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Network | This TV (2017–18) TBD (2018–19) Syndication (2017–19) |
---|---|
Launched | July 1, 2017 |
Closed | March 31, 2019 |
Country of origin | United States |
Owner | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Key people |
|
Format | Weekday/weekend morning cartoon block |
Running time | 3 hours |
Original language(s) | English |
KidsClick was a daily children's programming block distributed by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which premiered on July 1, 2017. The block, which primarily consisted of long-form animated series as well as some short-form content, was carried in the U.S. on terrestrial television network TBD, and on Sinclair-owned/operated television stations in several markets.[2] At launch, the block was available in 75 million households.[1] The block marked the return of traditional weekday cartoons and Saturday morning cartoons to terrestrial television,[3] as well as the first children's programming block on U.S. free-to-air television not to comply with Children's Television Act regulations since the Saban Brands-produced Vortexx was discontinued on September 27, 2014.
The This TV iteration of the block accompanied an existing, unbranded lineup of educational programming on weekend mornings, which had aired on the network since November 1, 2013, after the discontinuation of Cookie Jar Toons (which coincided with original co-owner Weigel Broadcasting transferring its 50% interest in the network to Tribune Broadcasting, as well as the Cookie Jar Group's absorption into DHX Media [now WildBrain]); it also marked the first time that This TV had carried children's programming on Monday through Saturday mornings since Tribune (whom Sinclair later attempted and failed to acquire)[4][5] assumed partial ownership of the network. On July 1, 2018, This TV discontinued carriage of KidsClick, which was transferred to Sinclair's TBD channel, which had been carrying the block on a transitional basis since May 7 of that year.[6]
On March 29, 2019, shortly after closing sister site Circa News, KidsClick's Facebook page announced the block's discontinuation on March 31, 2019.[7][8]
History
On May 2, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that it would launch a multiplatform children's programming block on linear television and online platforms. The company partnered with MGM Domestic Television Distribution to develop and distribute KidsClick, a joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Toon Goggles, which it planned to air nationally on This TV and select network affiliates (particularly those aligned with The CW, and the MyNetworkTV programming service, as well as some Fox-affiliated stations that do not carry local morning newscasts in the block's designated timeslots) and independent stations owned and/or operated by Sinclair on July 1, 2017. Its content encompasses short- and long-form material and is distributed online, through internet browsers and mobile apps in video-on-demand and live streaming formats.[2][9][10][11] The network's distribution and website utilized Imagine Communications' cloud technology from Sinclair's Las Vegas studios for their market triopoly.[12]
Sinclair returned to the children's television market with KidsClick several years after the demise of The Program Exchange (a barter syndicator of programming which ended up as the last company providing non-educational children's content to television stations before its 2016 dissolution), an industry estimated to be worth $1 billion, which is currently largely split in advertising revenue between Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.[2][13] Speaking to the return of children's programming on American commercial broadcast television, Steven M. Marks, COO and EVP of Sinclair Television Group, said in an earnings report on May 3, 2017: "That's a $1 billion-plus spot business that we don't get a dime from. So again, it's an illustration of going back into the marketplace and fishing in ponds that we haven't fished in. So that's $1 billion that is pretty much split between [two] cable networks: Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network. Disney is a subscription network. 18 years ago, we were the kings of reaching kids every day. There's no reason in the world why we can't be successful in that space."[14]
On Friday, March 29, 2019, KidsClick announced on Facebook that the block would air for the last time on March 31. Sinclair also discontinued sister property Circa News three days prior to the announcement.[8] Sinclair would later claim that the block was discontinued "for business reasons", but that its use of cloud technology was a successful testing ground to use the technology for its digital broadcast networks.[15]
KidsClick ended quietly on March 31, 2019, with an airing of Oggy and The Cockroaches; all advertising made no mention of its demise, and the promotional spot at the end of the show mentioned it would return Saturday morning. For the vast majority of stations carrying it, temporary or permanent paid programming, religious programming, other syndicated content, or alternate E/I-complaint shows overlaid the former timeslot until more permanent programming was scheduled in the fall; this would turn out to be the national news service from Sinclair, The National Desk, for many Sinclair stations. Paid programming and some Internet-originated content series replaced it on TBD. Several days later, the block's website was taken down, with the domain redirected to the main Sinclair corporate page.
