Cartoon Network is a pan-Asian pay television channel that primarily broadcasts animated series. Operated by AT&T's WarnerMedia under its International division, the channel is broadcast from its headquarters in Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia to audiences in Asia, the Pacific Rim and the Middle East via either the AsiaSat 3S satellite at 105° East or cable and satellite providers across Asia (except in the Philippines, where its feed was later separated from the broader pan-Asian version). It was launched on 6 October 1994.
Content
- Main article: List of programs broadcast by Cartoon Network (Asia)
Almost all of its programs are either from Warner Bros., MGM or Hanna-Barbera. For the Philippine feed is one of only two feeds that has Toonami as an anime/Power Rangers block, the other being to Indian feed the compete with Animax's South Asia feed. While the Southeast Asia feed is using for original Cartoon Network Studios as well as Warner Bros. Animation . This Southeast Asia feed is now avalailable for anime/Power Rangers programming: Naruto on 10 PM.
Brief History
1994–1999: Checkerboard Era
It had started its broadcast on 1 January 1994 as the dual-channel TNT & Cartoon Network, operating from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with Turner Classic Movies (formerly TNT) taking the remainder of the daily schedule. On 1 July 2001, Cartoon Network Asia became a separate 24-hour channel, with exclusive local feeds for the Mandarin-speaking areas like Taiwan, the English-speaking areas in the Philippines, India, Australia, the Japanese speaking areas in Japan, and the Korean speaking areas in South Korea.
It originally aired only Hanna-Barbera cartoons such as Yogi Bear, Top Cat, The Flintstones etc. The channel quickly started to develop though, airing for the first time MGM cartoons (Tom & Jerry, Droopy, and Spike and Tyke) in 1996, and (after Time Warner's purchase of Turner in 1996) Warner Bros shows (Looney Tunes, and several other Looney Tunes related cartoons) in 1997. In 1998, Cartoon Network started to air its first original shows (Space Ghost Coast to Coast and The Moxy Show), however The Moxy Show was soon cancelled.
1999–2005: Powerhouse Era
1999 was the year Cartoon Network received its first facelift, introducing new bumpers, new shows and a new 'powerhouse' theme. The new shows for 1999 were Dexter's Laboratory, Cow & Chicken, I Am Weasel, Ed, Edd n' Eddy and Johnny Bravo. The following year, 2000, saw even more Cartoon Network originals being introduced, including The Powerpuff Girls, Mike, Lu & Og and Courage the Cowardly Dog. Some of these shows (Mike, Lu & Og, Ed, Edd n Eddy and Courage the Cowardly Dog) were not produced by Cartoon Network. In 2001, the rate of new Cartoon Network originals kept going, with Sheep in the Big City, Time Squad, and Samurai Jack being brought in. Due to the large number of Cartoon Network originals that were on Cartoon Network, they decided to name these shows Cartoon Cartoons, which led to the Friday night block Cartoon Cartoon Fridays being introduced to Asia later in 2001. Also in 2001, Cartoon Network introduced other programming blocks including Toonami, Acme Hour, Prime Time, Boomerang (now a channel) and Cartoon Network After Dark. 2002 saw more Cartoon Cartoons introduced including Grim & Evil, Robot Jones, and Codename: Kids Next Door. Grim & Evil eventually spun off into two separate series, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Evil Con Carne. Justice League and Mucha Lucha! also debuted on Cartoon Network in 2002.
In January 2003, the Southeast Asian version made its debut in South Korea, after the cancelation of Cartoon Network block on Tooniverse. However, CN SEA cannot contain a Korean audio track as the South Korean law prohibits non-South Korean TV channels carrying Korean audio track. But it could carry Korean subtitles.
In 2003, there were no new Cartoon Network original shows added to the schedule, however there were several new programming blocks and non-Cartoon-Cartoons added. The programming blocks include Boomeraction (currently a block on the channel Boomerang), and Tiny TV (currently also a block on Boomerang). Shows added to the line-up in 2003 include The Mask, and X Men: Evolution. 2004 saw the introduction of Cartoon Cartoon Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends. Apart from Foster's, there were no Cartoon Cartoons introduced in 2004. Programming blocks introduced in 2004 include Fridays. Also, 2005 was the year that the Boomerang programming block was made into a TV channel.
Like the USA/Austraila counterparts, the 2003-05 era of Powerhouse had the Powerhouse music was removed from the bumpers and replaced with a series of generic fanfares and themes.
2005–2008: City Era
On October 1, 2005, the bumpers were replaced with 3-D animations of a 'city' that all the Cartoon Network toons lived in. Show-specific bumpers were replaced with 3-D animations of a well-known scene from the particular show (e.g.: a Dexter's Laboratory bumper would feature Dexter's house, a Powerpuff Girls bumper would feature most likely the PPG household, and so forth). The retro, checker board logo was replaced with the 'CN' city-style logo of today. In 2006, several new Cartoon Network originals premiered, including Robotboy, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Camp Lazlo, Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi, My Gym Partner's a Monkey and Squirrel Boy. The Cartoon Cartoons moniker previously used for Cartoon Network originals was also dropped in 2006.
