Turns out, people like classic cartoons!
Here’s the latest press release from Teletoon:
TELETOON Retro hits over eight million subscribers, becoming the highest penetrated all-digital Canadian specialty channel
(Toronto, January 12, 2011) – TELETOON Canada inc. today announced its classic animation service, TELETOON Retro, has reached over eight million Canadian subscribers for its English and French services, making it the first all-digital Canadian specialty to achieve this milestone of highest subscriber penetration.
“TELETOON Retro’s founding vision was to become a television service that had mass appeal, offered the best classic cartoons and reached as many homes across Canada as possible,” said Len Cochrane, President, TELETOON Canada inc. “In just over three years since launch, we’ve surpassed all of these objectives and built TELETOON Retro into an over eight-million subscriber service that offers nostalgic quality programming and has a strong co-view audience of parents and kids along with adults 18-49. We thank all of our distribution partners across the country for helping us make TELETOON Retro available to Canadians coast-to-coast.”
TELETOON Retro English launched in October 2007, followed by TÉLÉTOON Rétro French in September 2008. The specialty channel offers classic cartoons including old favourites such as The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show, Tom & Jerry, The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, The Smurfs, ThunderCats, Spiderman, Transformers and Yogi Bear. This Winter, TELETOON Retro’s lineup includes the premieres of He-Man & the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra, Princess of Power, G.I. Joe and The New Adventures of Tom & Jerry.
TELETOON Retro presents classic cartoons all day, every day. A nostalgic throwback to favourites of the past, TELETOON Retro delivers new laughs with familiar friends to over eight million Canadian homes. Available in both English and French, TELETOON Canada inc. brings kids, youth and adults the best in animated and animation-related entertainment with four nationwide specialty television channels – TELETOON, TÉLÉTOON, TELETOON Retro and TÉLÉTOON Rétro. Founded in 1997, TELETOON Canada inc. is owned by Astral (50{f2e86ea6af82e2bb048871abf045622abf0ed27fb513932dc1ee8c05a54cbefd}) and Corus Entertainment (50{f2e86ea6af82e2bb048871abf045622abf0ed27fb513932dc1ee8c05a54cbefd}). For more information, please visit www.teletoon.com .
TELETOON Canada inc. brings kids, youth, young adults and families the best in animated and animation-related entertainment with four nationwide specialty television channels – TELETOON, TÉLÉTOON, TELETOON Retro and TÉLÉTOON Rétro – and select programming available On Demand, Mobile TV, iTunes and teletoon.com. Through its English and French networks, TELETOON reaches 7.9 million Canadian homes and TELETOON Retro is in over eight million homes. Founded in 1997, TELETOON is a proud supporter of the Canadian animation industry, investing over $225 million in homegrown content to date. TELETOON Canada inc. is owned by Astral (50{f2e86ea6af82e2bb048871abf045622abf0ed27fb513932dc1ee8c05a54cbefd}) and Corus Entertainment (50{f2e86ea6af82e2bb048871abf045622abf0ed27fb513932dc1ee8c05a54cbefd}). For more information, please visit www.teletoon.com .
…and yet, with that huge subscriber base, TR’s new additions include the Filmation Tom & Jerry, He-Man & She-Ra, and Stop the Smoggies!
I admit I’m hard on Teletoon Retro. Right now, TR seems a little too focused on 1980s nostalgia, which I assume ties in with the Hasbro/Corus deal in some way. I just don’t want to see the channel go overboard with the 1980s content. TR’s kinda pushing that limit now, with ThunderCats, G.I. Joe, Transformers, The Real GhostBusters and the aforementioned He-Man shows.
The 80’s cartoon world has much to answer for but I admit to enjoying watching the odd show from this era. Usually after a few pints.
‘highest penetrated all-digital Canadian specialty channel’
Funny, I would have thought it’d be a different channel achieving that status.
Before I dropped cable completely, I think my daughter and I watched Retro more that Teletoon proper. I could only ever handle so much of the crappy old superhero shows (which I enjoy), but having somewhere you can go to watch classic Looney Tunes on a regular basis is great.
When I think of classic cartoons, I don’t think of the 80’s. I think of the times when they actually put effort into “character animation”.
They should show more of the golden 30’s and 40’s Disney, WB and MGM on tv. Especially Disney. The old theatrical cartoons are still lovable today i find.