Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick, and originally called Pinwheel) is an American basic cable and satellite television network that is owned by the MTV Networks Kids & Family Group, a unit of the division of Viacom. Most of its programming is aimed at children and adolescents ages 8–16, while its weekday morning edutainment programs are targeted at younger children ages 2–8. The channel's programming consists of original first-run television series, along with occasional broadcasts of theatrically-released and original made-for-cable movies and select other third-party programming. Its programming runs from Sunday-Wednesdays from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Eastern and Pacific Time).
Since July 1985, it has shared its channel space with Nick at Nite, a nighttime service that airs during the interim hours, and is treated as a separate channel from Nickelodeon by Nielsen for ratings purposes; it features reruns of older primetime sitcoms, along with some original series and feature films. Both services are sometimes collectively referred to as "Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite", due to their common association as two individual channels sharing a single program space.
==History==
Nickelodeon was launched in 1977 as the Pinwheel channel in Columbus, Ohio on the QUBE cable system (now Time Warner Cable).
During its broadcast day, it would air shows such as Pinwheel, Video Comic Book, America Goes Bananaz, Nickel Flicks and By the Way.
On April 1, 1979, the channel went national when they expanded to another QUBE system in Buffalo, New York.
In 1980, Geraldine Laybourne joined the network. She would become President of Nickelodeon in 1983. In 1981, the channel expanded nationwide as Nickelodeon.
The channel became known for its iconic green slime, originally featured in the network's first major hit, the 1980s Canadian comedy show You Can't Do That on Television. The slime was then adopted by the station as a primary feature of many of its shows.
In 1984, the original "Silver Ball" logo was replaced with the orange shape-shifting logo which would continue to be used for 25 years.
==Programming==
===Nicktoons===
Nicktoons are animated television programs airing on Nickelodeon. Prior to 1991, Nickelodeon aired mostly foreign-based cartoons mainly coming from Canada, United Kingdom, France, Eastern Europe (mainly Russia & Poland), and Japan as well as American cartoons that were produced by other companies. Over the years, more Nicktoons were created and aired. Other Nicktoons were created for Nick Jr..
===Major blocks===
====Nick Jr.====
Nick Jr. is the preschool programming block broadcast first at 12PM ET, depending on the time of the season and other shows scheduled. It is aimed at a preschool-age audience.
====Nick at Nite====
Nick at Nite is the evening programming block broadcast over Nickelodeon Sunday – Thursdays from 9 PM to 5:30 AM
====TEENick====
TEENick is a current programming block that began in 1992 as SNICK and played on Saturday nights, before moving to Sunday nights, and then back to Saturday nights. SNICK was relaunched and renamed TEENick in 2004. TEENick was originally hosted by Nick Cannon and is now hosted by J Boogie.
==== Nick on CBS ====
Nick on CBS was a programming block on CBS, from September 2002 to September 2004. It consisted of programs originating on Nickelodeon. The block replaced, and was later replaced by, Nick Jr. on CBS
==== Nick Jr. on CBS ====
Nick Jr. on CBS was the preschool programming block on CBS that began in September 2000, replacing CBS Kids. This Saturday morning block presented programming from Nick Jr.. The block was restored in 2004, when Nick on CBS was canceled. This block was replaced by KOL Secret Slumber Party (now KEWLopolis) in 2006.
==== Nick on Telemundo ====
Likewise on the Spanish network Telemundo, dubbed Spanish versions of Nickelodeon shows such as Rugrats and Dora the Explorer were aired on weekends. The programming block has since been dropped in the fall of 2006, in favor of their own kids programming block qubo.
==Sister channels==
Nickelodeon has spun off several other cable networks.
===Nickelodeon Games and Sports===
Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids (commonly referred to as Nickelodeon GAS, Nick GAS or GAS), is a U.S. cable television network which was launched on March 1, 1999 as part of MTV Networks' suite of digital cable channels. Olympic swimmer and Figure It Out host Summer Sanders was named the Commissioner of Nick GAS. Dave Aizer and Vivianne Collins were the network's original on-air hosts, with Mati Moralejo joining soon after.
Nick GAS has left the DirecTV and digital cable line-ups on December 31, 2007. On this date, another Nickelodeon-based network, The N, took GAS's channel position. Nick GAS is still currently seen on Dish Network; it is also available on TurboNick.
