The Hub (TV channel)
| The Hub | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | October 10, 2010 |
| Owned by | Discovery Communications Hasbro, Inc. (Both owning 50%) |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| Slogan | It Could Happen. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Silver Spring, Maryland |
| Formerly called | Discovery Kids |
| Sister channel(s) | Discovery Channel TLC Animal Planet OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Science Military Channel Discovery Fit & Health Investigation Discovery Destination America |
| Website | www.hubworld.com |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| DirecTV (US) | 294 (SD) 1294 (VOD) |
| Dish Network | 179 (HD/SD) 9494 (HD) |
| C-Band | AMC 11-Channel 610 (4DTV Digital) AMC 18-Channel 204 (H2H 4DTV) |
| DirecTV (Latin America) | 330 |
| Cable | |
| Available on most cable systems | Check local listings for details |
| IPTV | |
| AT&T U-Verse | 1335 (HD) 335 (SD) |
| Verizon FiOS | 789 (HD) 259 (SD) |
| Sky Angel | 314 |
| Google Fiber | The Hub |
The Hub is an American digital cable and satellite television channel that launched on October 10, 2010.[1] The channel, which replaced Discovery Kids, is a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Inc. and Hasbro.
The Hub targets a dual audience, young children in the daytime with original and acquired children's programs, and families at night with reruns of older television sitcoms, dramas and feature films. Veteran television executive Margaret Loesch serves as president and chief executive officer of The Hub. The channel is available to approximately 60 million subscribers.[2]
One of the network's most noteworthy original properties has proven to be My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. It is an animated television series based on Hasbro's My Little Pony toy property that has proven not only its highest rated production for the intended young girl demographic, but has also attracted an unexpectedly significant cult following in the teen and adult male and female categories.
Other notable original programing includes Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Rescue Bots, Pound Puppies and Dan Vs..
The Hub normally feeds and relies on franchises. Most of The Hub's original programs are tied to properties of Hasbro and those of its current partner American Greetings, with Dan Vs., R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour and The Aquabats! Super Show! being the only shows unrelated to those properties.
In a June 2011 debt filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Discovery Communications indicated that the channel may be worth less than previously believed, based on low viewership figures. The management of the Hub is currently undergoing a fair value analysis of the channel.[3][4]
Contents |
History [edit]
On April 30, 2009, it was announced that Hasbro acquired a 50% stake in Discovery Kids, with the resulting joint-venture changing the channel's name to The Hub.[5][6][1] Discovery will oversee ad sales and distribution, while Hasbro will be responsible for programming.[7][8] The channel continues to use the Discovery Kids strategy of tagging their educational programming as meeting FCC educational and informational programming guidelines with an on-screen logo to list it as such on electronic program guide listings, despite the E/I policy being targeted wholly to broadcast stations, with cable channels completely excluded from E/I regulations.
The channel launched at 10:00 am ET (7:00 am PT) on October 10, 2010, taking over the Discovery Kids channel space after a final marathon of Kenny the Shark.[2] The first program broadcast on the channel was The Twisted Whiskers Show.[9]
In March 2013, The Hub picked up its first work from POW! Entertainment, Stan Lee's Mighty 7, an animated pilot movie to be aired in early 2014.[10]
Programming [edit]
Programming includes The Adventures of Chuck and Friends, Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Pound Puppies, Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Rescue Bots, R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, The Aquabats! Super Show! and Dan Vs..
Programming from Hasbro includes cartoons based on My Little Pony, Transformers, the Pound Puppies and Strawberry Shortcake. Additionally, the network airs Family Game Night, which features Hasbro's board game properties adapted into a game show form.[11]
A limited amount of original Discovery Kids programming remains including series such as Endurance, a contrast to other rebranded Discovery networks as of late which have taken on completely new schedules. In addition the network carries content from the Hasbro-acquired library of Sunbow Productions programs featuring Hasbro licenses, including The Transformers and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, though not any cartoons based on Hasbro properties (or forerunner toy companies such as Tonka that were eventually purchased by Hasbro) made by Hanna-Barbera or Ruby-Spears Productions, whose libraries are owned by Time Warner and air on Cartoon Network and Boomerang. The Hub licenses properties pertaining to Batman and Superman from Time Warner, airing Batman Beyond, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Another Time Warner property, Animaniacs, began reruns on The Hub in January 2013.
The Hub HD [edit]
On the day The Hub launched, Dish Network, Verizon FiOS, and AT&T U-Verse carried the high-definition versions of the network on their channel lineups.[12] Bright House, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Mediacom, Suddenlink, and Time Warner Cable now carry the HD feed in many of their markets as well.
Programming blocks [edit]
Various types of programs are broadcast on The Hub in programming blocks.
Current blocks [edit]
Hub Primetime [edit]
The Hub features a nighttime lineup on Monday-Thursdays from 8:30 pm–6:00 am ET (5:30 pm–3:00 am PT), Fridays from 2:00–4:00 am ET (11:00 pm–1:00 am PT), Saturdays from 1:00–4:00 am ET (10:00 pm–1:00 am PT) and Sundays from 12:00–4:00 am ET (9:00 pm–1:00 am PT). The nighttime schedule consists primarily of off-network syndicated sitcoms and dramas made prior to 2000, primarily from 20th Century Fox Television, Warner Bros. Television, Debmar-Mercury, CBS Television Distribution, and Sony Pictures Television aimed at families and adults. Programs currently airing in this block include Sliders, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Doogie Howser, M.D., ALF, Mork & Mindy, Family Ties, Laverne & Shirley, and Happy Days. Programming originally produced for The Hub such as Family Game Night, Discovery Kids produced programming and feature films aimed at family audiences also air in primetime in place of the classic television series on Fridays from 7:00 pm–2:00 am ET (4:00–11:00 pm PT), and Saturdays and Sundays from 7:00 pm–1:00 am ET (4:00–10:00 pm PT).
