Ted Turner's cable TV conglomerate had acquired the MGM film library, and its cable channel Turner Network Television had gained an audience with its film library. Turner then acquired the older catalog of Warner Bros cartoons, and shortly thereafter they purchased Hanna-Barbera Productions. The Cartoon Network channel was created as an outlet for Turner's considerable library of animation, and the initial programming on the channel consisted exclusively of reruns of classic Warner Bros. and MGM cartoons, with many Hanna-Barbera TV cartoons used as time fillers.
In 1996 Time Warner purchased Turner Broadcasting, and the Cartoon Network came under their corporate umbrella. This provided still more material for the Cartoon Network, as the channel now had access to the Warner Bros. cartoon library from the 1950s and 1960s.
Time Warner changed the direction of Hanna Barbera Productions, and focused the studio exclusively on creating new material for the Cartoon Network channel. After experimenting with such shows as Cow and Chicken and Two Stupid Dogs, the new Hanna-Barbera hit its stride and scored hits with such cartoons as Dexter's Laboratory and (especially) The Powerpuff Girls.
The cable channel has recently made attempts to attract viewers outside its core audience (young children). Their mid-afternoon cartoon block Toonami consists of reruns of acceptable-for-teens anime from Japan, while a late-night cartoon block called Adult Swim shows more risque, teenage- and adult-oriented cartoons (again with an emphasis on anime).
In 2002, Last Bell began to broadcast designed for selecting a cartoon for voting, and whoever wins is programmed. In Latin America, it is shown by the name Votatoon.
Cartoon Network is also broadcasting in other languages like Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, Italian, etc. Other Cartoon Network stations where Kids WB isn't shown for other languages in some places. Most of the Kids WB shows are broadcast on Cartoon Network like the one in Latin America.
These changes have practically eliminated the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons from the network's schedule, forcing them to move to the nostalgia-themed Boomerang network.
Cartoon Network also has an online feature named Cartoon Orbit, began in 2001, and has succeeded over a million members in 2003.
History
External Links
See also List of programs broadcast by Cartoon Network.