A final postscript to the service came down three years later, when nineteen stations, along with Sinclair itself and Nexstar Media Group, were proposed to be fined $3.4 million for a violation of children's ad guidelines, involving advertising for Mattel's Hot Wheels airing during episodes of Team Hot Wheels without being screened out, which under said guidelines, made the entire half-hour a program-length commercial.[16]
Scheduling
The block was preferred to air every Monday-Friday from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m., and Saturday and Sundays from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. local time,[2] though scheduling variances existed in certain markets due to network programming obligations (such as One Magnificent Morning airing from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., which delayed or preempted the KidsClick Saturday Morning lineup on CW-affiliated stations that carried both blocks), existing contracts for other syndicated programming or with paid or religious programming providers, or a preference to air news and sports programming in those slots.[17] It aired in a downscaled letterbox format via This TV, as that network had yet to upgrade to an HD master feed; it otherwise aired in HD or at least in widescreen on most of its affiliates and via the TBD network later on.
Because the programs featured on KidsClick did not meet educational content guidelines defined in the Children's Television Act by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), This TV continued to air a block of live-action travel and wildlife series from Steve Rotfeld Productions immediately after the weekend broadcasts of the KidsClick lineup to fulfill the mandate (accordingly, the network's E/I block switched from a singular, three-hour block aired only on Sunday mornings to two separate 90-minute-long blocks that will air on Saturdays and Sundays).[18][19] Sinclair-operated independent stations that aired KidsClick also continue to provide E/I-compliant programs acquired from the syndication market through individual distributors, from Fox's Xploration Station block managed by Rotfeld, or via the Litton Entertainment-distributed Go Time block to meet the quotas.
Programming
Former programming
Title | Premiere date | End date | Original network | Moved to | Source(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
RoboCop: Alpha Commando | July 1, 2017 | September 10, 2017 | Syndication | ||
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures | March 31, 2019 | Disney XD | Discovery Family | [20] | |
Scary Larry | December 10, 2017 | ||||
Pink Panther and Pals | March 31, 2019 | Cartoon Network | MGM+ | [21] | |
Max Steel | July 3, 2017 | June 15, 2018 | Disney XD | ||
Angry Birds | March 31, 2019 | Toons.TV Netflix |
Netflix | ||
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir | March 29, 2019 | Nickelodeon | Disney Channel | ||
Rocket Monkeys | February 9, 2018 | ||||
June 18, 2018 | September 21, 2018 | ||||
January 23, 2019 | March 29, 2019 | ||||
Super 4 | July 3, 2017 | February 2, 2018 | Netflix | Primo TV Netflix |
|
February 12, 2018 | August 24, 2018 | ||||
Team Hot Wheels | September 16, 2017 | June 10, 2018 | Cartoon Network | [22] | |
July 14, 2018 | August 26, 2018 | ||||
September 29, 2018 | January 20, 2019 | ||||
Zak Storm | September 30, 2017 | January 7, 2018 | Discovery Family | [22] | |
Winx Club (original series) | October 9, 2017 | March 2, 2018 | 4Kids TV (Fox) The CW4Kids (The CW) |
Nickelodeon | |
Dinosaur King | February 5, 2018 | August 24, 2018 | Primo TV | [23] | |
Mecard | June 16, 2018 | September 23, 2018 | [24][25] | ||
October 7, 2018 | January 20, 2019 | ||||
The Legendaries | June 16, 2018 | July 8, 2018 | Primo TV | [24] | |
Oggy and the Cockroaches | June 18, 2018 | December 28, 2018 | Fox Kids (Fox) Nickelodeon |
[26] | |
January 26, 2019 | March 31, 2019 | ||||
Oddbods | August 27, 2018 | September 21, 2018 | Disney XD | ||
Transformers: Energon | November 3, 2018 | Cartoon Network | [27] | ||
The Jungle Book | March 29, 2019 | Disney XD | [28] | ||
Barbie Dreamtopia | September 24, 2018 | Starz | [29] | ||
Monster High: Adventures of the Ghoul Squad | Monster High YouTube channel | ||||
Transformers: Cybertron | September 30, 2018 | March 31, 2019 | Cartoon Network Kids' WB! (The CW) |
||
