| Nick on CBS | |
|---|---|
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Network |
CBS |
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Launched |
September 16, 2000; 21 years ago (original) |
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Country of origin |
United States |
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Owner |
Nickelodeon Networks (Paramount) |
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Formally known as |
Nick Jr. on CBS (original) (September 16, 2000 – September 7, 2002; September 18, 2004 – September 9, 2006) |
|
Format |
Children's television block |
|
Running time |
3 hours |
|
Original language(s) |
English |
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Former channel number |
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Former affiliation(s) |
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Licensing authority |
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Nick on CBS (also known as Nick Jr. on CBS from 2000-2002 and from 2004-2006) is an American Saturday morning children's programming block that ran on CBS from September 16, 2000 to September 9, 2006, and was relaunched on September 14, 2019. The block featured programming from Nickelodeon, which was a sister cable television property to CBS under Viacom for the majority of the block's run.
History[]
On June 15, 2000, a few months after Viacom (which CBS founded in 1952 as television syndication distributor CBS Films, Inc., and later spun off in 1971 after the then-recently implemented Financial Interest and Syndication Rules barred networks from holding financial interest in syndicated programming content) completed its $37 billion merger with CBS Corporation, CBS reached an agreement with new corporate sister Nickelodeon to air programming from its Nick Jr. television block beginning that September.
On September 16, 2000, the new three-hour block, Nick Jr. on CBS, premiered, replacing CBS Kidshow, which produced by Canada-based animation studio Nelvana. The block ended its run the week prior on September 9. For the first two years of the Viacom agreement, the block exclusively aired preschool-oriented programming from Nick Jr., including interstitials from the Nickelodeon block's animated mascot, Face, and other Nick Jr. interstitials. Nick Jr. on CBS did not air commercials aside from some Nick and CBS-related commercials and PSAs until early 2001. On September 22, 2001, the block received a rebrand based on the Nickelodeon block's new branding, adding Oswald and Bob the Builder. On September 14, 2002, the block was rebranded from Nick Jr. on CBS to simply Nick on CBS; at that time, its programming content expanded to animated Nickelodeon series aimed at children between the ages of 2 to 12, in addition to two Nick Jr. series.
As with the predecessor Think CBS Kids and CBS Kidshow blocks, all of the programs within the block complied with educational programming (E/I) requirements defined by the Children's Television Act, although the educational content in some of the programs was tenuous in nature. It was partly for this reason why some of Nickelodeon's most popular programs (most notably, SpongeBob SquarePants – at the time the cable channel's most popular series) were mainly not included as part of the CBS block, especially during the more open-formatted Nick on CBS era. However, Rugrats aired briefly in 2003, when it was added as a short-lived regular series within the block. Sometime in early 2004, the block had a relaunch, making additions like live-action shows, such as The Brothers García.
The older-skewing Nickelodeon series were removed from the block and the revival of Nick Jr. on CBS premiered on September 18, 2004, refocusing the block back exclusively toward preschool-oriented series. On September 17, 2005, the block added Go, Diego, Go! and began incorporating interstitial hosted segments featuring Piper O'Possum. On December 31, 2005, Viacom formally split under the shared control of National Amusements (owned by Sumner Redstone), with CBS and all related broadcasting, television production and distribution properties as well as some non-production entities becoming part of the standalone company CBS Corporation, while Nickelodeon and its parent subsidiary MTV Networks became part of a new company under the Viacom name.
Less than a month later on January 19, 2006, CBS announced that it would enter into a three-year programming partnership with DIC Entertainment (now WildBrain) to produce a new children's program block for the three-hour Saturday morning timeslot featuring new and former series from its program library, to begin airing in Fall 2006. On September 9, 2006, Nick Jr. on CBS ended its run and was replaced with a new block the following weekend called KOL Secret Slumber Party.
Following the announcement of the second merger between CBS Corporation and Viacom, former CBS Corporation CEO Joseph Ianniello was receptive to the possibility of the return of Nickelodeon children's programming to CBS. The return of Nick on CBS was announced during the Viacom/CBS remerging in June 2019. The CBS All Star Saturday programming block aired for the last and final time on September 7, 2019, and the launch of Nick on CBS replaced the block the following week, making it the very first time that Nickelodeon programs aired on CBS in nearly 14 years.
Unlike the original version, the revival block featured some of Nickelodeon's more popular programs on the block (most notably SpongeBob SquarePants), as CBS during the time of the revival block's launch was trying to steer away from the usual E/I requirements despite that the block aired a handful of Nick Jr. shows that actually met such requirements like Paw Patrol and Blues Clues & You.
