Fox Kids Ends Weekday Programming

[James Harvey]

www.hollywoodreporter.com reports that Fox will no longer broadcast the Fox Kids afternoon block, informing all their affiliats that beginning December 31st, they can put on whatever they want. Here's the article:

Fox affiliates' prayers have been answered. Fox Broadcasting Co. has
decided to drop the two-hour Fox Kids weekday afternoon block, while
the four-hour kids block on Saturday will remain intact. Fox has told its
affiliates that as of Dec. 31, they will have free reign to program the 2-4
p.m. block that had been home to weekday Fox Kids programming. Fox
maintains the right to reclaim the two-hour block for network
programming, but it has to give the affiliates six months' advance notice.
"The current advertising market is one of the most challenging our
affiliates have ever faced, and the weekday kids programming block has
been hit particularly hard the past few years," Fox president of network
distribution Robert Quicksilver said. "By taking this interim step and
furnishing our affiliate body with a two-hour block for them to program as
they see fit, Fox is providing its affiliate partners a great opportunity to
generate additional revenues." Major opportunities will clearly abound for
syndicators with the demise of the Fox Kids weekday block. But most
executives said the sudden wealth of available time periods in the
afternoon will not create the kind of gold rush it might have produced
three years ago.

[Calhoun07]

Will it be replaced with ABC Kids animation blocks on Saturday?

HOPEFULLY the stations that are dropping the animation blocks on weekdays will opt to put some great cartoons on in it's place, instead of shows like Springer and Sally Jesse Raphael.

[Trent Lane]

How can they resist crappy talk shows, tho? I know that's what it's going to be around here, just so they can mirror the competition just like they alwats do, especially with news. We've got local news programs on at 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 10, and 10:30, with world news at 6:30 and 7. Overkill, anyone?....

[James Harvey]

I think we'll see a bunch of sitcoms. I can't believe that FOX KIDS is now reduced to four hours a week. KIDS'WB! has no competition now...

[Hollywood53]

FOX affiliates in 2003 will probably have sitcom cartoons (if we are very desensitized by then, than Simpsons and King Of the Hill will be suitable for kids).

3:00 The Simpsons
3:30 King Of The Hill
4:00 Futurama
4:30 Family Guy

Imagine if kids had to watch these cartoons in place of the FOX kids lineup.

[Karkull]

I think we'll live. I don't think that FOX KIDS was much of anything at this point--just repeats of their old shows and bad Japanese imports. But my friend will just die when he finds out that Digimon is off the air. When all is said and done the cartoons will just scurry off to another network and the FOX timeslot will just get even lower ratings than it does now.

WAY TO GO, FOX!

[JustJack]

Right now..I watch more KidsWB than Fox Kids. But, Fox Kids does have some good shows..

Digimon is o.k
Power Rangers has been really good this season..but ultimately, if it goes, I wont really think much of it.
Transformers...it will always find an audience no matter where it goes. So I have absolutely no worries there.
alienators..I know..it kinda sucks. But, I like it. But, I dont think I'd miss it all to much..
Action Man...call me crazy, but I loves it!
and...everything else sucks...

BUT

Here's my concern: If Fox Kids eventually gets the boot all-together.........WHERE THE FRICK IS RIPPING FRIENDS GONA GO!??!??!! I LOOOOOVE the Ripping Friends. I never want them to leave! I pray the Ripping Friends action figures are out by christmas! oooo...anyway. What would happen to Ripping Friends?! UPN?! NOOO!!! Kids WB? Not it's style. Nick?! PLEASE NO!!! Cartoon Network?........hmm...I can see that happening. But PLEASE, dont take my Ripping Friends away! Please, no!!!!!!

[Joe Tully]

Yeah, I can't really say that this bothers me. Fox used to have some great cartoons but now it's pretty sad. I'm hoping for some classic cartoon blocks. I know there are a few such shows in syndication. And maybe just some other good cartoons that are in syndication. Whatever replaces the current lineup certainly can't be any worse than what's on now.

What astounds me is that Fox is just giving up. I mean, Power Rangers has been on forever, so obviously you need to replace that with something new. And the rest of the programming doesn't impress me. It would probably help if they didn't try to copy other stations and had funny cartoons instead of their current action lineup. That way they'd attract the audience that doesn't like the action alternatives.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

There might be a comeback for syndicated cartoons. That'd be cool.

[The Mad Hatter]

Proof that moving the line-up to 2-4 p.m., when most kids are in school, was a boneheaded move.

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by flhero311
How can they resist crappy talk shows, tho? I know that's what it's going to be around here, just so they can mirror the competition just like they alwats do, especially with news. We've got local news programs on at 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 10, and 10:30, with world news at 6:30 and 7. Overkill, anyone?....

All the better to tell you about all the anthrax hoaxes!

Overkill is rather understating it. You also have your 24 hour news channels like MSNBC, FOX News, CNN, etc. and all these news shows do is repeat the same stories over and over about every half hour. Ah, I remember the days when local news was on just for one hour at night, at 6 for thirty minutes then at 10 for thirty minutes.

[Jimmy Kustes]

The fact cartoons are still in syndacation surprises me. I thought Cartoon Network bought every property. When I heard this news I was hoping for syndacated cartoons as well. Pink Panther and Rocky and Bullwinkle anyone?

