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Nickelodeon

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Nickelodeon
CountryUnited States
HeadquartersNew York City
Ownership
OwnerViacom

Nickelodeon is an American cable television channel owned by the MTV Networks division of Viacom. It was founded in 1977 as Pinwheel. The Pinwheel name was used until 1981. The channel can be found in many different countries, including Nick UK and Nickelodeon Australia. It is often referred to by its shortened name, Nick, a practice that dates back to the early days of the channel. As of 2009, Nick currently has only one block, Nick at Nite. Since 2006, Nickelodeon has been run by MTVN Kids & Family Group president Cyma Zarghami. The channel is aimed mostly at children ages 6–15, with the exception of their prime time block that is aimed at children ages 12–17. Nickelodeon has spawned several television show hits, including Spongebob Squarepants, Rugrats, Hey Arnold, The Fairly OddParents, Drake and Josh, and iCarly.

History

File:Nickelodeonoldlogo.jpg
First logo, used from 1981 to 1984

Nickelodeon was launched on December 1, 1977 as the Pinwheel channel in Columbus, Ohio alongside the QUBE cable system (now Time Warner Cable).[1]

During its broadcast day, it would air shows such as the long running Pinwheel along with other TV shows such as Video Comic Book, America Goes Bananaz, Nickel Flicks and By the Way.

On April 1, 1979, the channel went national[2] when they expanded to another QUBE system in Buffalo, New York.

During the day, Nickelodeon had begun playing "filler" segments in between shows. The channel's sign-on featured a pair of hands, which were in some of the fillers. Other fillers featured a male mime. Nickelodeon was mostly famous for two things in 1982: You Can't Do That on Television and the sign-off, which involved silver circles which combined to say "Nickelodeon". (During its early years Nickelodeon ended its programming at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, turning its channel over to the Alpha Repertory Television Service and, later for about a year, A&E Network). At one point the channel just went to a test screen after a sign-off. The channel was approved by the National Education Association.

In 1980, Geraldine Laybourne joined Nickelodeon's production team. She would become President of Nickelodeon in 1983.

On April 1, 1981, the channel had expanded nationwide as "Nickelodeon, the first channel just for kids".

Variation on "orange splat" logo in use since 1984.

"Nickelodeon" became known for its iconic green slime, originally featured in the channel's first major hit TV show, the 1980s Canadian comedy show You Can't Do That on Television. The green slime was then adopted by the station as a primary feature of many of its shows. In the early years, other shows such as Livewire, Standby: Lights, Camera, Action, The Third Eye and Mr. Wizard's World were part of the regular Nickelodeon time slots.

The network struggled at first, having lost $40 million by 1984 and finishing dead last among cable networks. After firing the staff, MTV Networks president Bob Pittman turned to Fred Seibert and Alan Goodman, who created MTV's iconic IDs a few years earlier, to reverse Nickelodeon's fortunes. Seibert and Goodman's company, Fred/Alan, teamed up with Tom Corey and Scott Nash to replace the "Pinball" logo with the "orange splat" logo currently in use. Fred/Alan also enlisted the help of animators, writers, producers and doo-wop group The Jive Five to create new idents for the network. Within six months of the rebranding, Nickelodeon went from worst to first and has stayed there for 25 years.[3]

Nickelodeon's new logo as of September 28, 2009.

In July 2009, Nickelodeon debuted a new logo for the first time in 25 years on the packaging of network DVDs coming out beginning that month, and that year's Nickelodeon Animation Festival, intending to create a unified look that can better be conveyed across all of MTV Networks' children's networks.[4] The new logo will be used across Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite, along with the rebranded TeenNick and Nick Jr. (The N and Noggin, respectively) networks in varying iterations customized for each brand beginning in September 28, 2009 for brand unification and refreshment purposes within 2011.[5]

Programming

Main article: List of programs broadcast by Nickelodeon

Nicktoons

Main article: Nicktoons

Programming blocks

Various types of program are broadcast on Nickelodeon in named programming blocks.

Sister channels

Nickelodeon has spun off several other cable channels, as described below;

Nickelodeon HD

The channel broadcasts a limited schedule of programming in 1080i high definition, which is carried by most of the major American cable providers on a simulcast schedule which programs based on a Eastern/Central and a Pacific/Mountain schedule.

