Author Topic: THE HUB  (Read 3355 times)

Offline iFett

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THE HUB
« on: January 14, 2010, 03:40 PM »
Introducing THE HUB - Discovery Communications and Hasbro Officially Unveil Children's Network Brand
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Offline Nicklab

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2010, 07:00 PM »
This has been in the works for a while.  It's been called into question to some degree because the entire platform would essentially be one big commercial for Hasbro's intellectual properties.  They run a Transformers or GI Joe show?  They already own those licenses, so Hasbro's costs for that programming are dramatically lower.

But then, there have been arguments about toy centered cartoons dating back to the 80's.  The shows are definitely here to stay.

So will Star Wars play a role here?  It's possible but not certain.  Hasbro may have the toy license, but it's Lucasfilm that will negotiate any kind of deal.  Right now Cartoon Network has far more market penetration than THE HUB would.  60 million MSO's is a good start though.  But then there's channel placement.  Cartoon Network has been around longer and has some prime channel placement with some of the major cable providers.  Sure, Lucasfilm and Hasbro have been in business together for a while.  And THE HUB's programming needs could get CLONE WARS into higher rotation.  But I wouldn't expect anything to materialize any time this season.
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Offline iFett

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #2 on: February 8, 2010, 04:38 PM »
Looks like the new Transformers toon will be called "Prime" and it will be in CG.  Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman will be writing for it....  They were the writers for the first two live action movies in case you're not in the know. 
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Offline iFett

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2010, 06:06 PM »
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- For years, the kids' cable upfront was a two-and-a-half player game, where advertisers could do the vast majority of their business with Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and a few select shows on the subscriber-supported Disney Channel.

But in 2010, marketers and audiences will have nearly double the opportunities at their fingertips as Discovery and Hasbro ready a new network, The Hub, for a fall launch, and Disney XD enters its second year as a growing destination among young boys. Such recent entrants into the space have caused Cartoon Network to broaden the definition of its programming and brand name to include more live-action series in its lineup, while long-time ad-supported leader Nickelodeon is casting a wider net to lure more older teens and parents to the network.


WHAT'S IN A NAME? After a brief identity crisis, Cartoon Network is leaping into live action, but it is still launching animated shows such as 'Adventure Time.'
The newest kid on the block, The Hub, also has the added pressure of what will likely be one of the last big cable network launches ever -- second only, perhaps, to Discovery sibling the Oprah Winfrey Network. But Margaret Loesch, CEO of the joint venture, is banking on more than two decades of experience in programming to children from her days as a producer of Hasbro programs such as "GI Joe," "My Little Pony" and "Transformers," all of which are expected to appear in revamped form when the network launches Oct. 10.

"The Nickelodeons and the Disneys are doing a great job with offering strong programming, but they're starting to age up a bit," Ms. Loesch said. "We think if we come in and really focus on the 6- to 12-year-old demo as our prime target, it's a relatively underserved audience where there's a lot of opportunity to do a lot more."

But The Hub is also looking to pry open Hasbro's vaults and those of other production companies to program at least an hour's worth of vintage content from the 1980s to attract the parents of its target viewers.
  Joe?  Transformers?  Please?

This opportunity to program to the whole family is also a key focus of Nickelodeon's upfront-programming strategy this year, as it expands its highly successful Nick at Nite prime-time block by adding an extra hour to the 8 p.m. timeslot with shows such as Damon Wayans' "My Wife & Kids" and the original animated series "Glenn Martin, D.D.S." from executive producer Michael Eisner.

"Through research, we know the first generation of Nickelodeon kids have grown up and are having kids themselves, so there's this huge affinity to the Nickelodeon brand," said Pamela Kaufman, Nickelodeon's chief marketing officer. "We also know there's an enormous amount of time parents are spending with their kids, and through that time the most popular activity is watching TV."

Nickelodeon is also extending the lifespan of core franchises such as "Dora the Explorer" through broader marketing partnerships with organizations such as the U.S. Census, State Farm and The Parents and Teachers Association as part of the popular character's 10th anniversary.