Lego Friends: Girls on a Mission | December 10, 2018 | January 22, 2019 | Kabillion | [30] |
Special programming
Title | Initial broadcast date | Source(s) |
---|---|---|
A Monsterous Holiday | October 27, 2018 | [31][32] |
Under Wraps | October 28, 2018 | [31] |
Dear Dracula | October 29, 2018 | |
A Monster Christmas | November 22, 2018 | [27] |
Frozen in Time | ||
The Naughty List | November 23, 2018 |
Scrapped programming
Title | Planned premiere date | Original network | Source(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Sonic X | July 1, 2017 | 4Kids TV (Fox) The CW4Kids (The CW) |
[33] |
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero | Syndication | ||
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers | Fox Kids (Fox) ABC Kids (ABC) | ||
Transformers: Prime | Discovery Family | ||
Transformers: Robots in Disguise | Cartoon Network | [33] |
Affiliate list
The following is a list of stations that carried KidsClick in syndication as of its March 31, 2019, discontinuation, which included the possibility that a TBD affiliate on a station owned by Sinclair or another owner would air the programming block in the same market near or at the same time:
City of license/Market | Station | Channel | Affiliation | Owner |
---|---|---|---|---|
Albany–Schenectady–Troy, New York | WCWN | 45.1 | The CW | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Baltimore-Annapolis, Maryland | WUTB | 24.1 | MyNetworkTV | Deerfield Media (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Birmingham–Tuscaloosa–Anniston, Alabama | WABM[34] | 68.1 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
Bristol-Johnson City-Kingsport, Tennessee/ Bristol, Virginia |
WEMT | 39.1 | Fox | Cunningham Broadcasting (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Buffalo, New York | WNYO[35] | 49.1 | MyNetworkTV | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Cape Girardeau, Missouri/Paducah, Kentucky | WDKA | |||
Cedar Rapids-Dubuque, Iowa | KFXA | 28.1 | Fox | Second Generation of Iowa, Ltd. (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Charleston, South Carolina | WCIV[36] | 36.1 | MyNetworkTV | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Champaign-Danville-Springfield-Urbana, Illinois | WBUI | 23.1 | The CW | GOCOM Media, LLC (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Chattanooga, Tennessee | WFLI[37] | 53.1 | MPS Media, LLC (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) | |
Chico-Redding, California | KZVU-LD KRVU-LD |
21.1 22.1 |
MyNetworkTV | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Cincinnati, Ohio | WKRC-DT2 | 12.2 | The CW | |
Columbus, Ohio | WWHO | 53.1 | Manham Media (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) | |
Corpus Christi, Texas | KTOV-LP (analog) KSCC-DT3 (digital) |
21 (analog) 38.3 (digital) |
MyNetworkTV | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Des Moines, Iowa | KDSM[38] | 17.1 | Fox | |
El Paso, Texas/Las Cruces, New Mexico | KDBC-DT2 | 4.2 | MyNetworkTV | |
Eureka, California | KECA-LD2 | 29.2 | ||
Flint-Saginaw, Michigan | WSMH | 66.1 | Fox | |
Florence–Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | WWMB[39] | 21.1 | The CW | Howard Stirk Holdings (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Fresno–Visalia, California | KFRE[40] | 59.1 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
Gainesville-Ocala, Florida | WGFL-DT2 | 28.2 | MyNetworkTV | New Age Media, LLC (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Grand Rapids, Michigan | WWMT-DT2 | 3.2 | The CW | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Green Bay–Fox Cities, Wisconsin | WCWF[41] | 14.1 | ||
Greensboro-High Point-Winston-Salem, North Carolina | WMYV | 48.1 | MyNetworkTV | |
Greenville-Jacksonville-New Bern, North Carolina | WYDO | 14.1 | Fox | Cunningham Broadcasting (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina/ Asheville, North Carolina |
WMYA | 40.1 | MyNetworkTV | |
Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, Pennsylvania | WHP-DT3 | 21.3 | The CW | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Las Vegas, Nevada | KVCW-DT2 | 33.2 | MyNetworkTV | |
Lexington-Frankfort, Kentucky | WDKY | 56.1 | Fox | |
Lincoln-Superior-Grand Island, Nebraska | KFXL | 51.1 | ||
Madison, Wisconsin | WMSN | 47.1 | ||
Milwaukee, Wisconsin | WVTV | 18.1 | The CW | |
Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota | WUCW[17] | 23.1 | ||