=== Nicktoons Network ===
Nicktoons Network, once known as Nicktoons TV and simply Nicktoons, is a digital cable and satellite television network which airs classic and modern Nicktoons.
=== Teennick ===
The N is a television channel in the United States aimed at teenagers and young adults.
As of December 31, 2007 The N is now abbreviated for "The Network for Teens". In 2010, it was renamed and rebranded as TeenNick.
=== Nick Jr.===
Noggin is a television channel in the United States aimed at preschool-aged and early elementary-school-aged children. The N and Noggin both had one channel, but then The N took over Nick GaS spot and is currently on that channel. In 2010, it was renamed and rebranded as Nick Jr.
== Other Nickelodeon projects ==
=== Nick.com ===
Nick.com is the official website of Nickelodeon. It was originally centered on Natalie's Backseat Traveling Web Show which launched in 1996 and continued until 1998.
Nick.com gives visitors of the site the option to register onto the site. Such registration would give the member a "Nickname", which is referring towards his or her membership. Users can e-mail messages to others with NickMail.
Nick.com has over 500 online games, many of them are related to the shows that currently or formerly aired on Nickelodeon. Since January 6, 2006, Nickelodeon has been doing the New Game of the Week Program. Every week features a new game, allowing users to get extra benefits for playing.
Nick.com also includes Nicktropolis and TurboNick.
===Nickelodeon Magazine===
Nickelodeon Magazine was launched by Nickelodeon in 1993, following a short-lived effort from 1990. It contains informative non-fiction pieces, humor, interviews, pranks, recipes (such as green slime cake), and a comic book section in the center featuring original comics by leading underground cartoonists as well as strips about popular Nicktoons.
===Nickelodeon Movies===
Nickelodeon Movies is the network's motion picture production arm. It has produced films based on Nickelodeon programs, as well as other adaptations and original projects. Its films are released by fellow Viacom division Paramount Pictures.
==Destinations==
===Nicktoons Studios===
Nicktoons Studios (formerly known as Games Animation) is a facility at Burbank, California. It serves as a production facility for many active Nicktoons. It also has earlier Nicktoons scattered on top of the studio at random places. It also serves as a home to the Nicktoons Network and has been used on the Nicktoons Network site replacing the Nickelodeon foot logo with the Nicktoons Network logo.
===Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America===
The Nickelodeon theme park, "Nickelodeon Universe", a rebranding of The Park at MOA in the Mall of America, is set to open in Spring 2008. New attractions include an Avatar: The Last Airbender-themed half-pipe ride, a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed roller coaster, and a new drop tower ride.
===Theme park areas===
====Nickelodeon Studios====
thumb|right|Nickelodeon Studios as viewed from the Hard Rock Cafe in March 2004.
Nickelodeon Studios was an attraction at Universal Orlando Resort that opened on June 7, 1990, and housed production for many Nickelodeon programs. It closed on April 30, 2005, after all of Nickelodeon's production had re-located to Burbank, California. The Slime Geyser was removed from the front of the facility in May 2005, the trademark Nickelodeon sign was removed in January 2006, and the Nickelodeon Time Capsule was removed prematurely in August 2006. The building was then converted into the Sharp Aquos Theatre, a venue for the Blue Man Group, which opened on June 7, 2007.
====Nickelodeon Central====
Nickelodeon Central is an area inside many theme parks around The United States, Canada, and Australia. The area is filled with attractions, shows, and themes featuring the Nickelodeon characters.
====Nickland====
Nickland is an area inside of Movie Park Germany featuring Nickelodeon-themed rides, including a Spongebob Squarepants-themed "Splash Battle" ride, and a Jimmy Neutron-themed roller coaster.
====Nickelodeon Universe====
Nickelodeon Universe is an area inside of Kings Island featuring Nickelodeon-themed rides and attractions. The area is one of the largest areas in the park, and has been voted "Best Kid's Area" by Amusement Today magazine since 2001.
====Nickelodeon Blast Zone====
The Nickelodeon Blast Zone is an area in Universal Studios Hollywood that features attractions centered around Nickelodeon characters and themes. The three attractions in the area, "Nickelodeon Splash", a waterpark-style area, "The Wild Thornberrys Adventure Temple", a jungle-themed foam ball play area, and "Nick Jr Backyard", a medium-sized toddler playground, are all based around interactivity.
