Children's programming on Telemundo

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Children's programming has played a part in Telemundo's programming since its initial roots in television. This article outlines the history of children's television programming on Telemundo including the various blocks and notable programs that have aired throughout the television network's history.

History[edit]

For much of its history, the bulk of NetSpan/Telemundo's children's programming has been derived of mainly live-action and animated programming from American and international producers, including Spanish-language dubs of programs produced in other languages, and Spanish-language programming acquired from other countries.

Telemuñequitos (1992–1998)[edit]

On June 1, 1992, five months before Cartoon Network was launched, the network's first foray into children's programming, Telemuñequitos, was in partnership with Turner Entertainment, and featured Spanish-language dubs of Associated Artists Productions cartoon catalog (including pre August 1948 color Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies and Popeye the Sailor). The network converted its children's programming every weekday mornings until 2000.[1]

Telemundo Infantil (1995–1998)[edit]

In September 1995, Telemundo launched a Saturday morning block, Telemundo Infantil ("Telemundo Kids"), which was developed via input from viewers on what they wanted to be featured in a children's show. Which borrowed its the block originally in Puerto Rico aired on Telemundo Puerto Rico, included the weekdays afternoon and weekend morning line-up that consisted mainly of dubbed versions of American, Canadian, and European (including Animaniacs, Inspector Gadget, The Magic School Bus, Extreme Ghostbusters, Mona the Vampire, Tiny Toon Adventures and Bobby's World) as well as anime series (such as Dragon Ball Z, The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, Pokémon, Slam Dunk and Yu-Gi-Oh!).[2]

Nickelodeon en Telemundo (1998–2001)[edit]

On September 15, 1998, Telemundo introduced Nickelodeon en Telemundo, a block featuring Spanish dubs of the joint agreement with Nickelodeon programming, which debuted on November 9, 1998 and was considered a sub-block of Telemundo Infantil, consisted of Spanish dubs of Nickelodeon's animated series aimed at older children and preschool-oriented programs aired by the channel's Nick Jr. block (such as Rugrats, Doug, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Hey Arnold!, Rocko's Modern Life, Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer). The block ran on weekday mornings until September 5, 2000, when it was relegated to Saturday and Sunday mornings to accommodate a time slot for Hoy En El Mundo (with Jose Diaz-Balart).[3][4]

Telemundo Kids (2001–2006)[edit]

The Nickelodeon blocks were discontinued after September 30, 2001, ahead of the expiry of Telemundo's program supply deal with Nickelodeon. It was then replaced with Telemundo Kids debut on October 6, 2001, which featured a mix of acquired programming from various providers, including Sony Pictures Television (such as Men in Black: The Series, Dragon Tales, Jackie Chan Adventures and Max Steel) and later Nickelodeon (Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, Dora the Explorer and All Grown Up!).[5]

Following the sale of Telemundo to NBC in 2001 and the CBS/Viacom (now Paramount Global) split in early 2006, the block was discontinued September 3, 2006. However, Jacob Two-Two carried over to the block's direct successor Qubo, which premiered the following week.[6]

Qubo on NBC/Telemundo (2006–2012)[edit]

In September 2006, Telemundo debuted Qubo, a new weekend morning block of educational programming formed as a joint venture between NBC Universal, Ion Media Networks, Corus Entertainment, Scholastic, and Classic Media subsidiary Big Idea Entertainment. The block carried Spanish-language dubs of programming acquired or produced for Qubo's English-language blocks on NBC and Ion, airing on Saturday and Sunday mornings in 90-minute blocks.[7]

The reasoning why the name "qubo" was chosen for the endeavor, or why its logo is a cube, has not been publicly explained by any of the partners, although general manager Rick Rodriguez stated in an interview with Multichannel News that the name was intended to be something that sounded fun, and be a brand that could easily be used uniformly in English and Spanish.[8]

MiTelemundo (NBC Kids) (2012–2017)[edit]

On March 28, 2012, Telemundo announced that the three-hour children's programming time period allocated by the network on Saturday mornings would be taken over by Sprout (which had become a sister television property to NBC following parent company NBCUniversal's 2010 majority purchase by Comcast; NBC later took full ownership of the network, whose owners previously included Sesame Workshop and HIT Entertainment) and launch a new Saturday morning block called NBC Kids, which is aimed at preschoolers and grade school-aged children ages 2 to 9.[9][10] After this announcement, Qubo ended its run on July 1, 2012.