Mobile, Alabama-Pensacola, Florida | WFGX[42] | 35.1 | MyNetworkTV | |
Nashville, Tennessee | WNAB | 58.1 | The CW | Tennessee Broadcasting (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News-Virginia Beach, Virginia | WTVZ | 33.1 | MyNetworkTV | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | KOCB | 34.1 | The CW | |
Omaha, Nebraska | KXVO | 15.1 | Mitts Telecasting Company (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) | |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | WPNT | 22.1 | MyNetworkTV | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Portland-Auburn-Augusta, Maine | WPFO[43] | 23.1 | Fox | Cunningham Broadcasting (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Raleigh–Durham–Fayetteville, North Carolina | WRDC | 28.1 | MyNetworkTV | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Richmond-Petersburg, Virginia | WRLH-DT2 | 35.2 | ||
Rochester, New York | WHAM-DT2[44] | 13.2 | The CW | Deerfield Media (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Salt Lake City, Utah | KMYU | 12.1 | MyNetworkTV | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
San Antonio, Texas | KMYS[45] | 35.1 | The CW | Deerfield Media (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Savannah, Georgia | WTGS | 28.1 | Fox | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | WQMY | 53.1 | MyNetworkTV | New Age Media, LLC (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
Sioux City, Iowa | KPTH[46] | 44.1 | Fox | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
South Bend, Indiana | WSBT-DT2 | 22.2 | ||
Syracuse, New York | WSTQ-LP (analog) WSTM-DT2 (digital) |
14 (analog) 3.2 (digital) |
The CW | |
Tallahassee, Florida | WTWC-DT2 | 40.2 | Fox | |
Wheeling, West Virginia/Steubenville, Ohio | WTOV-DT2 | 9.2 | ||
Wichita, Kansas | KMTW[47] | 36.1 | MyNetworkTV | Mercury Broadcasting Company, Inc. (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
References
- ^ a b "Sinclair Names Dan Barnathan VP Family and Children's Programming and Sales; Jonathan Dern Executive Producer" (Press release). Sinclair Broadcast Group. PR Newswire. June 20, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017 – via WDRB-TV.
- ^ a b c d Diana Marszalek (May 3, 2017). "Sinclair Wants Back in on Kids' TV". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ Jacobson, Adam (May 2, 2017). "'KidsClick' Multi-Platform Programming Block Set For Sinclair". Radio+Television Business Report. Streamline Publishing. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ Stephen Battaglio (May 8, 2017). "Sinclair Broadcast Group to buy Tribune Media for $3.9 billion plus debt". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ^ Cynthia Littleton (May 8, 2017). "Sinclair Broadcast Group Sets $3.9 Billion Deal to Acquire Tribune Media". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
- ^ @KidsClickTV (July 5, 2018). "We were sad too, but the good news is we are still on TV on TBD. You can check their market list to see where we are in your area: http://tbd.com/watch-on-tv . You can always watch on our app or site as well: https://kidsclick.com" (Tweet). Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Kidsclick". www.facebook.com. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ a b Hazard Owen, Laura (March 27, 2019). "Circa, Sinclair's millennial-focused news site (and the final remains of some interesting mobile ideas), is shutting down". Nieman Lab. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
- ^ Jacobson, Adam (May 2, 2017). "'KidsClick' Multi-Platform Programming Block Set For Sinclair". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ "KidsClick launches video-on-demand options, Zak Storm contest". ToonBarn. November 8, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ^ "KidsClick launches online live streaming option". ToonBarn. December 26, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ^ "Imagine and SBG Deliver 'KidsClick' Content". InBroadcast. January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
