Cartoon Network Launched

On March 6, 2014, Stuart Snyder was confirmed to have been removed as president and COO of Turner's Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media division after company changes.^[47] On July 16, 2014, Christina Miller was named his successor as president and general manager of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang.^[48]

On March 31, 2014, Cartoon Network's 8pm ET/PT primetime hour was given to its night time block Adult Swim, causing new episodes of the network's programming to change timeslots.^[49]

On October 7, 2014, the series Transformers: Robots in Disguise was moved from the Hub Network to Cartoon Network, due to a change in the network's operation.^[50] It is scheduled to premiere in early 2015.^[51]

On October 21, 2014, Cartoon Network, along with CNN and Boomerang, were taken off the Dish Network in the United States after Turner Broadcasting declined to renew its contract with the Dish Network.^[52] The channels were restored on November 21, 2014.

Programming

Main article: List of programs broadcast by Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network's current programming includes original programming such as Adventure Time, Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball, Uncle Grandpa, Steven Universe, Mixels, and Clarence. Acquired animated programming from other studios include Winx Club, The Tom & Jerry Show, Johnny Test, Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, Legends of Chima, Teen Titans Go!, Pokémon, the Gormiti and Total Drama franchises, Sonic Boom, and Tenkai Knights. Live-action programming, only introduced in recent years, formerly included original live-action/animated hybrid The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange, and live-action original productions such as Out of Jimmy's Head, Level Up and Incredible Crew. In addition, the network reruns various Looney Tunes theatrical short subjects and Tom and Jerry, which has been in constant rotation since Cartoon Network's 1992 launch.

Cartoon Network benefited from having access to a large collection of animated programming, including the libraries of Warner Bros. (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Tom and Jerry and other series), and Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Snorks, and others). Especially in its earlier years, the company's co-ownership with Hanna-Barbera gave the network access to an established animation studio, something chief rival Nickelodeon did not yet have.^[53]

Much of Cartoon Network's original programming originates from the network's in-house studio, Cartoon Network Studios. The studio originally began as a small division of Hanna-Barbera but eventually was spun off when that studio was folded into Warner Bros. Animation in the late 1990s. This studio would produce some of the network's earliest original series, including Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, The Powerpuff Girls, Ed, Edd n Eddy and Cow & Chicken. Original series produced between 1996 and 2003 were once known by the moniker of "Cartoon Cartoons"; however, Cartoon Network has displaced the term in recent years.

By the early 2000s, Cartoon Network had established programming blocks aimed at different age demographics. The shows broadcast during the early morning had preschoolers as their target audience and mostly had prosocial behavior as a theme. The Toonami programming block, featured later in the day, mostly included anime shows and its target audience were tweens and teenagers. Prime time shows mostly included classic cartoons, featured as part of The Tex Avery Show, The Chuck Jones Show and The Bob Clampett Show.

Cartoon Network shows with established fan followings, such as Dexter's Laboratory, allowed the network to pursue licensing agreements with companies interested in selling series-related merchandise. For example, agreements with Kraft Foods led to widespread in-store advertising for Cartoon Network-related products. The network also worked on cross-promotion campaigns with both Kraft and Tower Records. In product development and marketing, the network has benefited from its relation to corporate parent Time Warner, allowing for mutually beneficial relationships with various subsidiary companies.^[54]

Cartoon Network has, during its history, broadcast most of the Warner Bros. animated shorts originally created between the 1920s and the 1960s, but the censorship practices of the network and its corporate parent resulted in editing out scenes depicting discharge of gunfire, alcohol ingestion, cowboys and Indians gags, tobacco, and politically incorrect humor. The unedited versions were kept from both broadcasting and wide release on the video market. Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (1943), a politically incorrect but critically well-regarded short, was notably omitted entirely, while The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950) and Feed the Kitty (1952), both well-regarded, had their finales heavily edited due to violence.^[55]

There was controversy in 2001 over a network decision concerning further omissions from broadcasting. Cartoon Network scheduled a 49-hour-long marathon promising to broadcast every Bugs Bunny animated short in chronological order. The network originally intended to include 12 shorts that had become controversial for using ethnic stereotypes, albeit broadcasting them past midnight to ensure no children were watching, with introductions concerning their historic value as representatives of another time. The network's corporate parent, however, considered it likely that there would be complaints concerning racial insensitivity. This led to all 12 being omitted in their entirety. Laurie Goldberg, vice-president of public relations, defended the decision, stating, "We're the leader in animation, but we're also one of the top-rated general entertainment networks. There are certain responsibilities that come with that".^[55]