Haunted Hub [edit]
This Saturday afternoon block airs from 4:00 pm-6:00 pm ET (1:00 pm-3:00 pm PT). This block specializes in airing programs based on R. L. Stine stories. The programs are Goosebumps and R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour.
Huboom! [edit]
Huboom was originally a late night block of action-themed programming featuring Batman, The Transformers and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero on Monday through Thursdays from 11:30 pm-1:00 am ET (8:30-10:00 pm PT). In June 2012 it relaunched as a weekday action block, which featured G.I. Joe: Renegades, Superman: The Animated Series, The Transformers, Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Animated, Batman: The Animated Series, Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters, Goosebumps, R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, The Super Hero Squad Show, Transformers: Rescue Bots and G.I. Joe: Sigma 6. The block briefly went off the air on April 15, 2013, but was brought back on April 27, 2013. The late-night block of action shows continues to air, using The Hub's regular branding. Also, on Tuesday nights, a 2-hour programming block featuring only Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and Transformers Prime airs under the moniker of Huboom! Nights.
Former Blocks [edit]
HubBub [edit]
HubBub was a daytime programming block for preschoolers, airing from 10:00 am–11:30 am ET (7:00 am–8:30 am PT). The block existed on account of The Hub's primary target audience of school-age children are usually in school during that time period. Programming in the Hubbub block included The Adventures of Chuck and Friends, Maryoku Yummy, In the Night Garden, Animal Mechanicals and The WotWots. HubBub competed with two preschool program cable channels: Nick Jr. and PBS Kids Sprout, and the program block Disney Junior. It replaced the Ready Set Learn block when Discovery Kids was relaunched as The Hub. The block's bumpers have phased out when the network revamped itself for the 2011-2012 year. Currently, The Adventures of Chuck and Friends and Animal Mechanicals air on the network, albeit from 6:00 am-7:00 am ET (3:00 am-4:00 am PT).
Saturday Mash Up [edit]
This programming block seemed to be an all-day block. It had several sub-blocks (Crack Up, Smash Up, Team Up, Family Prime and Family Movie Night). Crack Up is the sub-block that airs from 6:00-10:00 am ET (3:00–7:00 am PT); it aired comedy cartoons. Smash Up aired after it from 10:00 am-2:00 pm ET (7:00–11:00 am PT) with action shows. Team Up airs from 3:00 pm-5:00 pm ET (11:00 am–2:00 pm PT) with two back-to-back episodes of Family Game Night. Family Prime airs from 7:00-9:00 pm ET (4:00–6:00 pm PT); it airs The Hub's most popular shows. Finally, Family Movie Night aired from 9:00-11:00 pm ET (6:00–8:00 pm PT). This block only lasted for the summer of 2011. It phased out in October 2011.
References [edit]
- ^ a b Discovery, Hasbro Aim for Perfect 10s, Broadcasting & Cable, March 29, 2010
- ^ a b Owens, Rob (October 10, 2010). "Tuned In: The Hub Network Offers Programs for Younger Children". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 10, 2010. "The Hub (Formerly Discovery Kids) Launches at 10:00AM Today."
- ^ Is THE HUB Due For A Writedown? Discovery Debt Filing Raises That Possibility, Deadline Hollywood, June 13, 2011
- ^ Less Than Meets The Eye: Is The Hub In Trouble?, Benzinga, June 14, 2011
- ^ Introducing "The Hub"—Discovery Communications and Hasbro Officially Unveil Children's Network Brand, Discovery Communications, January 14, 2010
- ^ Discovery and Hasbro Name New Kids Channel "The Hub", Los Angeles Times, January 14, 2010
- ^ Schneider, Michael (April 30, 2009). "Hasbro Nabs Discovery Kids Stake". Variety. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
- ^ Hasbro and Discovery Communications Announce Joint Venture to Create Television Network Dedicated to High-Quality Children's and Family Entertainment and Educational Content, Discovery Communications, April 30, 2009
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (October 7, 2010). "From Toys to TV: Hasbro Joins Crowded Market with New Children's Channel". Boston Globe (The New York Times Company). Retrieved October 10, 2010. "When Children's Cable Network The Hub Launches This Sunday, Viewers Will See An Animated Logo Known as "The Hubble" and the Start of The Twisted Whiskers Show, Which Features Funny-Looking Cats and Dogs. But If They Look Closer, They'll See Something Else: A New Effort by Pawtucket, R.I.-Based Hasbro to Be More Than a Toymaker."
- ^ "The Hub Network Unveils 2013-'14 Program Slate with Six New Additions to Join Nine Returning Original Series". The Futon Critic. March 20, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
- ^ The Hub Announces "Family Game Night" as First Game Show, Buzzer Blog, May 17, 2010
- ^ Verizon 1aunches The Hub HD on FiOS TV, HD Report October 11, 2010
External links [edit]
- Official website
- The Hub on Facebook
- The Hub on Google+
- The Hub on Twitter
- The Hub's channel on YouTube
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- Television channels and stations established in 2010
- The Hub (TV channel)
- Joint ventures
- English-language television stations in the United States
- Children's television networks in the United States
- American television networks
- Discovery Communications
- Hasbro subsidiaries
- 2010 establishments in the United States
