Penguin Network

Penguin Network is an American multinational pay television channel (plus formerly a Los Angeles, California-based television station branded as KTLA 10) once owned by Splashinis Worldwide Studios until 2009 and Rockville Worldwide Studios until 2022, and ultimately semi-owned by The Sonic & Donkey Kong Company from 2021, and operated by Penguin Network, Inc., the wholly owned subsidiary of Rockville Worldwide Studios, which was folded into The Sonic & Donkey Kong Company on January 1, 2023 (New Year's Eve).
Penguin Network briefly airs live-action and animated general entertainment programming from Splashinis Worldwide Studios, plus ones from DIC Entertainment, Cookie Jar Group, Nintendo, Cartoonverse Television, ITV, Channel 4 and among others, as well as overseas animated programs based on anime. Penguin Network is aimed at audiences aged 2-20, while its kid-oriented efforts compete with Toon Disney, Cartoon Network, PBS Kids, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon and their adult efforts compete with Fox, The WB, UPN and Comedy Central.
Penguin Network first launched in the United States on November 20, 1990 at midnight 12:00 AM. Central Time, airing original shows, beginning with the Splashinis Television catalog in 1995. The Penguin Network has been watched by more than 13 million subscribers and has become one of the most popular celebrity television networks of history. Penguin Network was also broadcast and run globally (via different channels and different new global shows) outside of the US in over 75 countries across Europe (excluding Eastern Europe), Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America (as a programming block only on various Televisa Networks channels during the 2000s), and India in 1998, starting with the UK and Ireland.
In December 2012, Rockville Worldwide Studios announced the closure of the Penguin Network on April 29, 2013, with Sony Crime (owned by Sony Pictures Television) replacing the Penguin Network on some cable providers, while the channel featured a rememberance bumper, which inspires the farewell montage, in which Uniqua, Pablo and Tyrone left the city erased, featuring Mary Anne Spier from The Babysitters Club saying farewell with the Killerbee 106.3-like goodbye speech.
The last Penguin Network channel, the Japanese version, ceased operations on October 21, 2022, ventually concluding the Penguin Network after 32 years. Penguin Network, LLC was folded into The Sonic & Donkey Kong Company itself. Some of its shows, including original shows, moved to The Pikmin Network starting in June 2023, as the rest of the shows would be moved to the new Nintendo Premium pay TV service, plus most notably Nintendo's family of global television channels, which launches on September 1, 2023, starting in Italy.
==Background==
The Penguin Network's backstory dates back to the 1970s following the founding of The Splashinis Company, which has entertained the world to #1 common popularity. The Splashinis Company has become television, while the The Backyardigans franchise was shown at the Truman Man Awards, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1989. Following successful appearances in the Mission to Mars franchise and the rerun of The Backyardigans shorts in the US, including the original domestic theatrical release of [[Whodunit (1984 film)|Whodunit] ] In 1984, The Splashinis Company reached an agreement with ABC to establish a commercial television channel based in Los Angeles, featuring the 'Backyardigans' as they intended to appear on Backyardigans-style TV shows, including Whodunit : The Series, Captain Moose, and Mr. Penguin. 
==History==
Beginning in 1988, the American network company called Interconnection Industries, founded by some of ABC employees, has entered into a 10-year network agreement with The Splashinis Company to develop a new Los Angeles-based basic cable television network, intending to compete with Nickelodeon, although The Splashinis Company decided to turn it into a popular "MTV"/"Nickelodeon"-style network to broadcast programs aimed at young audiences. The Splashinis Company decided to create a new agreement with Allbritton Communications to launch the television network, starring only Pablo, one of the main protagonists of the franchise. Pablo was going to be the next official mascot of the television network, in which he presents a message called "I'm Pablo, I present to you my Backyardigans Network, known as the Penguin Network, with great Backyardigans shows like Captain Moose, who tries to kill everyone wherever that is." In 1990, the Penguin Network will hire Jamie Kellner as president. 
===Launch: 1991===
The Penguin Network first launched in the United States and Canada on November 20, 1990 at 12:00 am, and its first show was the short film Pirate Treasure from The Backyardigans at air. At that time, the Penguin Network had aired several ABC shows, including shows like Girls on the Road, The Happiness, 21 Jump Street, Into Another Time and others. The original catchphrase for the Penguin Network was "When the penguin has one!". 
In 1991, the Penguin Network celebrated its first anniversary of supporting the best programming ever, by acquiring a deal worth more than $142 million. Jason Burton was hired to be the president of the Penguin Network, and Jamie Kellner was hired as co-chairman. Thomas and Philip's Epic Adventures, the first original series on the Penguin Network, premiered on July 11, 1992. 
