Sinclair Wants Back in on Kids' TV

[Justin Hill]

Sinclair Wants Back in on Kids' TV
The group will launch a three-hour children's block across platforms this summer

By Diana Marszalek, Broadcasting & Cable


Sinclair Broadcast Group is trying to recapture some of the children’s programming business local broadcasters have largely ceded to cable.

Starting July 1, the group will air three hours of children’s programming daily across linear and digital platforms. The multicast network ThisTV will air the block, called KidsClick, as well as Sinclair-owned affiliates.


KidsClick will air from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The block will include long and short-form programs, Sinclair said.

In discussing the initiative on their 1Q earnings call Wednesday, Sinclair executives said the venture is a chance to reach young viewers – as well as capture some of the billion-dollar business currently going to cable channels such as Nickelodeon.

Local TV had a lock on children’s programming until roughly 18 years ago, they said.

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Upcoming programming from KidsClick:

Angry Birds Toons
Max Steel
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Rocket Monkeys
Scary Larry
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures
Pink Panther and Pals
RoboCop: Alpha Commando
Sonic X
Super 4
Transformers Prime
Zak Storm

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Stations that will air KidsClick:
KidsClick - Wikipedia

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Bring back Saturday Morning Cartoons and Sugar Coated Cereals..

 

[Justin Hill]

Th

Bring back Saturday Morning Cartoons and Sugar Coated Cereals..

That's all part of Sinclair's plan, plus they are also adding weekday morning cartoons as well!

I'm so excited for KidsClick!

 

[chum1976]

I can remember watching the bugs bunny roadrunner show on WTAE many moons ago........

 

[SamCdbs]

The FCC's E/I regulations killed OTA cartoons.

In any event, if you live in the right place, the free digital subchannels are begining to look a lot like the cable people paid for not that long ago.

 

[Justin Hill]

The FCC's E/I regulations killed OTA cartoons.

In any event, if you live in the right place, the free digital subchannels are begining to look a lot like the cable people paid for not that long ago.

But now Sinclair is trying to revive Saturday morning cartoons. The chosen Sinclair TV stations, whether they are FOX, CW and MNTV affiliates will continue airing their current E/I programming from Litton, etc., but will air this as well. Broadcast TV stations are in the business to make money. They'll make it any way they can. I'm glad they are bringing back Saturday morning cartoons. Cordcutters/nevers need cartoons too, and not just the adult ones!

 

[Justin Hill]

http://kidsclicktv.com/

TV stations that will carry KidsClick TV in syndication on July 1st:

Minneapolis, Minnesota - WUCW 23 (CW)
Fresno, California - KFRE 36 (CW)
Mobile, Alabama/Pensacola, Florida - WFGX 35 (MyNetworkTV)
Rochester, New York - WHAM-DT 13.2 (CW)
San Antonio, Texas - KMYS 35 (CW)
Portland, Maine - WPFO 23 (FOX)
Sioux City, Iowa - KPTH 44 (FOX)
Chattanooga, Tennessee - WFLI 53 (CW)
Green Bay, Wisconsin - WCWF 14 (CW)
Albany, New York - WCWN 45 (CW)
Raleigh, North Carolina - WRDC 28 (MyNetworkTV)
Buffalo, New York - WNYO 49 (MyNetworkTV)
Charleston, South Carolina - WCIV 36 (MyNetworkTV)
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - WWMB 21 (CW)

The children's block will also be carried nationally by ThisTV.

 

[Bobby C]

Upcoming programming from KidsClick:

Angry Birds Toons
Max Steel
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Rocket Monkeys
Scary Larry
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures
Pink Panther and Pals
RoboCop: Alpha Commando
Sonic X
Super 4
Transformers Prime
Zak Storm


These shows like most shows today are Garbage!! Bring back the old cartoons from the 60's and 70's on Saturday mornings!!

 

[Justin Hill]

These shows like most shows today are Garbage!! Bring back the old cartoons from the 60's and 70's on Saturday mornings!!

The only way that will happen, is if MeTV, Retro TV or Antenna TV were to bring back Saturday morning cartoons.
Most of the cartoons of yesterday are sitting in a locked vault somewhere, collecting dust (I also wish they'd bring them back).

These shows are meant to appeal to today's children, not yesterday's children. The only shows that interest me from this block are Sonic X and Pac-Man (because I like video games too!). Hopefully, they can add new shows and replace other shows.

I also hope other companies, like Disney/ABC and a few others, reintroduce Saturday/Sunday/weekday morning cartoons, once this Saturday/Sunday/weekday block becomes successful.

 

[harshness]

But now Sinclair is trying to revive Saturday morning cartoons.

The "cartoons" that you list don't make me think of the cartoons that I grew up with and you might still find on Boomerang. The end of cartoons as I remember them started when Warner Brothers and Hanna-Barbera features trailed off and were replaced with action figure promotional videos sponsored by Mattel, Hasbro and Kenner.

 

[osu1991]

Sinclair should replace that worthless TBD channel with a classic toons channel. Some Scooby Doo, Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry

 

[primestar31]

Sinclair should replace that worthless TBD channel with a classic toons channel. Some Scooby Doo, Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry

I can't even imagine what sort of drugs the guy was on that thought the TBD channel was a good idea. I'm betting it'll be gone and forgotten pretty quickly.

 

[Justin Hill]

I can't even imagine what sort of drugs the guy was on that thought the TBD channel was a good idea. I'm betting it'll be gone and forgotten pretty quickly.

TBD is mostly web videos like what's found on YouTube.

I think an automated music video channel similar to TheCoolTV or The Country Network would have been a better, as well as a classic cartoon channel similar to Luken's recently-discontinued PBJ children's channel would have been better, but the reality is that cable TV has a stranglehold on the classic cartoons, as well as some of the good modern ones, like on Nick or CN, plus, Viacom (owner of Nick and MTV) has a stupid CEO who is afraid to adapt to new standards outside pay TV in the United States, like streaming services and the like.

The cordcutters' kids in cities along along the U.S.-Mexico border are lucky if they can get Canal 5 in on their TVs and can switch the SAP audio from Spanish to English, so they could watch SpongeBob SquarePants over-the-air (Like on XETV-TDT 6.1, "Canal 5" in Tijuana, if they live in San Diego, California, for example) using just an indoor/outdoor TV antenna.

I just hope Sinclair's plan for a new cartoon block proves successful, so that cartoons, classic or modern, can rule the American Saturday, Sunday and weekday morning airwaves once again.

 

[Mgsports]

KC only gets the block on This TV at the moment.

 

[zeebre12]

I wonder if this block is successful could tge launch a kids subchannel?

 

[Justin Hill]

I wonder if this block is successful could tge launch a kids subchannel?

Who knows?

 

[RedPenguin]

I normally don't agree with what Sinclair does but I will admit I do rather like this.

I find it funny that they have THIS as their partner being they are dying to buy Tribune which obviously owns THIS.

I don't see these airing on my local Sinclair Station WJAC but they are definitely on THIS so I have been checking them out for the fun of it.

I like THIS overall but I am way more of a TV Show vs Movie guy so I don't pay extreme attention to THIS overall.