Nickelodeon Games and Sports

Main article: Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids

Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids (commonly referred to as Nickelodeon GAS, Nick GAS or GAS), was a U.S. satellite television channel that was launched on March 1, 1999 as part of MTV Networks' suite of digital cable channels. Olympic swimmer and Figure It Out host Summer Sanders was named the Commissioner of Nick GAS. Dave Aizer and Vivianne Collins were the channel's original on-air hosts, with Mati Moralejo joining soon after.

Nick GAS ended their run on digital cable and DirecTV on December 31, 2007. On this date, another Nickelodeon-based channel, The N, took GAS's channel position. An automated loop of GAS programming remained on Dish Network until April 23, 2009 due to channel bandwidth concerns which kept The N on a split-channel with Noggin on Dish. After a channel shift that day, the channel ended quietly on Dish Network. Cartoon Network's west coast feed replaced Nick GAS on that channel.

Nicktoons Network

Main article: Nicktoons Network

Nicktoons Network, once known as Nicktoons TV and simply Nicktoons, is a digital cable and satellite television channel that airs classic Nicktoons but also new Nicktoons that originated on their own channel.

The N

Main article: The N

The N is a television channel in the United States aimed at teenagers and young adults. The channel was once sharing the evening portion of each day with Noggin. But on December 31, 2007 it took over Nickelodeon GAS's positions. It was announced in February 2009 that The N will be renamed TeenNick as of September 28, 2009.

Noggin

Main article: Noggin (TV channel)

Noggin is a television channel in the United States aimed at preschool-aged and early elementary-school-aged children. The channel has only programming promotions in lieu of commercials and is usually carried on a digital cable tier, and the basic tiers of satellite providers. It was announced in February 2009 that Noggin will be renamed Nick Jr. starting September 28, 2009.

Nick 2

File:Nick2 Logo.png
The logo for Nick 2, which is rarely used on-air or on the Nickelodeon website.

Nick Two is the on-air name for a feed provided by Nickelodeon to digital cable and satellite providers which features either the Pacific/Mountain or Eastern/Central feed of the channel, depending on geographical location and giving viewers a second chance to watch programming three hours after or three hours before the original airing. Previously a Nick TWO logo was used on the channels until 2004 (the channel was also called Nick TOO); the regular Nickelodeon logo has been used since then. Most program listings display the channel as either Nickelodeon Pacific/NICK-P, Nickelodeon Eastern/NICK-E, or NICK 2.

TV Land

Main article: TV Land

TV Land is a cable channel that was created based on Nick At Nite. It airs classic programming from as far back as the early 1950s.

TeenNick

Main article: TeenNick

TeenNick is a television channel in the United States aimed at teenagers and young adults. Launches on September 28, 2009.

Nick Jr.

Main article: Nick Jr. (TV channel)

Nick Jr. is a television channel in the United States aimed at preschool-aged and early elementary-school-aged children. The channel has only programming promotions in lieu of commercials and is usually carried on a digital cable tier, and the basic tiers of satellite providers. Launches on September 28, 2009.

Other Nickelodeon projects

See also: Nickelodeon Toys and Nick Rewind

Nick.com

Main article: Nick.com

Nick.com is Nickelodeon's main online portal, housing Nicktropolis and TurboNick.

Nickelodeon Magazine

Main article: Nickelodeon Magazine

Nickelodeon Magazine was launched by Nickelodeon in 1993, following a short-lived effort from 1990. It contains informative non-fiction pieces, humor, interviews, pranks, recipes (such as green slime cake), and a comic book section in the center featuring original comics by leading underground cartoonists as well as strips about popular Nicktoons.

In June 2009, Nickelodeon, in response to a hard-hit magazine industry, closed the doors to Nickelodeon Magazine after 16 successful years.[7]

Nickelodeon Movies

Main article: Nickelodeon Movies

Nickelodeon Movies is the channel's motion picture production arm founded in 1995. It has produced films based on Nickelodeon programs, as well as other adaptations and original projects. Its films are released by Paramount Pictures.

Destinations

Nicktoons Studios

Main article: Nicktoons Studios
A giant Nickelodeon balloon that was located above Nickelodeon's booth at Comic Con 2008 in San Diego, California.