===First programs: 1992-2000===
====Formation of Penguin Network, LLC: 1992-1993====
In August 1992, DIC Entertainment, Nintendo, The Splashinis Company, Merv Griffin Enterprises and Toei Animation announced an agreement between them to provide the opportunity to broadcast television series on the Penguin Network, while The Splashinis Company is set to assume the rights to the shorts of The Backyardigans for the Penguin Network broadcast. The announcement was made by Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama, who would later work on the 2009 Penguin Network TV special called The Boy Who Can Flight' '. The five companies formed their children's, teens and adult entertainment joint venture Penguin Network, LLC, a Los Angeles-based national broadcaster to operate the Penguin Network itself. In April 1993, the Penguin Network announced the acquisition of the television broadcasting rights to the ITV library of programming. In August 1993, the Penguin Network announced that it would acquire Channel 4's programming library, which includes Pib's Programme. 
====Expansions: 1993-1996====
At the same time, the Penguin Network launched its first adult programming block known as "Penguin Primetime", which includes Channel 4 shows. Later, Penguin Network, LLC approved an agreement with Interconnection Industries to carry American programs. Penguin Network, LLC announced that it has acquired the rights to 78.4% of the programming library of Calexico Studios. The Penguin Network has become the #1 National Original General Entertainment Channel watched by more than 32 million viewers nationwide, coming to compete with American national networks such as CBS, Fox, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Disney Channel.
In January 1996, Penguin Network, LLC announced the sale of its 56.5% equity interest to The Splashinis Company, which began running its first secure network fee, from which The Splashinis Company had obtained the broadcast television rights. The Splashinis Company has also agreed to acquire the exciting additional 34.5% stake of the Penguin Network. Penguin Network also announced the acquisition of the streaming rights to the Nintendo Television Studio library, as part of its epic deal with Nintendo of America and DiC Entertainment. In early 1997, the Penguin Network acquired the US broadcast rights to the anime Sailor Moon, while the Penguin Network also signed a 10-year deal with DiC Entertainment to broadcast a couple of animated TV shows, starting with The Little Man. Penguin Network Chairman Jason Burton stepped down as Chairman and was replaced by former Disney Channel Kids Manager Taylor Prust, who joined the Penguin Network to take over Burton's role as president. 
====New productions: 1997-2000====
In addition, Penguin Network announced that it will acquire the US broadcast rights to The Backyardigans television shows, beginning with Save the Day to premiere it, while acquiring the replay rights to Cave Party, which originally aired on Fox Kids. Penguin Network would later acquire the broadcast rights to Garfield & Friends. 
===New expansions: 2000-2008===
On May 9, 2000, following the name change from The Splashinis Company to Splashinis Worldwide Studios, the Penguin Network celebrated its 10th anniversary, with its 2000 lineup featuring The Babysitters Club, Free Penguins , One Piece, Third Rock from the Sun, The Smurfs , Couch Potatoes and Rainbow. 
Also on the same day, coinciding with its 10th anniversary, the Penguin Network launched its preschool-oriented programming block called "Penguin Underfives", aimed at young children ages 2-6, featuring its first preschool-oriented shows such as Kristi and Jessi, Bob the Builder and Rolie Polie Olie. Additionally, Splashinis Worldwide Studios expanded Penguin Network, LLC into an international production outlet by launching new international channels beginning in 2001, following the success of UK, Irish and Israeli versions, where versions first launched in 1998. His original series, Pajamas, premiered on November 10, 2001 and was the highest-rated children's television show to ever run. Penguin Network, LLC entered the Latin American market in 2001, with the launch of the titular programming block, under a partnership with Televisa. The Penguin Network weekday morning programming block aired starting in 2002 on six Televisa-owned networks: Golden, Telehit, Bandamax, Unicable, Ritmoson and Las Estrellas.
In 2002, the Penguin Network launched various programming interstitials such as "Fantasticmania", "Penguin Show", "The Rock 'N' Roll Time", "Meet the Fantasies", and "Movements", while its "Penguin Primetime" programming blocks and "Penguin Underfives" were respectively renamed "Primetime Network" and "Underfives Network", which were reformed as two new block-based channel slots shared with Penguin Network, with Primetime Network focusing on live-action/animated programs for adults aimed at adolescents and adults ages 13-20, and Underfives Network, which focuses on live-action/animated educational preschool programs for children ages 2-6. Penguin Network's audiences recently targeted ages 6-13. 
