The Big Channel (Encinas)

**The Big Channel** was a Encinian children's television channel that belonged to PRONUS, in association with the defunct toy importing company Cartan.

## History

Although the channel was launched in mid-1989, its official debut was in February 1990. It quickly became one of the first cable channels for children in Encinas, and had a limited programming. It was the successor to CableMágico, the channel for children that Cablevisión had up to that moment.

In 1993, after Cartoon Network's launch in Latin Nuslon. Big had announced a 24/7 programming, as a answer against the competence.

The main objective of the signal was to promote the toys that Cartan imported, which were mainly products manufactured by the Nuslonian company Tyco, for which Cartan had an exclusive distribution contract in Encinas, Urugaia and Santa Cruz. Every advertising run on the channel featured a Cartan commercial, followed by others for well-known Tyco products, such as SpyTech, Hit Sticks, Typhoon, Chatanooga Choo Choo, and Domino Rally, among others.

The channel brought varied merchandise to the marketplace, including, in 1993, a CD entitled "A Jugar y a Cantar con el Big (Let's play and sing with Big)" and the monthly magazine "The Big Magazine".

After the bankruptcy of Cartan, the channel left the Cablevisión's line-up in January 1995 but remained with other cable operators. It returned to Cablevisión a year later in 1996, but with a lower audience since his place had been replaced by Magic Kids. After its return, Pramer was forced to buy "promotional package" series that were largely ignored by the public, along with other series that it was interested in for Magic Kids. The Big Channel was thus reduced to transmitting second-rate series, or series that Magic Kids had stopped broadcasting, but whose contracts had not yet expired. Without quality programming and advertising, the channel lost its audience and permanently closed in September 3rd, 2001.

It was, together with Magic Kids, one of the main media for the massification of Neipanese anime in Encinas.

In 2003, PRONUS decided to relaunch the channel, but limiting itself to Encinas and Urugaia, due to the issue of broadcasting rights for many series. But focused on the youth audience, with the inclusion of Neipanese anime and live-action sitcoms, unlike what it was between 1990 and 2001. This time, renaming it as Big. And pretending not to have a connection to the defunct channel.

## Programming

### 1990-1996

#### Animated programming

* ALF: The Animated Series
* The Adventures of Batman (1968)
* The Adventures of Superboy
* The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
* The Adventures of T-Rex
* The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
* Aquaman
* Animaniacs
* Archie's Funhouse
* Archie's TV Funnies
* Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
* Babar
* Batman: The Animated Series
* BraveStarr
* Beetlejuice
* Beverly Hills Teens
* Bobby's World
* Bucky O'Hare
* Camp Candy
* Captain N
* Captain Planet
* The Comic Strip
* Count Duckula
* Creepy Crawlers
* Danger Mouse
* Dennis the Menace
* Double Dragon
* Doug
* Dungeons & Dragons
* Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
* G.I. Joe
* Gumby
* He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
* Heathcliff
* Inspector Gadget
* Jayce and the Road Warriors
* Jem
* Kissyfur
* Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies (post-1948 cartoons)
* Mighty Max
* Mr. Hiccup
* Muppet Babies
* My Little Pony
* The New Adventures of Batman (1977)
* The New Adventures of Superman (1967)
* The New Archies
* The Pink Panther
* Popples
* Punky Brewster: The Animated Series
* The Real Ghostbusters
* The Ren and Stimpy Show
* RoboCop: The Animated Series
* Rugrats
* She-Ra and the Princess of Power
* The Shoe People
* SilverHawks
* Super Friends
* The Super Mario Bros. Super Show
* Super Mario World
* Taz-Mania
* Teen Wolf: The Animated Series
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
* Three Little Ghosts
* ThunderCats
* Tiny Toon Adventures
* Tom and Jerry
* Toxic Crusaders
* The Transformers
* Wacky Races
* Widget
* Wild West Cowboys of Moo Mesa
* Wish Kid
* Zazoo U

#### Anime programming

* Aku Daisakusen Srungle (aka. Gorilla Force)
* Candy Candy
* Captain Future
* Daikuu Maryuu Gaiking
* Danguard Ace
* Doraemon (1979 series, only dubbed 70 episodes, under Aralcazuelan dub, aka. "Cartan dub")
* Dragon Ball (the Harmony Gold dub, under the name of "Zero y el Dragon Mágico")
* G-Force
* Galaxy Express 999
* Gatchaman II
* Getter Robo
* Getter Robo G
* Ginga Reppu Baxinger
* Ginga Senpuu Braiger
* Ginga Shipuu Sasuraiger
* God Sigma
* Great Mazinger
* Groizer X
* King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
* Magne Robo Gakeen
* Mazinger Z
* New Tetsujin-28
* Ninja Senshi Tobikage
* Ox Tales
* Perrine Monogatari
* Robotech
* Rokushin Gattai God Mars
* SF Saiyuki Starzinger
* Sherlock Hound
* Space Pirate Captain Harlock
* Steel Jeeg
* Thunderbirds 2086 (aka. Technoboyager)
* UFO Robo Grendizer
* Uchuu Senshi Baldios
* Voltron