Following complaints by its adult fanbase, the network offered a compromise solution: the 12 omitted animated shorts would be included in upcoming documentaries. The first such documentary was a special on "The Wartime Cartoons". It notably included Herr Meets Hare (1945) in its entirety, but only certain clips of Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips (1943). Kevin Sandler considered it a positive sign of the network being willing to "confront and unveil" some of the dishonorable aspects of animated history, but noted that so far only the Warner Bros. shorts got this serious treatment, not the MGM animated shorts also broadcast by the network.^[55]

When Cartoon Network began rerunning the original Looney Tunes again in March 2011 (given their own time slot this time in place of marathons during New Year's Day), most censored scenes in some cartoons (along with original title cards) have been reinstated, such as gunfire and alcohol, though the network still edits out racially insensitive scenes. Three of the network's shows, Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Mad have shown scenes of violence, mild profanity, sexual references, sexual themes, drug references, demon possession and alcohol references. Rebroadcasts of these series in earlier timeslots may feature edits for time or content. Examples of cartoons that have had their censored scenes and title cards reinstated include Scaredy Cat and For Scent-imental Reasons, two cartoons that have shown gunfire.

Many licensed anime programs broadcast on the action-themed block Toonami had to be edited in order to receive a TV-Y7 or a TV-PG rating because of objectionable content that could be considered offensive or inappropriate to its younger viewers. Despite this fact, Toonami managed to get these series on the air through editing out heavy amounts of violence, drug usage, language, sexuality and nudity particularly with Rurouni Kenshin, YuYu Hakusho, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gundam, Dragon Ball Z, Outlaw Star, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Tenchi Muyo!, Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon; however, scenes with some swearing, suggestive dialogue and depictions of blood were broadcast uncensored. Series such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Cyborg 009 and Rurouni Kenshin, which were becoming much too violent and dark to edit, were moved to later timeslots. Anime such as Naruto and One Piece received minor editing and include light swearing, partial nudity, and alcohol references.

In November 2006, Cartoon Network and Schoolly D were sued over the authorship of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force theme music. Drummer Terence Yerves claimed he had co-written the theme music with Schoolly D in 1999, while working at the Meat Locker Studio. Yerves was aware the song would be used for a television series but did not approve of it being used for Aqua Teen Hunger Force, however, he did not file the copyright to the Library Of Congress until May 2006, after the series' fourth season had already started airing. Yerves demanded in the lawsuit a payment of $150,000 for each time the series aired after the lawsuit was filled, he also demanded that all existing copies of the series' DVDs be impounded and for Aqua Teen Hunger Force to be cancelled by the network.^[56]

Online

See also: Cartoon Orbit

Cartoon Network registered its official website, CartoonNetwork.com, on January 9, 1996. It officially launched on July 27, 1998.^[57] Sam Register served as the site's Senior Vice President and Creative Director from 1997 to 2001.^[58] In its early years, small studios partnered with the network to produce exclusive "Web Premiere Toons", short cartoons made specifically for CartoonNetwork.com.^[59] More about animation was included in the "Department of Cartoons", which featured storyboards, episode guides, backgrounds, sound and video files, model sheets, production notes, and other information about shows on the network. In January 1999, the Department of Cartoons showcased the "MGM Golden Age Collection", most of which had not been published or even seen in more than 50 years.^[60] Cartoon Network launched Cartoon Orbit, an online gaming network characterized by digital trading cards called "cToons", in October 2000.^[61] The game officially ended on October 16, 2006.

