Kids' WB
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009) |
 |
|
| Type | Online Network (2008-Present) Video on demand (2009-present) Defunct Saturday morning cartoon block (1995-2008) Weekday afternoon cartoon block (1995-2006) Weekday morning cartoon block (1997-2001) |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| Availability |  United States Puerto Rico |
| Slogan | Kids' WB Yourself! (1999-2000) |
| Owner | Time Warner Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. |
| Launch date | September 9, 1995 (Television) April 28, 2008 (Online) |
| Dissolved | May 17, 2008 (Television) |
| Affiliation | Defunct (went off the air on May 17, 2008) |
| Former affiliations | The WB (1995-2006) The CW (2006-2008) |
| Website KidsWB.com KidsWB! Jr.com |
|
Kids' WB! is an online network showing shows from Warner Bros. Animation. It was formerly a Saturday morning cartoon block on The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006. On May 17, 2008, the Kids' WB block ceased broadcasting on TV and was replaced by The CW4Kids block.
However, it was relaunched as an online network on April 28, 2008, a few weeks before the merger happened. The network allows viewers to watch shows of Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics. It has different zones where users are linked to Kids' WB, Kids' WB, Jr., and DC HeroZone.
Kids' WB is also available on Fancast that features full episodes of such shows as Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo The Flintstones and The Jetsons among others.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early years
Kids' WB debuted on The WB on Saturday, September 9, 1995, airing on Saturday mornings from 8 AM - 11 AM ET and weekday afternoons from 4 - 5 PM. On September 7, 1996, the Saturday block was extended by a full hour, airing from 8 AM - 12 PM ET. On September 1, 1997, Kids' WB started airing weekday mornings from 7 AM - 8 AM, and the weekday afternoon block was extended to 3 - 5 PM in most markets. Some stations, such as KTLA in Los Angeles, California, aired the weekday morning hour in conjunction with the weekday afternoon block, expanding it to 3 hours from 2:00PM – 5:00PM.
[edit] Changes At Kids' WB
In February 1999, Kids' WB! made a breakthrough when the English dub of the Anime, Pokémon by 4Kids Entertainment premiered. It was a big hit for its programming block. It beat the Fox Kids network block with its stronger animated block backed by: Warner Bros. as well as other cartoons based on video games and other Anime later on such as: Cardcaptors, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Astro Boy, Megaman NT Warrior and Viewtiful Joe.
In July 2001, Kids' WB's afternoon lineup was rebranded Toonami on Kids' WB, extending the Cartoon Network action-cartoon brand Toonami to broadcast television, and bringing shows like Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, and The Powerpuff Girls to network television. In addition, non-action programming like Scooby-Doo and The Nightmare Room were also branded as Toonami. The afternoon block was re-branded Kids' WB in June 2002.
On September 3, 2001, Kids' WB ceased airing weekday morning programming, and gave that slot to the local affiliates. On January 6, 2006, the weekday afternoon Kids' WB block was dropped "at the request of the local affiliates", replaced by Daytime WB. As a result, the Saturday morning block was extended by an hour on January 7, 2006, running from 7:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., no longer affected by time zone.
On January 24, 2006, The WB, Kids' WB's original broadcaster, announced they would merge with UPN to form The CW Television Network. The combined network utilized The WB's scheduling practices and brought the Kids' WB block, still run by Warner Bros. Television, and still maintaining its name, to the new lineup.
[edit] The End and Rebirth of Kids' WB
On October 2, 2007, the network announced that due to a joint decision between Warner Bros. and CBS, (parent companies of The CW), it would suspend the Kids' WB programming block due to the effects of children's advertising limits and cable competition and sell the programming time to 4Kids Entertainment.[1] Kids' WB ended broadcasting operations on May 17, 2008.
4Kids launched The CW4Kids block in place of the Kids' WB block on May 24, 2008. The lineup for the block consists of 4Kids produced shows such as Chaotic (which also aired on Jetix and currently shows re-runs of it on Disney XD) as well as new seasons of Yu-Gi-Oh! and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.[2] The official site, http://www.cw4kids.com, officially launched on April 20, 2008.
On April 28, 2008, Warner Bros. Entertainment announced that The WB and Kids' WB brands would be relaunched as online networks, with the Kids' WB network consisting of three subchannels: Kids' WB, Kids' WB, Jr., and DC HeroZone (now DC Beyond).[3][4][5]
Warner Brothers has officially decided to relaunch Kids' WB to Comcast subscribers via video on demand.
[edit] Programming
[edit] Logos
 The Original Kids' WB logo, used from 1995-1997.The logo is on a party background with the WB water tower from Animaniacs. |
|||
|
The New Kids' WB! Logo that is similar to the one from TheWB.com'. |
.JPG){kind=logo}
.JPG){kind=logo}
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ CW turns to 4Kids on Saturdays, Variety.com, October 2, 2007
- ^ Brands Old and New for 4Kids at Licensing Expo 2008, AWN Headline News
- ^ Online Kids' WB! Venture, DC Hero Zone Press Release, The World's Finest, April 29, 2008
- ^ WB Revived as Online Platform, Variety.com, April 28, 2008
- ^ Warner Moves Toon Content Online to KidsWB.com, KidScreen Magazine, April 29, 2008