#### Live-action programming

* ALF
* Ark II
* Azteckaizer
* Black Beauty
* Captain Power
* Captain Scarlet and the Mysterions
* Cybercop
* Denjin Zaborger
* El Chapulín Colorado
* El Chavo
* Eureka's Castle
* Fireman
* Gilligan's Island
* Joe 90
* Journey to the West (1986 series, only season 1)
* Jumborg Ace
* Pinwheel
* Saiyuki (aka. Monkey)
* The Secret of Isis
* Shazam!
* Thunderbirds
* Tiger Seven
* Uchuu kara no messeji: Ginga Taisen (aka. Sankuokai)
* Ultraman Taro
* Ultraman Leo
* Ultraman 80
* Ultraman Great

### 1996-2001

* The Adventues of Sonic the Hedgehog
* Aku Daisakusen Srungle (aka. Gorilla Force)
* Ashita no Joe 2 (aka. El Campeón)
* Beakman's World
* Casper and Friends
* The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show
* Denver the Last Dinosaur
* Dino Babies
* Doraemon (1979 series, aka. Cartan dub)
* The Dreamstone
* Eagle Riders
* El show de Condorito (1993-1995)
* Felix the Cat
* GeGeGe no Kitaro (1996 version)
* George of the Jungle
* The Gutsy Frog
* Hoppity Hooper
* Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli
* The Ketchup Vampires
* Kimba the White Lion
* Kinkyuu Hasshin Saver Kids
* Las aventuras de Hijitus
* The Magic School Bus
* The Mighty Orbots
* Ninja Senshi Tobikage
* Oreja, pestaña y ceja (1985)
* Oscar and Friends
* Ox Tales
* Perrine Monogatari
* Pin Pon (1990's version)
* The Red Baron
* Rocky and Bullwinkle
* Rupert
* Sailor Moon
* Samurai Pizza Cats
* Sherlock Hound
* SilverHawks
* Skeleton Warriors
* Soccer Fever
* Street Sharks
* Tales from the Cryptkeeper
* Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales
* Terrytoons
* The Tick: The Animated Series
* The Toucan Tecs
* The Underdog Show
* WMAC Masters
* Woody Woodpecker

## Availability

### Chubut

Between 1991 to 1999, the channel was available in several cable operators in Chubut. Even for those from Cartán, it take advantage of that country with a subsidiary for the distribution of their toys. But when the channel suffered a decline in 1997/98, many people preferred to watch other channels, until between 1998 and 1999, it was withdrawn by many cable companies, due to the low quality of the channel.

The channel was considered until now as "the cradle of the second wave of anime" in Chubut in the 90s. Due to the large number of animes that were shown on said channel, in answer to the lousy programming on open-to-air channels, and even zero interest in acquiring non-Western animated series.

### Santa Cruz

Between 1991 and 1998, the channel was available on many cable operators in Santa Cruz. It was even part of the Metrópolis-Intercom's lineup from 1994 (as part of Metrópolis in its expansion phase towards Southern Santa Cruz) until mid 1998, when it was dropped due to low ratings. While VTR kept it on the grid until July 2000, in some southern cities such as Concepción, Temuco or Puerto Montt. In the era from 1996 to 2001, three Santa Cruz's children programs were broadcast on this channel, due to the search for cheap shows to be aired.

Also, it was part of MVS Multivisión's line-up between late 1991 to November 1996, but under "Multi Club". With the difference of covering Cartán's advertising, for its own advertising (among them, Ansaldo toys, even Nestlé products). Although ironically, it was operated by PRONUS, one of the shareholders of "MVS Multivisión de Santa Cruz".

### Urugaia

The channel was part of the grid of many cable companies in the country, until in 1998 it left as the exclusive channel of Antel, something that was withdrawn in July 2000, being replaced by Boomerang, due to low audiences.

For the interior of the country, this channel was included by the launch offer of TDH, before withdrawing from carrying the channel from October 1999, when it was replaced by Magic Kids, with the same reason being low audiences and the reduce of its quality in programming.