On July 7, 2012, after the acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast, the block was replaced by MiTelemundo; programmed by Sprout, it consisted of Spanish dubbed versions of programs seen on its sister broadcast network's Saturday morning block, NBC Kids, which debuted on the same date.[11][12][13]

MiTelemundo debuted on July 7, 2012, one week after the Qubo block ended its run on both NBC and Telemundo on June 30 (which left Ion Television (and later Ion Plus) as the only network to retain a Qubo-branded children's block up until the closure of the Qubo Channel on February 28, 2021, as the E.W. Scripps Company is now the owner of Ion Media, which they acquired on January 7, 2021).

MiTelemundo (Litton Entertainment) (2018–present)[edit]

With NBC Kids being replaced with Litton Entertainment's The More You Know block on NBC by September 25, 2016, MiTelemundo initially retained its existing programming until December 31, 2017, when MiTelemundo moved exclusively to Saturday mornings and became programmed by Litton on January 6, 2018. The relaunched MiTelemundo carries Spanish dubs of programming from The More You Know.[14]

Named after NBC's series of public service campaigns, the three-hour Saturday morning block is programmed by Litton Entertainment, and features live-action programming aimed at teens, all of which is dubbed in Spanish.[15][16] Despite the change of programming, it did not change the name of the block, which remains as MiTelemundo.

Programming[edit]

Schedule issues[edit]

Due to regulations defined by the Children's Television Act that require stations to carry E/I compliant programming for three hours each week at any time between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. local time, some Telemundo stations may defer certain programs aired within its Saturday morning block to Sunday daytime or earlier Saturday morning slots, or (in the case of affiliates in the Western United States) Saturday afternoons as makegoods to comply with the CTA regulations.

List of notable programs[edit]

Telemuñequitos[edit]

Title Premiere date End date Source(s)
Looney Tunes June 1, 1992 May 17, 1998 [1]
Popeye the Sailor
Merrie Melodies
The Biskitts June 8, 1992 January 10, 1994
Goober and the Ghost Chasers June 9, 1992 January 13, 1994
Inch High, Private Eye June 10, 1992 January 12, 1994
Buford and the Galloping Ghost June 12, 1992 January 14, 1994

Telemundo Infantil[edit]

Title Premiere date End date Source(s)
Mazinger Z August 22, 1987 March 12, 1989
Galactic Gale Baxingar March 18, 1989
Future Boy Conan October 26, 1987 November 27, 1987
Kolitas October 4, 1990 May 9, 1999
Nubeluz June 6, 1992 September 14, 1996
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons September 27, 1992 August 24, 1997
Captain Tsubasa January 17, 1994 December 2, 1994
Oakie Doke September 16, 1995 November 7, 1998
Button Moon
La Isla de Jordán June 7, 1997 April 10, 1999
Lift Off January 12, 1998 September 29, 2001
Garfield and Friends May 28, 2000
Jumanji November 9, 1998 September 22, 2000

Nickelodeon en Telemundo[edit]

Title Premiere date End date Source(s)
Rugrats November 9, 1998
January 9, 2005 ("Telemundo Kids")
September 30, 2001
September 3, 2006 ("Telemundo Kids")
[4]
Doug November 1, 1999 September 22, 2000
Rocko's Modern Life November 9, 1998
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
Blue's Clues September 30, 2001
Hey Arnold! November 10, 1998
October 3, 2004 ("Telemundo Kids")
September 30, 2001
January 2, 2005 ("Telemundo Kids")
Dora the Explorer August 21, 2000
October 2, 2004 ("Telemundo Kids")
September 30, 2001
September 3, 2006 ("Telemundo Kids")

Telemundo Kids[edit]

Title Premiere date End date Source(s)
Dragon Ball Z July 5, 1999 August 24, 2003
Nini's Treehouse October 6, 2001 April 26, 2003 [5]
Agua Viva
Las Tres Mellizas December 28, 2003
Bizbirije April 26, 2003
Nico May 15, 2004
Toonimals! April 27, 2003
Men in Black: The Series October 7, 2001
Juana la Iguana April 3, 2004
Dragon Tales September 26, 2004
Jackie Chan Adventures
Max Steel October 27, 2002
Wimzie's House October 2, 2004 September 3, 2006
Monster by Mistake September 10, 2005
All Grown Up! October 3, 2004 January 2, 2005
Jacob Two-Two January 9, 2005 September 2, 2006

Qubo en Telemundo[edit]