In October 2000, CartoonNetwork.com outdid its rival Nickelodeon's website in terms of unique users, scoring 2.12 million compared to Nick.com's 1.95 million.^[62] In July 2007, Nielsen ratings data showed visitors spent an average of 77 minutes on the site, surpassing the previous record of 71 minutes set in 2004, and the site ranked 26th in terms of time spent for all U.S. domains.^[63][64]

Main article: Adult Swim

Adult Swim (often stylized as [adult swim] or [as]) is a teen/adult-oriented nighttime programming service that airs on Cartoon Network from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand; Adult Swim is treated by Nielsen as a separate network in its ratings reports (similar to the company's ratings treatment of Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite and Nickmom) due to differing target demographics between it and Cartoon Network.^[1] The network features myriad stylistically variable animated and live-action shows, including original programming, syndicated shows mainly consisting of Fox animated programming, and Japanese anime, generally with minimal or no editing for content. The programs featured on Adult Swim are geared toward an 18+ audience, in contrast to the originally all-ages young Teen and preteen daytime programming on Cartoon Network. Adult Swim has moved its start time up an hour at 8pm on March 31, 2014.

Toonami

Main article: Toonami

Toonami (a portmanteau of "cartoon" and "tsunami", suggesting a "tidal wave" of animated cartoons) is a brand of Cartoon Network, used initially for action-oriented programming blocks on Cartoon Network television channels worldwide, mostly showing American cartoons and Japanese anime, originating in the United States on March 17, 1997, and ending on September 20, 2008. It was revived on May 26, 2012, as a Saturday night anime block on Adult Swim, reclaiming their Saturday anime lineup, similar to its previous mature-geared "Midnight Run" incarnation which was that block's forerunner.

The Toonami brand was subsequently used in the United Kingdom as the name of an action-oriented animation channel with two CGI hosts. It replaced a former Cartoon Network-owned channel, CNX, which had been a Toonami/live-action hybrid network.

As of 27 June 2014, Toonami was being broadcast on as a 6 1/2 hour block on Adult Swim in the U.S., airing content such as Attack on Titan, Bleach, Space Dandy, and Naruto.

Toonami was launched as a 24-hour channel in Asia in December 2011. "It really is the ultimate home of the action hero," said Sunny Saha from Turner International.^[65]

Boomerang

Main article: Boomerang (TV channel)

Boomerang began as a programming block on Cartoon Network on December 8, 1992, aimed towards the Baby Boom generation. The block's start time changed frequently but was always aired in the weekends. On April 1, 2000, Boomerang received a new look and was spun off into its own cable channel.^[66]

Move It Movement

Move It Movement (previously named Get Animated) is a campaign of the channel, encouraging children to get active, more importantly in outdoor areas.^[67] The program is designed "to provide support and encouragement in the ongoing battle against childhood obesity."^[68] The Get Animated campaign was launched on February 28, 2005.^[69]

Cartoon Network On Demand

Cartoon Network On Demand is a video on demand service, which launched in 2002, and allows viewers to watch the latest episodes of the most Cartoon Network programming. These Cartoon Network episodes are rentable and are available in wide screen and in high definition. Some on demand programs for Cartoon Network will restrict the ability to fast forward if the episode is fairly new. If the program cannot fast forward, the intro will be replaced by an advisory bumper saying "You're watching Cartoon Network On Demand, Fast-Forward is not available during this program" ^[70]

A high definition feed of Cartoon Network is available on many cable and all satellite service providers. The high definition feed was launched on October 15, 2007. Like all Turner networks, 4:3-sourced content is stretched on the high definition feed to fill the 16:9 aspect ratio. The network's HD content airs with letterboxing on the standard definition channel, and since May 13, 2013, the high definition feed is downscaled by the provider for the standard definition feed, resulting in all programming appearing in a 16:9 ratio with letterboxing. Unlike the other Turner networks, standard definition advertising is also stretched into 16:9 mode.

Cartoon Network has a mobile app that provides the latest full episodes, a live stream from the East and West coast, and games, as well as the network's schedule.

Main article: List of Cartoon Network video games

In 2011, Cartoon Network characters were featured in a four-player mascot brawler fighting game similar to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. video game series called Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was later released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the Wii as Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion XL. Several video games based on the cartoon series Ben 10 were released by Cartoon Network as well. The Cartoon Network website also features various flash games incorporating characters from various Cartoon Network franchises. For example FusionFall which was a massive multiplayer game released in 2009 and shut down in 2013.

See also

Book: Cartoon Network

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  Cartoonito
  
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  Tooncast
  
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  List of international Cartoon Network channels
  

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    Cartoon Network On Demand Bumper on YouTube
   

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