NBC Kids

Last updated
NBC Kids
NBC Kids.svg
Network
LaunchedJuly 7, 2012;12 years ago (2012-07-07)
ClosedSeptember 25, 2016;8 years ago (2016-09-25) (NBC)
December 31, 2017;6 years ago (2017-12-31) (Telemundo)
Country of origin United States
Owner NBCUniversal
Format Saturday morning pre-school block
Running time3 hours (10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Official website nbc.com/nbc-kids (Archive link)

NBC Kids was an American Saturday morning children's television programming block that aired on NBC from July 7, 2012 to September 25, 2016. Telemundo also aired a version of the block under the "MiTelemundo" title, which featured a separate lineup of Spanish-dubbed programs until December 31, 2017. NBC Kids, which replaced the Qubo block (as a result of NBCUniversal dropping out of the joint venture, which also included Ion Media Networks), was programmed by the other Sprout preschool cable network, as they were both targeted at children ages 2 to 6. [1]

Contents

The three-hour block featured educational entertainment series for younger children, which met programming requirements defined by the Federal Communications Commission's Children's Television Act. [2] [3]

The block came to an end on September 25, 2016 on NBC (December 31, 2017 on Telemundo), and was replaced the following week with a live-action E/I block from Litton Entertainment named The More You Know, marking the end of traditional Saturday morning children's programming on broadcast television until KidsClick followed up in July 2017.

History

On March 28, 2012, NBC announced that the three-hour children's programming time period allocated by the network on Saturday mornings would be taken over by Sprout (which had become a sister television property to NBC following parent company NBCUniversal's 2010 majority purchase by Comcast; NBC later took full ownership of the network, whose owners previously included Sesame Workshop and HIT Entertainment) and launch a new Saturday morning block called NBC Kids, which was aimed at preschoolers and grade school-aged children ages 2 to 6. [4] [5] Sprout also produced a Spanish-language sister block for Telemundo known as MiTelemundo. [6]

NBC Kids debuted on July 7, 2012, one week after the Qubo block ended its run on both NBC and Telemundo on June 30 (leaving Ion Television as the only network to retain a Qubo-branded children's block, as Ion Media Networks was now sole owner of the Qubo properties including the flagship Qubo Channel television service). [7]

Closure

On February 24, 2016, NBCUniversal announced that it had entered into a programming agreement with Litton Entertainment to launch a new Saturday morning E/I block replacing NBC Kids. The block would be replaced on October 8, 2016 on NBC (January 6, 2018 on Telemundo) by The More You Know, a block produced by Litton Entertainment (now Hearst Media Production Group) that would feature live-action documentary and lifestyle programs aimed at pre-teens and teenagers. The move came as part of a shift by broadcast television networks towards using their Saturday morning lineup solely to comply with the educational programming requirements mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), along with the cultural shift towards cable and online video on demand viewing of children's and animated programming. NBC Kids aired for the final time on September 25, 2016 on NBC (December 31, 2017 on Telemundo). [8] [9]

Programming

Final programming

NBC

Programming from Sprout
TitlePremiere dateEnd dateSource(s)
Noodle and Doodle July 7, 2012September 25, 2016
Pajanimals January 26, 2014
The Chica Show February 2, 2013September 25, 2016
Astroblast! October 4, 2014July 10, 2016
Ruff-Ruff, Tweet and Dave July 4, 2015September 25, 2016
Nina's World January 2, 2016
Floogals February 6, 2016
Terrific TrucksJuly 16, 2016
Acquired programming
TitlePremiere dateEnd dateSource(s)
Poppy Cat July 7, 2012September 26, 2015
Justin Time September 27, 2014
LazyTown March 26, 2016
The Wiggles January 26, 2013
Tree Fu Tom June 8, 2013December 26, 2015
Make Way for Noddy October 12, 2013March 29, 2014
Zou April 5, 2014September 27, 2014
Earth to Luna! April 4, 2015January 30, 2016
Clangers October 3, 2015March 26, 2016

See also

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">NBC</span> American broadcast television network

    The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The headquarters of NBC is in New York City at the Comcast Building. NBC also notably has offices in Chicago, Illinois at the NBC Tower within the area known as the Near North Side.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ion Television</span> American television network

    Ion Television is an American broadcast television network and FAST television channel owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network first began broadcasting on August 31, 1998, as Pax TV, focusing primarily on family-oriented entertainment programming. It rebranded as i: Independent Television on July 1, 2005, converting into a general entertainment network featuring recent and older acquired programs. The network adopted its identity as Ion Television on January 29, 2007.

    NBCUniversal Media Group is the television and streaming arm of NBCUniversal, and the direct descendant and successor of the former division NBCUniversal Television Group, which existed from 2004 to 2019.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney's One Too</span> Childrens TV program spin-off

    Disney's One Too was an American two-hour Sunday-to-Friday children's programming block that aired on UPN from September 6, 1999 to August 31, 2003. A spin-off of the Disney's One Saturday Morning block on ABC, it featured animated series from Disney Television Animation aimed at children between the ages of 6 and 11.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovery Kids on NBC</span> Former American childrens programming block

    Discovery Kids on NBC was an American children's programming block that aired on NBC from October 5, 2002 to September 2, 2006. The block was produced under a time-lease agreement with Discovery Kids, and features a mixture of live-action and animated series originated on the cable network that met educational programming requirements defined by the Federal Communications Commission.

