CBS Nick (JHughesTV's vision)

***CBS Nick*** (also known as ***Nick Jr. on CBS*** from 2000-2002 and from 2004-2006, and ***Nick on CBS*** from 2002-2004) is an American Saturday morning children's programming block that originally ran on CBS from September 16, 2000 to September 9, 2006, and was relaunched on September 25, 2021. It initially aired programming from the Nick Jr. block until 2002, when it began airing mainline programming from Nickelodeon; in 2004, it switched back to its previous format.

Since 2021, it served as a replacement for the Litton-produced programming block CBS Dream Team under a time-lease agreement with Nickelodeon Networks. The 2021 relaunch features 8 half-hours of Nickelodeon-produced animated series aimed at children between the ages of 4 and 17. This was CBS' first attempt to steer away from the usual E/I requirements for Saturday morning programming.

## History

On June 15, 2000, a few months after Viacom (which CBS founded in 1952 as television syndication distributor CBS Films, Inc., and later spun off in 1971 after the then-recently implemented Financial Interest and Syndication Rules barred networks from holding financial interest in syndicated programming content) completed its $37 billion merger with CBS Corporation, CBS reached an agreement with new corporate sister Nickelodeon to air programming from its Nick Jr. television block beginning that September.[1]

On September 16, 2000, the new three-hour block, known as Nick Jr. on CBS, premiered, replacing CBS Kidshow, produced by Canada-based animation studio Nelvana, which ended its run the week prior on September 9. For the first two years of the Viacom agreement, the block exclusively aired preschool-oriented programming from Nick Jr., including interstitials from the Nickelodeon block's animated mascot, Face, and other Nick Jr. interstitials. Nick Jr. on CBS did not air commercials aside from some Nick and CBS-related commercials and PSAs until early 2001. On September 22, 2001, the block received a rebrand based on the Nickelodeon block's new branding, adding Oswald and Bob the Builder. Nelvana subsequently moved forward to produce a new Saturday morning cartoon block, the Bookworm Bunch (named for the fact that all of the block's series were adaptations of various children's books) for CBS' non-commercial rival, PBS, which would debut a couple weeks afterward, and a couple years later, the second iteration of the Sunday-to-Friday morning *UPN Kids* block for sister network, UPN (that block of which, replaced the backstabbing *Disney's One Too* block programmed by Disney a day prior).

On September 14, 2002, the block was rebranded as Nick on CBS, and its programming content expanded to animated Nickelodeon series aimed at children between the ages of 2 to 12, in addition to two returning Nick Jr. series *Blue's Clues* and *Dora the Explorer*. The rebranding also introduced a new logo with three circles with different colors (orange for Nick, green for the word "On", and blue for CBS) alongside bumpers and promos animated by Primal Screen.

As with the predecessor *Think CBS Kids* and *CBS Kidshow* blocks, all of the programs within the block complied with educational programming (E/I) requirements defined by the Children's Television Act, although the educational content in some of the programs was tenuous in nature. It was partly for this reason why some of Nickelodeon's most popular programs (most notably, *SpongeBob SquarePants* – at the time the cable channel's most popular series) were mainly not included as part of the CBS block, especially during the more open-formatted *Nick on CBS* era. However, *Rugrats* aired briefly in 2003, when it was added as a short-lived regular series within the block. Sometime in early 2004, the block had a relaunch, making additions like live-action shows, such as *The Brothers García*.

The older-skewing Nickelodeon series were removed from the block and the revival of Nick Jr. on CBS premiered on September 18, 2004, refocusing the block back exclusively toward preschool-oriented series. On September 17, 2005, the block added *Go, Diego, Go!* and began incorporating interstitial hosted segments featuring Piper O'Possum. On December 31, 2005, Viacom formally split under the shared control of National Amusements (owned by Sumner Redstone), with CBS and all related broadcasting, television production and distribution properties as well as some non-production entities becoming part of the standalone company CBS Corporation, while Nickelodeon and its parent subsidiary MTV Networks became part of a new company under the Viacom name.