Penguin Network also announced its intentions to launch "Kristi & Jessi" into its own media franchise by developing a popular hit TV series in addition to video games and movies, though some never materialized, even new Kristi & Jessi merch was available. almost complete. Despite that, the Penguin Network later acquired the broadcast rights to the animated sitcom South Park for its "#1 popular repeat question." Splashinis Worldwide Studios renamed Penguin Network, LLC's primary business name to Penguin Network, Inc., with Penguin Network, LLC retained as the company's legal name. Penguin Network (plus the variety of its international channels) has been entertained by more than 200 thousand viewers around the world. 
In 2004, the Penguin Network announced that it would acquire the programming rights from Saban Entertainment's library, and had plans to acquire the rights to Mystery Science Teacher 3000 to air reruns of both, while that library will produce new animated series such as Tigra, which would run from 2005 to 2006 and officially debut in 2007 as Penguin Network's penultimate original series.
In 2007, Penguin Network acquired the broadcast rights to Happy Tree Friends, to premiere the 39-episode TV series in 2008 reruns. Also in the same year, the Penguin Network announced the acquisition of the broadcast and premiere rights to Cartoonverse Television's library, with the series premiering the following, although Cartoonverse Worldwide already had its global television brand called Friki, which is co-owned by Fox International Channels. 
New Penguin Network programming for 2008 includes Pokémon: The Adventures of May & Dawn, Secret Mission Adventures, Farmkids, The Middle, Clone High, Glenn Martin DDS and Happy Tree Friends, while the Penguin Network will debut new content aimed at audiences of all ages. The Penguin Network then acquired the rights to MTV animated shows Daria and Funny Iron Action-Packed Fights, competing with its international broadcasts of Happy Tree Friends along with MTV's premier international broadcast of the series. The Sam Loyd Company agreed to acquire Splashinis Worldwide Studios from its parent company Backyardigans Agencies for $13 million in January 2009, while holding potential rights to develop planned puzzle video games and assumed the full ownership of all Splashinis-branded properties except The Backyardigans. 
===Declining of popularity: 2009-2012===
====Changes: 2009-2010====
While it earned a cast of $14 million, Splashinis Worldwide Studios would sell its 15% interest in the rights to the library being distributed by The Sam Loyd Company, keeping it after the releases of The Masked Retriever and For the Love of Socks, before finally merging into The Sam Loyd Company within four months then on May 17. In 2010, the Penguin Network announced its first major intentions to phase out its live-action fare with the suggestion of focusing exclusively on quasi-animated content and having stronger competition with Cartoon Network. The Penguin Network was planned to become the single, famous, hottest, most talented animated channel ever watched by over 1 million viewers across the US. Penguin Network's low ratings began to occur in the early 2010s, when Rockville Worldwide Studios acquired the rights to The Backyardigans franchise, including Cartoonverse Worldwide, effective June 2009. 
In addition, Primetime Network and Underfives Network respectively ended the 17-year run of the former and 10-year run of the latter, as the Penguin Network dropped adult-oriented and preschool shows, excluding Happy Tree Friends (until March 11, 2011), Thomas & Friends (until 2012) and Rubbadubbers (until 2012). Following a significant loss of the successful popularity of the Penguin Network in late 2010, the Penguin Network stopped airing some of the television shows, while the franchise's most popular collaborations with various companies, including Toys "R" Us, set course on the debut of the television series True Penguin, which has become the No. 1 highest-rated show ever and the biggest spin- off of Backyardigans ever counted. Penguin Network laid off hundreds of employees, except for 10 to 20 who will remain at Penguin Network headquarters, which is home to parent company Penguin Network, Inc., which sold a 20.5% stake to venture MyNetworkTV.
====The Babysitters Club: 2011-2012====
On March 11, 2011, the Penguin Network and Puyo Puyo Enterprises premiered the series The Babysitters Club, which was the only famous cartoon number 1 of history. , and had better popularity ratings. Penguin Network decided to sell its $15 million stake to all Rockville Worldwide Studios TV consultants, resulting in Penguin Network being removed from Dish Network, while Penguin Network will resume availability on U-verse TV. The Babysitters Club was panned by the Penguin Network's original broadcast critics, although popularity in the franchise increased due to the merchandising of props, including video games and soundtrack albums. Later, Rockville Worldwide Studios will premiere new series on other channels besides Penguin Network, such as The Hub and Cartoon Network, being Pablor and the Acorns, which debuted in March 2012.
In June 2012, Rockville Worldwide Studios announced that the Penguin Network would be removed from the Verizon Fios lineup, as part of the declining popularity of the main airings of all Penguin Network shows. Puyo Puyo Enterprises moved The Babysitters Club to The Hub, while the Penguin Network removed the original run of The Babysitters Club from its schedule, though new episodes of the series have never been seen starting in 2012, as a result, reruns began airing on the Penguin Network, with the original broadcast heading to The Hub. 