How will the Fox affiliates fulfill their educational requirements like Magic School Bus?:confused:

[The Mad Hatter]

Cartoon Network doesn't own every property... the problem is that there aren't really any NEW syndicated toons made nowadays. I've heard a variety of theories on this one... the most plausible is a combination of the new networks pretty much putting an end to independent stations, the rise of Nick and Cartoon Network, and the cheapness of running talk shows and old network shows.

[Calhoun07]

I don't think we have an independent station here in Kansas City. At least not on my cable provider. The ones we had are now UPN and WB. When I was in Minnesota, there was one, channel 45 out of Minneapolis, that still aired as an independent station. Sadly, they are of a dying breed. Some of the best programming I watched on TV growing up came off of independent stations that dared to show different stuff and gave a nice variety. I can't even bring myself to comment on the state of day time and late night TV any more.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by The Mad Hatter
Cartoon Network doesn't own every property... the problem is that there aren't really any NEW syndicated toons made nowadays. I've heard a variety of theories on this one... the most plausible is a combination of the new networks pretty much putting an end to independent stations, the rise of Nick and Cartoon Network, and the cheapness of running talk shows and old network shows.

Heavy Gear and Tama are the only new syndicated cartoons for this season. Still, it's better than last year's drought--zero.

[Hollywood53]

Originally posted by duncanzits
The fact cartoons are still in syndacation surprises me. I thought Cartoon Network bought every property. When I heard this news I was hoping for syndacated cartoons as well. Pink Panther and Rocky and Bullwinkle anyone?

How will the Fox affiliates fulfill their educational requirements like Magic School Bus?:confused:

FOX will continue to feed affiliates episodes of the Magic School Bus, if they want, to air at any time they want.

[oranthal]

what does "syndicated series?" i equate "syndication" to reruns which is not what it means in this case.

[Killtacular]

FOX may have backed off from the affiliates, but Disney could still press them to air Disney-made programming in that void.

Could you imagine a Zoog afternoon?!

.....yuck.

Maybe we can convince them to rerun Squigglevision or something. That was the only worthwhile ABC show in the past five years(other than Reboot and............ ......... ................... .............. ...yep.)

[BourgeoisBuffoon]

SAID BY DICK GRAYSON: KIDS'WB! has no competition now...

And since Digimon needs a new home...no, it's too scary to think about. :p

I'm impressed. FOX KIDS had been going on so long-and now it's gone. Kinda unsettling. I remember back in the day when Power Rangers was the thing and FOX KIDS was respectable...then flubbed...then got Digimon. Ah, memories.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by oranthal
what does "syndicated series?" i equate "syndication" to reruns which is not what it means in this case.

Close. You know how shows like The Simpsons end up on several stations when they go into reruns? That's because they are picked up for syndication, and that means many stations can pick up the reruns to air as local programming. Cartoons that don't belong on any network were often "in syndication," which means they were used as local programming.

[James Harvey]

I don't think alot of affiliates will pick up more animated series. It seems that syndicated animated shows are also on the downswing - which is a real shame. If Disney took over the weekday block on another network (they already have UPN) I just don't think I could taske it! ZOOG WEEKDAYS? Shoot me now!

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Not necessarily. After last two years' disappointing drought of syndicated cartoons (a big fat ZERO--absolutely NO new cartoons) this year has seen a slight rise in syndicated cartoons again. I've counted about 5 new cartoons airing in the early mornings so far. They're not good, but it's encouraging to see new stuff not on networks.

[James Harvey]

What are the names of the new shows. I remember when syndicated shows were everywhere - there was some good stuff on, too. I heard that one is a completely CGI widescreen show...

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Heavy Gear, Tama and Friends, and 3 other really kiddie cartoons I don't remember the names of.

Heavy Gear is okay, (and in widescreen) but it isn't to my tastes. You can try it, though--it should be on the weekends, early in the morning.

[BWDK]

My guess is that in the future, Fox Kids will be a seperate 24/7 channel, that's the way Fox Kids is broadcasted in Germany, France, Spain ect...

[Hollywood53]

1999 did have Monster Rancher, Starship Troopers, Sonic Underground, and the Animated Roswell. Voltron 3D stuck around until September 2000. Dragonball Z and Sailor Moon do still air in syndication.

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by oranthal
what does "syndicated series?" i equate "syndication" to reruns which is not what it means in this case.

Strictly speaking "syndication" just refers to the practice of selling a show directly to the TV stations rather than to a broadcast network. So network shows move into syndication after their network run, but other shows are sold directly to stations without network runs at all. That is how most morning and afternoon shows work. Before Fox and WB launched their netlets in the 90s, afternoon cartoon shows like "Thundercats" and "G.I. Joe" (and "Looney Tunes") were syndicated to local stations.

With Fox Kids folding, the stations that used to carry it as part of the network offerings will have those hours freed up, and which they will have to fill with syndicated offerings. Cartoon shows are a possible replacement for many of them.

[James Harvey]

I think it's a really slim chance we'll get more cartoons to fill the slot left vacant by FOX KIDS. I predict will get news programs and talk shows or reruns of really old network shows. Alot of affiliates are gonna bother to put up any more animated shows after they've seen the poor performances of their FK weekday block.

[Jimmy Kustes]

Hey, what's wrong with more ZOOG? How can you not like the Grandma dancing to Destiny's Child on Proud Family?

In fact, I know the founder of ZOOG Disney real well. We go to the same mental institution. :p

This moment brought to you by sarcasm

[James Harvey]

What the heck does ZOOG stand for anyways?