreen. 21 January 2022. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  23. ↑ "Discovery Kids Plus". Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.</ref https://web.archive.org/web/20200716183623/https://www.discoverykidsplus.com.br/as-aventuras-de-rocky-e-bullwinkle|url-status=live>
  24. ↑ "Sinking Ship to distribute Amazon's Just Add Magic". Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  25. ↑ "Elinor provides the answer for YLE, SVT". c21media.net. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  26. ↑ Dickson, Jeremy (6 September 2016). "Discovery Kids and TVO reel in Ollie & Moon". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  27. ↑ "Deals You Missed: MIPTV edition". Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  28. ↑ "Discovery Latinoamérica anuncia el lanzamiento de Discovery Kids Play". Multipress. 29 September 2015. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  29. ↑ "DISCOVERY CONSOLIDA SU POSICIONAMIENTO EN EL SEGMENTO DE APP PARA NIÑOS". Totalmedios. 22 June 2020. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  30. ↑ TGI Latina, Discovery Kids llega a los niños más pequeños de la región y a sus madres, 2003
  31. ↑ IBOPE Media, Filtro: Multinacional; Cable 4-11 , 2003
  32. ↑ "Programming". Discovery Kids Plus (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  33. ↑ "RONDA DISCOVERY KIDS, EN COLOMBIA". El Tiempo (Colombia) . 24 April 2007. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  34. ↑ "Expreso Discovery Kids en Galerias Valle Oriente". YouTube . Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
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