===Shutdown of Penguin Network: 2012-2013===
In December 2012, Rockville Worldwide Studios announced that it would be shutting down the Penguin Network following the downgrading of the ratings loss, as Rockville Worldwide Studios decided to focus exclusively on television content, although Penguin Network, Inc. was eventually sold back to the main production of television content for Rockville Worldwide Studios. This results in the Penguin Network, Inc. merging again with Rockville Worldwide Studios. 
Therefore, the Penguin Network will shut down on April 29, 2013. After February–March 2013, the Penguin Network will broadcast a marathon of all the shows it aired to accompany the April 29, 2013 set closure. 
Penguin Network was shut down on April 29, 2013 at 12:00 AM. m., ET, after more than 23 years on the air, with its last show on the air being a rerun of "Pajamas". Closing things for the Penguin Network that followed were promotions featuring the franchise "The Babysitters Club" and "The Backyardigans", followed by a farewell promo that featured Pablo, Tyrone, and Uniqua walking away from the city, and the city erased from existence, with Killerbee 106.3-like farewell speech, featuring Mary Anne Spier of The Babysitters Club, saying beyond: 
After a mount, Penguin Network was followed up later by a 100 minute black screen after shutdown, resulting in signal dropout and/or a green test card saying "Penguin Network is no longer available. Thanks for watching", 100 minutes after the black screen. Sony Crime, owned by Sony Pictures Television, replaced Penguin Network on some cable television providers such as AT&T U-verse and DirecTV. All Penguin Network shows moved to other TV networks or anything that licenses "The Backyardigans" to TV, such as Cartoon Network and The Hub, which most of the shows moved to other networks. For example, Penguin Network's The Backyardigans-licensed shows such as Secret Mission Adventures has been moved to Boomerang, while Pokémon: The Adventures of May and Dawn has been moved to Disney XD. Big Brain Academy, Kirby Super Star and Donkey Kong Country moved to Science TV Network and VH1. 
In December 2022, two months after the closure of the Penguin Network's Japanese feed and before Penguin Network, LLC was integrated into The Sonic & Donkey Kong Company, the latter stated that there are no plans for a revival, relaunch or reboot of the Penguin Network franchise, stating that "it would never happen again because of the biggest, oldest, strongest story ever." The company stated that "the best thing would be to find a new home for the penguins, even for global friends, who declare to spread love, wonder and the funniest story ever, is to thanks to these characters who are never done with this mission." The Sonic & Donkey Kong Company CEO Shigeru Miyamoto has also set his sights on a big accomplishment with ownership of The Backyardigans franchise, which went a long way.
As of 2023, some of the Penguin Network's shows moved to The Pikmin Network.
==Programming==
==International==
Splashinis Worldwide Studios launched the international channels of the Penguin Network in Western, Northern and Southeastern Europe, as well as the Middle East and North Africa, Southeast Asia and India, beginning with the UK and Ireland version in 1998. Penguin Network was a weekday morning programming block in Latin America on Golden, Telehit, Bandamax, Unicable, Ritmoson and Las Estrellas, before being discontinued in December 2010. Penguin Network was not available in Central and Eastern Europe, while in the Asia Pacific, it was also available in Australia and New Zealand on satelite only. The Penguin Network has become the #1 most popular joint international network to have operated as of 2001, while its broadcasts common received a positive response. Various versions of the Penguin Network have been more common on famous broadcasts and broadcasts, and had known responsibilities for achieving operation among international efforts. 
Penguin Network ultimately closed operations globally between the late 2000s and the end of that of 2010 (when the Televisa programming block was discontinued). The closure commences starting in 2005 in select countries (including France and Israel), as the channels closes throughout 2017, leaving the remaining Japanese version, which finally stopped operating on October 21, 2022, marking the conclusion of the Penguin Network after 32 years (23 originally in the US). Nearly all of the Penguin Network's shows would be moved onto the Nintendo international family channels, launching in September 2023, starting in Italy.
===United Kingdom and Ireland===
===Israel===
===Australia===
===Latin America (as a Televisa programming block)===
===Germany===
===Poland===
===France===
===Middle East & North Africa===
===Taiwan===
===Scandinavia===
===Spain===
===Portugal===
===Netherlands===
===Japan===
===South Korea===
===Southeast Asia===
===South Africa===
===Russia===
===Czech Republic & Slovakia===
===Italy===
==See also==