Nicktoons Studios (formerly known as Games Animation) is a facility at Burbank, California. It serves as a production facility for many active Nicktoons. It also has earlier Nicktoons scattered on top of the studio at random places. It also serves as a home to the Nicktoons Network and has been used on the Nicktoons Network site replacing the Nickelodeon foot logo with the Nicktoons Network logo.

Nickelodeon Universe

Main article: Nickelodeon Universe

The Nickelodeon theme park, "Nickelodeon Universe", a rebranding of The Park at MOA in the Mall of America, opened on March 15, 2008. New attractions include an Avatar: The Last Airbender-themed half-pipe ride, a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed roller coaster, and a new Splat-O-Sphere drop tower ride.

Theme park areas

Nickelodeon Studios

File:Nickelodeon-Rajchel.JPG
Nickelodeon Studios as viewed from the Hard Rock Cafe in March 2004.
Main article: Nickelodeon Studios

Nickelodeon Studios was an attraction at Universal Orlando Resort that opened on June 7, 1990, and housed production for many Nickelodeon programs. It closed on April 30, 2005, after all of Nickelodeon's production had re-located to Burbank, California. The Slime Geyser was removed from the front of the facility in May 2005, the trademark Nickelodeon sign was removed in January 2006, and the Nickelodeon Time Capsule was removed prematurely in August 2006. The building was then converted into the Sharp Aquos Theatre, a venue for the Blue Man Group, which opened on June 7, 2007. The Time Capsule is now located at the Nick Hotel.

Nickelodeon Central

Main article: Nickelodeon Central

Nickelodeon Central is an area inside many theme parks around The United States, Canada, and Australia. The area is filled with attractions, shows, and themes featuring the Nickelodeon characters.

Nickland

Nickland is an area inside of Movie Park Germany featuring Nickelodeon-themed rides, including a Spongebob Squarepants-themed "Splash Battle" ride, and a Jimmy Neutron-themed roller coaster. This area is currently being expanded to fill space formerly occupied with rides based on Warner Bros. characters.

Nickelodeon Universe

Nickelodeon Universe is an area inside of Kings Island featuring Nickelodeon-themed rides and attractions. The area is one of the largest areas in the park, and has been voted "Best Kid's Area" by Amusement Today magazine since 2001.

Nickelodeon Blast Zone

The Nickelodeon Blast Zone was an area in Universal Studios Hollywood that featured attractions centered around Nickelodeon characters and themes. The four attractions that were present in the area were "Nickelodeon Splash", a waterpark-style area, 'The Wild Thornberrys Adventure Temple', a jungle-themed foam ball play area, and "Nick Jr Backyard", a medium-sized toddler playground. This area closed in winter 2007 and has been rethemed to Curious George. Another attraction, "Rugrats Magic Adventure", was present at the opening of the area in 2001, but closed in 2002 to make way for Shrek 4-D.

However, though, Spongebob, Dora and the Rugrats still hang out near the shop that is still open.

Nickelodeon Splat City

Main article: Nickelodeon Splat City

Nickelodeon Splat City was an area inside of California's Great America (1995-2002), Kings Island (1995-2000), and Kings Dominion (1995-1999), that featured attraction involving getting messy or wet. The slime refinery theme was carried out in the attractions such as the "Green Slime Zone Refinery", the "Crystal Slime Mining Maze", and the "Green Slime Transfer Truck". All of these areas have been transformed into Nickelodeon Central or Nickelodeon Universe.

Hotels and Travel

Main article: Nickelodeon Family Suites

Nickelodeon Family Suites is a Nickelodeon-themed hotel in Orlando, Florida, located near Universal Studios Resort and one mile (1.6 km) from Walt Disney World Resort. The property includes one, two, and three-bedroom Nick-themed kid suites and various forms of Nick-themed entertainment. Nickelodeon Family Suites also contains a Nick at Nite suite for adults.

Hertz also offers a media option in their family rental cars and minivans at American locations called Nick on the Go, which features Nickelodeon programming pre-loaded onto car entertainment centers.