====Nickelodeon Splat City====
Nickelodeon Splat City was an area inside of Great America (1995-2002), Kings Island (1995-2000), and Kings Dominion (1995-1999), that featured attraction involving getting messy or wet. The slime refinery theme was carried out in the attractions such as the "Green Slime Zone Definery", the "Crystal Slime Mining Maze", and the "Green Slime Transfer Truck".
===Hotels===
Nickelodeon Family Suites is a Nickelodeon-themed Holiday Inn hotel in Orlando, Florida, located near Universal Studios Resort and one mile from Walt Disney World Resort. The property includes one, two, and three-bedroom Nick-themed kid suites and various forms of Nick-themed entertainment. Nickelodeon Family Suites also contains a Nick at Nite suite for adults.
Nickelodeon Resorts by Marriott is an upcoming hotel chain similar to the above Family Suites, featuring a 110,000 square foot waterpark area and 650 hotel rooms. The first of the 20 planned hotels will open in San Diego, California in 2010. 
== International ==
In 1996, Nick at Nite spun off the channel TV Land, which currently airs a variety of older shows, primarily sitcoms from 1951 to 1992.
It also operates language- or culture-specific Nickelodeon channels for various markets in different parts of the world, and has licensed some of its cartoons and other content, in English and local languages, to TV and cable stations such as KI.KA and Super RTL in Germany, RTÉ Two (English) and TG4 (Irish) in Ireland, YTV and Teletoon (English) and VRAK.TV (French) in Canada, Canal J in France, Alpha Kids in Greece and CNBC-e in Turkey.
As of August 2007, the network also broadcasts in South East Asia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Scandinavia, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Cyprus, India, Italy, Israel, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Hungary, France, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Romania, Africa, Latin America, and Brazil.
On October 11, 2006, Viacom's subsidiary MTV Networks Asia Pacific set up a new unit to manage Nickelodeon South East Asia TV based in Singapore."MTV Networks Asia Pacific Announces A New Structure To Advance Its Localization Strategy", Viacom, 11 October 2006 Nickelodeon was launched in Singapore and expanded its services in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Polynesia. In the present, Nickelodeon Philippines and Nickelodeon India started working independently. They started their new website, Nicksplat.com in 2003.
In India, Nickelodeon is available on the One Alliance bouquet, through the Dish TV and Tata Sky DTH services. In the Philippines, it is available on SkyCable Gold, Silver and Platinum channel 45, Sun Cable channel 34 and Global Destiny Cable channel 21. In Hong Kong, it is available on now TV, while in Malaysia, it is available over Astro via Channel 60. In Singapore, it is available over Starhub Cable TV and in Indonesia, Nickelodeon is available on Astro Nusantara channel 14 and is also broadcast on Global TV, a free-to-air television channel.
A pan-Arabia version of Nickelodeon is slated to relaunch in 2008, in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. From the late-1990s until the mid-2000s, Nickelodeon was offered on the Showtime Arabia and Orbit satellite services, until they were removed, now Nickelodron Arabia is only available on Orbit Showtime (OSN) along with Nick Jr. =http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a77868/mtv-to-launch-nickelodeon-arabia.html | title =Nickelodeon Arabia| work = | publisher = | pages = | page = |date=2007-10-16 | accessdate = | language = }}</ref>
== References ==
==See also==
*Nicktoons
*Nicktoons Network
*Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids
*Noggin
*The N
===Official sites===
* Nickelodeon America
* Nickelodeon Asia
* Nickelodeon Australia
* Nickelodeon Austria
* Nickelodeon Central
* Nickelodeon China
* Nickelodeon France
* Nickelodeon Germany
* Nickelodeon India
* Nickelodeon Italy
* Nickelodeon Israel
* Nickelodeon Japan
* Nickelodeon Korea
* Nickelodeon in Latin America
*Nickelodeon Middle East
* Nickelodeon Netherlands
* Nickelodeon New Zealand
* Nickelodeon Portugal
* Nickelodeon Scandinavia
* Nickelodeon Spain
* Nickelodeon in Russia and CIS
* Nickelodeon Turkey
* Nickelodeon UK
* Nicktropolis
*Nick Jr.
*Nicktoons Network