Disney, too, is taking a partnership approach to its upfront this year, aligning the Disney Channel and its sibling media partners such as Radio Disney, Wondertime magazine and the Disney Online network with marketers such as Best Western, Walmart and Sara Lee for strategic programming and retail partnerships. "We're marketers first, so it's important that our partners are fully integrated from a brand perspective wherever our content lives," said Michelle Scarola, Disney's senior VP-ad sales.

And with shows such as "The Wizards of Waverly Place," "J.O.N.A.S." and "Sonny With a Chance" still scoring strongly among tweens, often competing directly in the ratings race with Nickelodeon, there's confidence that the network will still have some franchises to lean on when "Hannah Montana" airs its final episodes later this year.

Cartoon Network, meanwhile, is coming out of what could be described as a short-term identity crisis. At its upfront last spring, the network announced its first live-action programming, and later reportedly toyed with altering its name to reflect its new nonanimated focus. But even as it readies reality-based series like this summer's "Unnatural History" and fall's "Tower Prep," the network has reissued its commitment to original animation with new cartoons such as "Adventure Time" and "Generator Rex."

"Animation is still the core of what we do and will continue to be our brand identity," said Turner Animation CMO Brenda Freeman. "But whether what we're doing is with animation or live-action, we want to become a youth-culture brand for kids."
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Offline Jeff

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2010, 03:47 PM »
Looks like Hasbro issued a Press Release for the new network's Fall line-up...
« Last Edit: May 19, 2010, 11:28 AM by Jeff »
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Offline iFett

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2010, 04:45 PM »
Also - "Transformers Prime" will feature the voice of Peter Cullen   8)

and

Vintage flashbacks
The Hub will exclusively re-air old episodes of the Jim Henson Company's "Fraggle Rock," and is also planning a late-night block of old "G.I. Joe" and "Transformers" episodes to attract parents and young adult males nostalgic for the '80s-era cartoons. Also getting a makeover is "Strawberry Shortcake," the American Greetings character that started a popular line of dolls in the late '80s.
« Last Edit: May 17, 2010, 04:49 PM by iFett »
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Offline efranks

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2010, 07:42 PM »
I probably would really like watching what this network is going to be showing, but I refuse to pay Time Warner any more blood money to get their digital upgrade package that would be required to see it.

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Offline Brian

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #7 on: October 8, 2010, 10:18 AM »
I was just checking out the guide on our cable box, and see that the "Hub" programming is premiering next week.  I don't see the "new" shows of Joe, TF, etc. yet, but they do have some neat stuff in their older shows.  There is of course the G.I. Joe/TF block each night at 11 (CST), but they also seem to be showing the old '60s Batman (been a long time since I've seen that), the Batman Beyond Animated Series, and the Wonder Years (one of my favorites as a kid).  Nice to see some of those shows that haven't been on TV in a long time brought back (there are also things like Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, etc. - which for some reason are never shown on things like TV Land anymore).
« Last Edit: October 8, 2010, 10:19 AM by Brian »

Offline Phrubruh

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #8 on: October 8, 2010, 05:31 PM »
I've got to set my dvr for the G.I. Joe/TF block.
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Offline iFett

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #9 on: October 8, 2010, 05:48 PM »
It's live....Kinda sucks it's not in HD though.   :-\
« Last Edit: October 12, 2010, 09:54 PM by iFett »
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Offline Jeff

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2014, 09:44 AM »
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Offline Phrubruh

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2014, 09:52 AM »
Awww crap. Now where am I going to watch the Aquabats Super Show?
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Offline McMetal

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2014, 09:44 AM »
Good, their "kid" shows were horrible...those damn ponies and their severe emotional problems!
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Offline Brian

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Re: THE HUB
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2014, 05:27 PM »
Although they don't show a lot of them anymore, I sort of liked the Hub for playing some of the older cartoons like Batman: TAS, Superman: TAS, Batman Beyond, Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, GI Joe, and Transformers.  They've played less and less of that lately though.  Some of the "Family Movie Night" stuff was good over the years though as they had stuff like E.T., Iron Giant, Karate Kid, etc. on.  Other than that, I don't know that we watched it a whole lot.  Our daughter watched the ponies for awhile, but hasn't for quite awhile now.  There just doesn't seem to be a lot of channels that will put those older shows on.  Sometimes even Boomerang's "vintage toons" is just stuff from the 90s/2000s, and not so much older stuff anymore.