Cartoon Network (India)

Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an Indian cable and satellite television channel operated by Warner Bros. Discovery under its international division. It is the Indian equivalent of the original American network and was launched on 1 May 1995 as the first television channel in India dedicated to children. The channel primarily airs animated programming in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. CN also operates Pogo TV.

Cartoon Network was the first dedicated children's television channel in India, which was launched on 1 May 1995, as a dual-channel with Cartoon Network operating from 5:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (later 4:00p.m. in early 1997, followed by 5:30p.m., 8p.m. by 1998, 9:00p.m. from mid-1998 to 2001, and finally 10 p.m.) and Turner Classic Movies (formerly TNT) taking up the remainder of the daily schedule. On 1 July 2001, Cartoon Network India commenced daily full-day broadcasts.

In early 2004, a separate feed of the channel dedicated to Pakistani and Bangladeshi viewers was launched.

Cartoon Network India initially only aired Hanna-Barbera cartoons such as The Yogi Bear Show, Top Cat, The Flintstones, and Scooby-Doo. The channel quickly started to develop, with them airing MGM cartoons such as Tom and Jerry, Droopy, and Spike and Tyke for the first time in 1996, and after Time Warner's purchase of Turner in 1996, Warner Bros. produced cartoons such as Looney Tunes in 1997. In 1998, Cartoon Network India began airing Cartoon Network originals, such as Space Ghost Coast to Coast and The Moxy Show.^{[citation needed]} In its early years, the channel broadcast only in English. At the time, the Indian market was able to understand English without creating language barriers, as the "link language in the subcontinent". Turner's initial strategy for India was all in English, devoid of subtitles and dubbing in national and regional languages, and catered the English-speaking niche, unlike its competitor Star TV. Bob Ross, president of Turner International at the time, was aiming a certain percentage of the English-fluent market, using its vast library assets. After capturing such percentage, there were possible plans to localise the signal to Tamil and Hindi.

On 4 January 1999, the channel started to offer Hindi-dubbed versions of its shows, such as Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Speed Racer, SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron, The Mask: Animated Series, The Addams Family, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Captain Planet, Tom & Jerry Kids and certain other select programs. Initially they air as daily two hours blocks (3 to 5pm on weekdays and 2 to 4pm on weekends). Anshuman Mishra, head of the channel, believed that the step had to be taken in October 1998 in order to reduce the influence of violent cartoons.

On 23 August 1999, the channel received a rebrand, introducing new bumpers, new shows and a new "powerhouse" theme. The new shows for 1999 were its original shows Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, Ed, Edd n Eddy, and Johnny Bravo.

The following year, 2000, saw more Cartoon Network originals being introduced, including The Powerpuff Girls, Mike, Lu & Og, and Courage the Cowardly Dog. DC Animated Universe series started premiering in 2000s starting with Batman: The Animated Series (2000) followed by The Adventures of Batman and Robin (2000), The New Batman Adventures (2000), Batman Beyond (2001), Superman: The Animated Series (2001), and Justice League (2002). On 28 February 2000, a Tamil feed was launched on the network.

In 2001, Sheep in the Big City, Time Squad, and Samurai Jack premiered in India. On 1 July 2001, Cartoon Network became a 24-hour channel.