- ^ Mirabella, Lorraine (May 3, 2017). "Sinclair Broacast Group anticipates more acquisitions [sic]". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ "Edited Transcript of SBGI earnings conference call or presentation 3-May-17 1:30pm GMT". Thomson Reuters. Yahoo! Finance. June 14, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ Miller, Mark (September 17, 2020). "Broadcasters Play To Cloud's Strengths For Playout". TV News Check. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Ted (September 21, 2022). "FCC Proposes $3.4 Million In Fines To Stations For Violating Children's Ad Limits With Hot Wheels Commercials". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
- ^ a b "Kids Click coming to The CW Twin Cities on July 1st". WUCW. Sinclair Broadcast Group. June 14, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ "This TV Schedule - Program listings and guide". This TV. Tribune Broadcasting/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ "This TV Schedule - Program listings and guide". This TV. Tribune Broadcasting/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ "Morning Cartoons are back! Join us Saturday morning at 7:00 AM". KidsClick. June 29, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ "Pink Shirt Day and Pink Panther Extends to Weekdays". Facebook. February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ a b "KidsClick's fall lineup includes Hot Wheels, Winx Club, Zak Storm". ToonBarn. September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ "Dinosaur King Returns to U.S. TV on February 5". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- ^ a b "KidsClick picks up Mecard, The Legendaries". ToonBarn. June 4, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- ^ "KidsClick brings Halloween-themed programming for October". ToonBarn. October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "Oggy and the Cockroaches invades KidsClick in June". ToonBarn. May 26, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
- ^ a b "KidsClick celebrates the holidays with new specials". ToonBarn. November 22, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
- ^ "KidsClick adds new shows, sees distribution revamp". ToonBarn. July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ "KidsClick adds Barbie, Monster High, Sunday-specific programming". ToonBarn. September 14, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
- ^ "LEGO Friends takes a visit to KidsClick". ToonBarn. December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ a b "KidsClick brings Halloween-themed programming for October". ToonBarn. October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
- ^ "Our Halloween lineup starts tomorrow! That means our normal schedule will be changing to get all our KidsCLICK fans in the spooky zone. Some of the halloween specials you can only watch on tv or the live stream (on our site, app, apple tv, roku and android tv)... so make sure you toon in every morning to catch it!!! - @talkwithtaydyn". Sinclair Broadcast Group. Facebook. October 25, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
- ^ a b "Kidsclick Homepage". Bird and Bowtie. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ "A look back at popular kids cartoons as KidsClick TV launches July 1". WBMA-LD. Sinclair Broadcast Group. June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ "Morning Cartoons are back starting July 1 on our sister station MYTV Buffalo CH49.!". WUTV. Sinclair Broadcast Group. June 21, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017 – via Facebook.
- ^ KIDS CLICK WCIV transfer. YouTube. June 21, 2017.
- ^ WTVC PacMan. YouTube. June 19, 2017.
- ^ "Starting on Saturday, July 1st, Kids Click will be bringing you early morning cartoons just like it used to be. Take a look at the schedule, and don't forget to add the show times to your calendar!". KDSM. June 28, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
- ^ WPDE Kids Click Previews. YouTube. June 21, 2017.
- ^ "Kids Click coming to CW59 July 1st". KMPH-TV. Sinclair Broadcast Group. June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Jeffrey Bartel (June 20, 2017). "KidsClick to launch July 1st on CW 14". WCWF. Sinclair Broadcast Group. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ Kids Click 30. YouTube. June 14, 2017.
- ^ WGME Kids Click. YouTube. June 15, 2017.
- ^ WHAM Kids Click 1. YouTube. June 16, 2017.
- ^ WOAI KIDS CLICK. YouTube. June 15, 2017.
- ^ KMEG PACMAN. YouTube. June 19, 2017.
- ^ "KidsClick is your new home for morning cartoons 7 days a week. It's a 360° viewing experience with classic & cool new shows on all screens". KMTW. July 3, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2017.