    A weekday cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated series programming that was typically scheduled on weekday mornings and afternoons in the United States on many major television networks and in broadcast syndication since the 1960s.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Qubo</span> Former childrens television network

    Qubo was an American television network for children between the ages of 5 and 14. Owned by Ion Media, it consisted of a 24-hour free-to-air television network often mentioned as the "Qubo channel", associated website with games and programs available through video on demand, and a weekly programming block on Ion Television, along with Ion Life, later known as Ion Plus.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Telemundo</span> American Spanish-language television network

    Telemundo is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content nationally with programming syndicated worldwide to more than 100 countries in over 35 languages.

    Toonturama is an American children's programming block that airs on the Spanish-language television network UniMás which debuted on January 15, 2002 and January 19, 2002. The four-hour block—which airs Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time and Pacific Time—features live action and animated series aimed at children between the ages of 2 and 14. It was the network's attempt to have a Saturday morning block.

    Children's programming has played a part in NBC's programming since its initial roots in television. This article outlines the history of children's television programming on NBC including the various blocks and notable programs that have aired throughout the television network's history on weekends.

    The broadcast of educational children's programming by terrestrial television stations in the United States is mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under regulations colloquially referred to as the Children's Television Act (CTA), the E/I rules, or the Kid Vid rules. Since 1997, all full-power and Class A low-power broadcast television stations have been required to broadcast at least three hours per-week of programs that are specifically designed to meet the educational and informative (E/I) needs of children aged 16 and younger. There are also regulations on advertising in broadcast and cable television programming targeting children 12 and younger.

    The Hearst Media Production Group, formerly Litton Syndications and Litton Entertainment, is an American media production and syndication based in New York City, New York and a subsidiary of the Hearst Television division of Hearst Communications, with three additional offices in Boston, Washington, D.C. and Burbank, California. Many of HMPG's programs comply with federally mandated educational and informational requirements.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ion Plus</span> American television network

    Ion Plus is an American broadcast television network and FAST television channel owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network originally launched in 2007 as Ion Life, maintaining a format featuring lifestyle programming focused on health and wellness, cooking, home decor, and travel. With expanded cable carriage, in 2019, Ion Media converted the network into a general entertainment format that matched that of parent network Ion Television, featuring day-long marathons of various drama series.

    Vortexx was an American Saturday morning children's television programming block that aired on The CW from August 25, 2012 to September 27, 2014. Programmed by Saban Brands, it replaced Toonzai, a block that was programmed by 4Kids Entertainment until its bankruptcy. The Vortexx block primarily featured animated programs, although it also featured several live-action series, including the Lost Galaxy installment of the Power Rangers franchise, and the WWE wrestling series Saturday Morning Slam.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">The More You Know (TV programming block)</span> Educational program block on NBC

    The More You Know (TMYK) is an American programming block that is programmed by Hearst Media Production Group, and debuted on October 8, 2016, as a replacement for the animation block NBC Kids. It airs on weekend mornings on NBC and Telemundo, and is replayed Sunday mornings on sister network Cozi TV. The block's programs are also available through all of NBC's video on demand venues, including the network's site/app, Peacock, and cable/satellite services.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Kids</span> American childrens television channel

    Universal Kids is an American children's television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast.

    Children's programming has played a part in Telemundo's programming since its initial roots in television. This article outlines the history of children's television programming on Telemundo including the various blocks and notable programs that have aired throughout the television network's history.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Telemundo Kids</span> American childrens programming block

    Telemundo Kids is a former American children's programming block that debuted on October 6, 2001 on the Spanish-language television network Telemundo. The three-hour block—which aired on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time and Pacific Time—featured live action and animated series aimed at children between the ages of 2 and 14.

    References

    1. Nellie Andreeva (March 28, 2012). "NBC Launches Preschool Saturday Block Programmed By Sprout". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on August 10, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
    2. "FCC Form 398 "KidVid" Children's Television Programming Report, 2nd Quarter of 2013 for WTVA, Tupelo, Mississippi" (PDF). WTVA . WTVA, Inc. July 2, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
    3. "NBC Will Launch NBC Kids, a New Saturday Morning Preschool Block Programmed by Sprout®, Saturday, July 7". MarketWatch. March 28, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
    4. Jon Weisman (March 28, 2012). "NBC to launch Saturday kids block". Variety. Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved March 27, 2015.
    5. Lindsay Rubino (March 28, 2012). "NBC, With Assist From Sprout, to Launch Saturday Morning Preschool Block". Multichannel News. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
    6. "Telemundo anuncia nuevo bloque infantil "Mi Telemundo!"". Primera Hora . GFR Media LLC. October 24, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
    7. "NBC Will Launch NBC Kids, a New Saturday Morning Preschool Block Programmed by Sprout®, Saturday, July 7". MarketWatch . March 28, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
    8. Desk, TV News. "Telemundo Kicks Off 2018 with New 'Mi Telemundo' Programming Block" . Retrieved 2018-02-17.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
    9. "Litton Entertainment & Telemundo Kick Off 2018 with the new "Mi Telemundo" Kids Programming Block Premiering Jan. 6". Litton Entertainment. Retrieved 2018-02-17.