Title Premiere date End date Source(s)
Dragon September 9, 2006 June 29, 2008 [17]
3-2-1 Penguins! September 13, 2009
Larryboy: The Cartoon Adventures September 29, 2007
VeggieTales September 13, 2009
Babar September 10, 2006 June 30, 2012
Jane and the Dragon
Jacob Two-Two October 2009
My Friend Rabbit October 2007 2009
Postman Pat June 2008
Turbo Dogs October 4, 2008 December 2011
The Zula Patrol 2008 2009, 2012
Willa's Wild Life September 20, 2009 July 1, 2012
Shelldon October 17, 2009 July 1, 2012
The Magic School Bus October 9, 2010 December 2011
Pearlie October 10, 2010 July 1, 2012

MiTelemundo (NBC Kids)[edit]

Title Premiere date End date Source(s)
Raggs July 7, 2012 September 24, 2016 [18]
LazyTown
Cosmic Quantum Ray
Kemy
Jay Jay the Jet Plane December 8, 2013
Noodle and Doodle December 31, 2017
The Chica Show 2013
Nina's World 2015
Maya the Bee 2017

MiTelemundo (Litton Entertainment)[edit]

Title Premiere date Source(s)
El viajero con Josh Garcia (The Voyager with Josh Garcia) 2018–present [19]
Salvando animales (Wilderness Vet with Dr. Oakley)
Aventuras con Dylan Dreyer (Journey with Dylan Dreyer)
Vivir al natural, Danny Seo (Naturally, Danny Seo)
Una mano amiga (Give)
El campeon en ti (The Champion Within with Lauren Thompson)
Taller del Consumidor (Consumer 101) 2019–present
Exploración Planeta Tierra (Earth Odyssey with Dylan Dreyer) 2020–present
Historia Familiar (A New Leaf)
Descubriendo Mis Raíces (Roots Less Traveled)
Pequeños En La Naturaleza (Wild Child) 2021–present
Un Equipo: El Poder Del Deporte (One Team: The Power of Sports) 2022–present

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Lanneri, John (June 13, 1992). "Latin Notas". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media.
  2. ^ Claudia Puig (June 3, 1995). "New Focus for Telemundo Network". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  3. ^ "Telemundo, Nickelodeon in pact". Advertising Age. Crain Communications. September 15, 1998. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Richard Katz (October 23, 1998). "Telemundo deal: Nick in Spanish". Variety. Cahners Business Information. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Telemundo Network 2001–2002 Programming Schedule Presentation". Hispanic Ad Weekly. Hispanic Media Sales, Inc. April 21, 2001.
  6. ^ "Telemundo Kids – Telemundo.com (website)". telemundo.com. Telemundo Network Group, LLC. November 3, 2003. Archived from the original on November 3, 2003.
  7. ^ Andrew Hampp (August 24, 2006). "NBC Debuts Kids Programming Brand Qubo". Advertising Age. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  8. ^ Luis Clemens (February 16, 2008). "Qubo's Rodriguez: Offering a 'Building Block' to Kids". Multichannel News. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  9. ^ Weisman, Jon (March 28, 2012). "NBC to launch Saturday kids block". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  10. ^ Rubino, Lindsay (March 28, 2012). "NBC, With Assist From Sprout, to Launch Saturday Morning Preschool Block". Multichannel News. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  11. ^ Jon Weisman (March 28, 2012). "NBC to launch Saturday kids block". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  12. ^ Lindsay Rubino (March 28, 2012). "NBC, With Assist From Sprout, to Launch Saturday Morning Preschool Block". Multichannel News. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  13. ^ "NBC Will Launch NBC Kids, a New Saturday Morning Preschool Block Programmed by Sprout®, Saturday, July 7". MarketWatch. March 28, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  14. ^ "NBC AND LITTON ENTERTAINMENT EXPAND ICONIC 'THE MORE YOU KNOW' PLATFORM INTO NEW THREE-HOUR SATURDAY MORNING PROGRAMMING BLOCK" (Press release). Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  15. ^ "NBC, Litton Partner on 'The More You Know' Block". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. February 24, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  16. ^ "TELEMUNDO KICKS OFF 2018 WITH THE NEW "Mi TELEMUNDO" KIDS PROGRAMMING BLOCK PREMIERING SATURDAY, JANUARY 6 AT 8AM/7C". NBCUniversal. January 4, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  17. ^ "QUBO TO LAUNCH ON NBC, TELEMUNDO AND THE I NETWORK THIS SEPTEMBER". Ion Media Networks. August 23, 2006. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  18. ^ "Telemundo anuncia nuevo bloque infantil "Mi Telemundo!"". Primera Hora. GFR Media LLC. October 24, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  19. ^ Desk, TV News. "Telemundo Kicks Off 2018 with New 'Mi Telemundo' Programming Block". Retrieved February 17, 2018.