Less than a month later on January 19, 2006, CBS announced that it would enter into a three-year programming partnership with DIC Entertainment (now WildBrain) to produce a new children's program block for the three-hour Saturday morning timeslot featuring new and former series from its program library, to begin airing in Fall 2006. On September 9, 2006, *Nick Jr. on CBS* ended its run and was replaced with a new block the following weekend called *KOL Secret Slumber Party*, which later became *KEWLopolis* on September 15, 2007, and *Cookie Jar TV* on September 19, 2008.

On July 24, 2013, CBS had announced that it had entered a programming agreement with Litton Entertainment to launch a new weekend morning block consisting of E/I-programmed live-action lifestyle, wildlife and documentary series aimed at teens aged 10–18. It was CBS' decision to restructure the block away from the traditional flare of animated and live-action scripted series was done in compliance to the Children's Television Act. On September 21, 2013, *Cookie Jar TV* ended its run on CBS after seven years, and was replaced with the Litton-produced *CBS Dream Team* the following week on September 28, 2013.

Following the announcement of the second merger between CBS Corporation and Viacom, former CBS Corporation CEO Joseph Ianniello was receptive to the possibility of the return of Nickelodeon children's programming to CBS. On June 10, 2021, CBS announced that it had entered an agreement with Nickelodeon Networks, owner of sister channel Nickelodeon for a possible *Nick on CBS* block revival. One month later on July 10, 2021, it was revealed that the revival block of *Nick on CBS* would be re-named to *CBS Nick* with a design adhering to the current CBS branding, which the logo design itself was first leaked on August 9, 2021. The E/I programming block was last aired on September 18, 2021, as the contract with Litton Entertainment was set to expire in the same year. On September 25, 2021, the new 4-hour block, *CBS Nick* was launched as a successor to the *CBS Dream Team*. This marked the second time that CBS carried a Nickelodeon-programmed block for younger audiences on weekend mornings.

Its initial lineup consisted mainly of more popular Nickelodeon series, most notably *SpongeBob SquarePants* and *The Loud House*. All of the block's programming features Descriptive Video Service for the visually impaired on the second audio program channel. The block was originally subtitled with the additional wording of "This Is Slime" until the tagline was changed to "Get Into Slime" at the start of its 2023-24 season. Despite the more popular Nickelodeon series being part of the main block because of CBS' new children's programming strategy to restructure the weekend morning block to a less educational status, Nick Jr. programming like *PAW Patrol* and *Bubble Guppies* were featured as part of a sub-block called *CBS Nick Jr.* during the first hour, as CBS was tasked to to have at least one-hour of E/I programming on weekend mornings in accordance to the Children's Television Act.

## Programming

Harkening back to the block's original iteration, *Nick on CBS*, most of the programs aired within the block featured content compliant with educational programming requirements as mandated by the Federal Communications Commission via the *Children's Television Act*. Though the block was intended to air on Saturday mornings, some CBS affiliates deferred certain programs aired within the block to Sunday mornings, or (in the case of affiliates in the Western United States) Saturday afternoons due to breaking news or severe weather coverage, or regional or select national sports broadcasts (especially in the case of college football and basketball tournaments) scheduled in earlier Saturday timeslots as makegoods to comply with the E/I regulations. Some stations also tape delayed the entire block in order to accommodate local weekend morning newscasts, the Saturday edition of *The Early Show* or other programs of local interest (such as real estate or lifestyle programs).

Although the Nick Jr. programs featured on *CBS Nick* are designed to meet federally mandated educational programming guidelines (with the exception of some animated Nicktoon series), some CBS stations may carry syndicated educational programs to provide supplementary E/I content. Some programs aired within the block may be deferred to Sunday morning slots, or (in the case of affiliates in the western United States), Saturday afternoons due to breaking news, severe weather coverage, or regional and CBS Sports commitments for coverage of college football and college basketball, along with select PGA golf events. Some stations may air the entirety of the *CBS Nick* block on tape delay to accommodate local weekend morning newscasts, *CBS Saturday Morning* or other local programming.

### Upcoming Programming

#### Programming from Nickelodeon

 *Rock, Paper, Scissors* | February 10, 2024
 *Dora (2024 TV series)* | February 10, 2024