Nickelodeon Resorts by Marriott is an upcoming hotel chain similar to the above Family Suites, featuring a 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m2) waterpark area and 650 hotel rooms. The first of the 20 planned hotels will open in San Diego, California in 2010.[8]

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Nickelodeon Family Cruises is a series of Nickelodeon-themed cruise packages in partnership with Royal Caribbean International. These cruises will feature special amenities and entertainment themed to various Nickelodeon Properties.[9]

International

File:Picnickelodeon.jpg
An attempt at the Guinness record for the world's largest picnic, sponsored by Nickelodeon in Petah Tikva, Israel.

It also operates language- or culture-specific Nickelodeon channels for various markets in different parts of the world, and has licensed some of its cartoons and other content, in English and local languages, to TV and cable stations such as KI.KA and Super RTL in Germany, RTÉ Two (English speaking) and TG4 (Irish speaking) in Ireland, YTV (English) and VRAK.TV (French) in Canada, Canal J in France, Alpha Kids in Greece and CNBC-e in Turkey.

As of August 2007, the channel also broadcasts in South East Asia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Scandinavia, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Cyprus, India, Italy, Israel, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Hungary, France, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Africa, and Latin America.

On October 11, 2006, Viacom's subsidiary MTV Networks Asia Pacific set up a new unit to manage Nickelodeon South East Asia TV based in Singapore.[10] Nickelodeon was launched in Singapore and expanded its services in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Polynesia. In the present, Nickelodeon Philippines and Nickelodeon India started working independently. They started their new website, Nicksplat.com in 2003.

In India, Nickelodeon is available on the One Alliance bouquet, through the Dish TV and Tata Sky DTH services. In the Philippines, it is available on SkyCable Gold, Silver and Platinum channel 45, Sun Cable channel 34 and Global Destiny Cable channel 21. In Hong Kong, it is available on now TV, while in Malaysia, it is available over Astro via Channel 612. In Singapore, it is available over StarHub TV and in Indonesia, Nickelodeon is available on Astro Nusantara channel 14, Global TV, a free-to-air television channel, and is also broadcast on Indovision channel 33.

A pan-Arabia version of Nickelodeon has been relaunched in 2008 (now relaunched), in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. From the late-1990s until the mid-2000s, It used to be on the Showtime Arabia and Orbit satellite services, until they were removed. [11]

Also, in 2007, Canadian cable television giant Shaw Cable had applied to the country's television regulator, the CRTC, for permission to carry several popular American cable channels, including Turner Network Television, USA Network, HBO, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. While the CRTC denied permission to carry USA Network and the others, it did say it would review the situation and reconsider. A few weeks later, Shaw Cable had requested the CRTC remove the remaining barriers to American cable channels, and automatically approve and allow any "English language General interest networks" from the United States, including Nickelodeon and USA Network. Competitor and second-largest cable company, Rogers Cable has also expressed its agreement with Shaw Cable's proposal and supports them. The Canadian specialty channel YTV, owned by Corus Entertainment, serves as a "de facto" outlet for Nickelodeon's programming in Canada. The network has aired many of Nickelodeon's original programs, and also brands a Sunday morning block of these shows under the name "Nickelodeon Sundays".

The Polish version of Nickelodeon has launched on July 10, 2008.

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Rugrats Timeline: 1977". www.rugratonline.com date =. Retrieved 2008-10-26. {{cite web}}: Missing pipe in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "Nick History". www.nick.com. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
  3. ^ Seibert, Fred. "The Fred/Alan Archive". Retrieved 2009-08-20.
  4. ^ The New Nickelodeon Logo: Fixing the Unbroken, Toon Zone, July 22, 2009
  5. ^ Nickelodeon Unveils New Logo, Variety.com, July 29, 2009
  6. ^ "TV LAND OPENS UP ON MONDAY". April 23, 1996. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
  7. ^ "Nickelodeon Magazine Closing". June 4, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  8. ^ Clabaugh, Jeff (May 31, 2007). "Marriott strikes resort deal with Nickelodeon". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
  9. ^ Sail with SpongeBob on new Nickelodeon Family Cruise - Cruise Log - USATODAY.com
  10. ^ "MTV Networks Asia Pacific Announces A New Structure To Advance Its Localization Strategy", Viacom, 11 October 2006
  11. ^ "Nickelodeon Arabia". 2007-10-16. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Official sites

Channels

Other

Other sites

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