In 2006, JoongAng Ilbo and Turner made a joint venture to launch a separate South Korean version of Cartoon Network. It was set to launch in November 2006. However, the launch was suddenly delayed due to the content dispute with Tooniverse: The joint venture was going to make its own Korean language version of some of CN originals, apart from the one already produced by Tooniverse. (The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory and Johnny Bravo for example.) Then, the plan was eventually cancelled.
2008–2011: New Wave Era
On August 31 2008, the format of Cartoon Network's bumpers and commercials changed and also CN changed the name of Cartoon Network Theatre to Cartoon Network Popcorn. With the major visual theme being the recurring 'dynamic line' in all the station IDs and bumps etc.
Recently, Cartoon Network began to carry Japanese television series: currently Naruto and the Powerpuff Girls Z. However, in South Korea, due to the law prohibits non-South Korean TV channels (except signals from Japan) broadcasting Japanese TV programmes (as well as South Korean-Japanese co-productions), Naruto is often blocked or replaced by non-Japanese series. Powerpuff Girls Z, an American-Japanese co-production, made an exception.
2011 - 2022 : CHECK It / It's a Fun Thing! Era
On 12 September 2011, Cartoon Network Asia advertised the premiere date of The Amazing World of Gumball (1 October) with the newly rebranded with the current Cartoon Network logo used in the USA.(Courtesy of Brand New School) Cartoon Network rebranded on 1 October 2011 at 9am in Asia along with the rest of the Asia-Pacific and Austrailan regions. Following the rebrand, Cartoon Network's logo would change for the second time, from the city-style logo to the current neo-checkerboard logo. The It's a Fun Thing! era will, in addition, see renewed emphasis on the 'checkerboard' theme of the network as well as increased use of the original Cartoon Network checkerboard logo. The "It's A Fun Thing!" tagline has also been introduced as the network's new slogan.
Programming Blocks
Cartoon Network Popcorn
Premiering movies that range from Cartoon Network specials to non-related movies premieres on Saturday at 6:00 PM and encores on Sunday at 11:00 AM. Originally introduced as Cartoon Network Theater under the City look.
Fridays
This Friday evening program block originally consisted of three parts:
- Fridays Premiere shows new episodes of cartoon series;
- Fridays .Com Pick broadcasts shows that have been chosen by TV viewers.
- Fridays Flick shows movies.
The .Com Pick and movie segments were later dropped, leaving just Fridays Premiere. The premiere was dropped briefly in early 2009, but later brought back in May the same year in an earlier time slot for Speed Racer: The Next Generation, and expanded back into its original slot the following month for new episodes of Ben 10: Alien Force.
Cartoon Network Video
In late 2007 Cartoon Network launched Cartoon Network Video, a video on demand service designed for Asia Pacific broadband viewers with flash video. It does not allow full screen viewing..
Laughternoons
Laughternoons is a programming block that airs between 4PM to 6.30PM(Sing/Mal time) on weekdays. It shows Teen Titans Go!, Uncle Grandpa, Adventure Time, Clarence, Regular Show and Steven Universe.
Best Summer Ever
The paragraph started in May 2019, and this paragraph, as in the United States, plays series, while Asia presents series and films.
Former Blocks
Year of the Jerry
The paragraph started in January 2020, a group of films Tom and Jerry did this paragraph in favor of her 80 years birthday and when she did Boomerang to Marathon Tom and Jerry.
Chunky Toons
This was a time block that featured Cartoon Network original series with minimal breaks. Eventually, in March 2008, CN expanded the minimal breaks scheme to the entire schedule.
Good Morning Scooby!
This block is currently shown on Boomerang since March 2006.
Boomerang
- Main article: Boomerang (Southeast Asia TV channel)
Now a separate TV channel is now available in the Asia-Pacific region (Boomerang Australia and Boomerang SeAsia Feed).
Tiny TV
Tiny TV was first shown on Cartoon Network Asia in June 2002 from 9am - 12pm on weekdays. Previously, the block aired babyfied versions of classic Hanna-Barbera shows such as The Flintstone Kids, Tom & Jerry Kids and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.
Due to improvement of schedule changes, Tiny TV was moved to earlier in the morning, and eventually ended in November, 2008 on Cartoon Network (Southeast Asia).
Toonami
A time block which is dedicated in showing action-oriented non-anime shows every Monday to Thursday nights and on Weekend mornings. This block was removed on January 2009, nevertheless, the former Toonami programs have continued to be shown as usual without the Toonami branding. It is now a seperate TV channel in the Southeast Asian Area.
New Mondays
A block which showed the newest two cartoon series with two episodes each every Monday night from 6:00 p.m.. It featured Batman: The Brave and the Bold and The Secret Saturdays.