A spin-off block to Nick on CBS, Nickelodeon Splat Zone, premiered on UPN on September 15th, 2019; replacing the Kids Click Sunday morning block, the block has aired every weekday morning from 7am to 10am and on Sunday mornings from 7am to 1pm. But unlike the Nick on CBS block, Paramount Kids also consists of Live-action programming that are also from Nickelodeon (e.g. Danger Force and the Double Dare 2018 series).
Programming[]
Harkening back to the original iteration of Nick on CBS, most of the programs aired within the block featured content compliant with educational programming requirements as mandated by the Federal Communications Commission via the Children's Television Act. Though the block was intended to air on Saturday mornings, some CBS affiliates deferred certain programs aired within the block to Sunday mornings, or (in the case of affiliates in the Western United States) Saturday afternoons due to breaking news or severe weather coverage, or regional or select national sports broadcasts (especially in the case of college football and basketball tournaments) scheduled in earlier Saturday timeslots as makegoods to comply with the E/I regulations. Some stations also tape delayed the entire block in order to accommodate local weekend morning newscasts, the Saturday edition of The Early Show or other programs of local interest (such as real estate or lifestyle programs).
Although the Nick Jr. programs featured on Nick on CBS are designed to meet federally mandated educational programming guidelines (with the exception of some animated Nicktoon series), some CBS stations may carry syndicated educational programs to provide supplementary E/I content. Some programs aired within the block may be deferred to Sunday morning slots, or (in the case of affiliates in the western United States), Saturday afternoons due to breaking news, severe weather coverage, or regional and CBS Sports commitments for coverage of college football and college basketball, along with select PGA golf events. Some stations may air the entirety of the Nick on CBS block on tape delay to accommodate local weekend morning newscasts, CBS Saturday Morning or other local programming.
Former Programming[]
| Title | Premiere date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Animated ("Nicktoons") | ||
| Hey Arnold! | September 14, 2002 | September 11, 2004 |
| The Wild Thornberrys | March 6, 2004 | |
| As Told by Ginger | November 23, 2002 | |
| Rugrats | February 1, 2003 | July 26, 2003 |
| ChalkZone | September 11, 2004 | |
| All Grown Up! | March 13, 2004 | |
| Rise of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | September 14, 2019 | January 12, 2020 |
| It's Pony | January 18, 2020 | September 18, 2021 |
| The Casagrandes | March 21, 2020 | |
| September 25, 2021 | September 11, 2022 | |
| Middlemost Post | January 14, 2023 | |
| Rugrats (2021 TV series) | September 24, 2022 | February 10, 2024 |
| Big Nate | September 24, 2022 | |
| Live-action | ||
| The Brothers García | March 13, 2004 | September 11, 2004 |
| The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder | September 17, 2022 | |
| Preschool | ||
| Blue's Clues | September 16, 2000 | September 9, 2006 |
| Dora the Explorer | ||
| Little Bill | September 7, 2002 | |
| August 2, 2003 | March 6, 2004 | |
| September 18, 2004 | September 9, 2006 | |
| Oswald | September 22, 2001 | September 7, 2002 |
| The Backyardigans | October 16, 2004 | September 9, 2006 |
| Go, Diego, Go! | September 17, 2005 | September 9, 2006 |
| Blue's Clues and You! | November 16, 2019 | September 16, 2023 |
| The Tiny Chef Show | September 23, 2023 | October 28, 2023 |
| Rubble & Crew | November 4, 2023 | February 10, 2024 |
Acquired programming from Nickelodeon[]
| Title | Premiere date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| Pelswick | September 14, 2002 | November 23, 2002 |
| Garfield and Friends | September 14, 2019 | January 12, 2020 |
| Ollie's Pack | March 28, 2020 | May 29, 2021 |
| Preschool | ||
| Little Bear | September 16, 2000 | September 15, 2001 |
| Maggie and the Ferocious Beast | ||
| Franklin | September 7, 2002 | |
| Kipper | September 15, 2001 | |
| Bob the Builder | September 22, 2001 | September 7, 2002 |
| LazyTown | September 18, 2004 | September 9, 2006 |
| Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends | September 10, 2005 | |
| Peppa Pig | September 14, 2019 | November 9, 2019 |
Current Programming[]
| Title | Premiere date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Animated ("Nicktoons") | ||
| SpongeBob SquarePants | September 14, 2019 | |
| The Loud House | ||
| Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years | June 5, 2021 | September 18, 2021 |
| The Patrick Star Show | January 21, 2023 | |
| Monster High (2022 TV series) | ||
| Transformers Earthspark | ||
| Sonic Prime | ||
| Rock, Paper, Scissors | February 17, 2024 | |
| The Twisted Timeline of Sammy and Raj | ||
| Preschool | ||
| PAW Patrol | September 14, 2019 | |
| Dora (2024 TV series) | February 17, 2024 | |