Cartoon Network is a pan-Asian television channel that primarily broadcasts animated series. Operated by Warner Bros. Discovery under its International division, the channel is broadcast from its headquarters in Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia to audiences in its country of location, as well as to Hong Kong and several areas in the Asian continent. It was launched on 6 October 1994.
History
1990s
In January 1994, it was announced that TNT and Cartoon Network would launch by the end of the year. They were supposedly launched as a 24-hour services on the Apstar 2 satellite service.[2] Ahead of the channel's launch, Thai and Mandarin audio tracks were already being planned.[3]
On 6 October 1994, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific launched Cartoon Network Asia on both Apstar 1 and Palapa-B2P. The channel was launched at 12:00 pm (SG/HK time).[4] It was broadcast for 14 hours between 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., while Turner Classic Movies (formerly TNT) took the remainder of the daily schedule and broadcast 10 hours of movie programming from Turner's libraries.[2][5]
During that time, Cartoon Network Asia was originally a 24-hour cable and satellite TV channel devoted to cartoons and classic films called TNT & Cartoon Network Asia and the service only had 4 different audio tracks including English, Mandarin, Persian and Japanese. Originally devoted to classic cartoons from studios such as Warner Bros., MGM and Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network Asia has since expanded to include more contemporary programming as well as its original productions, starting with its first original series to air in Asia in 1997, Dexter’s Laboratory. By New Year's Eve 1995, both TNT & Cartoon Network Asia were broadcast in 20 countries and territories across pan-Asia via satellite.
Sometime during the 1990s, Cartoon Network Asia launched a separate 24-hour feed of its service on the PAS-2 satellite along with TNT Asia.
On 4 January 1999, Cartoon Network Asia began to offer Hindi-dubbed versions of its shows in addition to English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Filipino and Malay, with dubs of shows such as Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron, The Mask: Animated Series, The Addams Family, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Captain Planet and other select programs.[6]
On 22 August 1999, Cartoon Network Asia was rebranded, introducing new bumpers, new original productions and a new graphical package.
2000s
In 2000, other non-original shows were introduced. Also, throughout the early 2000s, Cartoon Network Asia began airing several more original productions.
In 2001, a programming block called Cartoon Cartoons was introduced. Cartoon Network Asia also introduced other programming blocks including Toonami, Acme Hour, Prime Time, the Boomerang block (now a TV channel), and Cartoon Network Night Shift.
On 1 July 2001, Cartoon Network Asia officially became a separate 24-hour channel along with its country-specific feeds for India, the Philippines, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand and TCM Asia.
In 2003 and 2004, more programming blocks were added. In early-2004, Boomerang was added to Foxtel with many of the older cartoons moved to the new channel. In addition, Cartoon Network showed segments of children receiving prizes during the holidays for a brief period, but these were cancelled due to low audience ratings. Up until mid-2004, Cartoon Network Asia had been tied with Disney Channel as the most popular family channel in Asian continent. The removal of the older 1950s-1980s Hanna-Barbera programming from the network during the period led to a fall in average audience share during 2004 as the fans of older cartoons moved to its new sister channel Boomerang Asia.
On 1 October 2005, the channel's 'bumpers' were replaced with
2010s
On 1 October 2011, during the premiere of The Amazing World of Gumball in Asia, the channel introduced a new branding and logo originally designed by Brand New School, with a slogan "It's a Fun Thing" as well as new shows (e.g. Oggy and the Cockroaches). In 2012, Cartoon Network started airing almost all shows (except for Courage the Cowardly Dog and several past shows) in HDTV 1080i format. In 2013, the American CN bumpers and the Asian bumpers were refreshed.
The channel was rebranded into the "Dimensional" (broadcast in the U.S feed from 2016 to 2021) on 18 October 2017, along with Cinemax Asia.
2020s
On 8 January 2022, Cartoon Network Asia, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan rebranded to Redraw Your World. The video series "Craft Your World" launched on Cartoon Network Asia, Crayola websites and social channels in the following weeks. "Redraw Your World" physical events also took place from February onwards in malls across the region, including Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.[7]
Availability
Mainland China
In Mainland China, Cartoon Network Asia has been available on a satellite since October 6, 1994. Broadcasting from Singapore in Standard Chinese and Cantonese (for South China), Cartoon Network Asia became the number one rated foreign-owned children's channel in Mainland China. It was also available on various CATV systems across Mainland China from the channel's launch on October 6, 1994, until January 2000, when it was banned for, according to an official of the SARFT, violating "relevant Chinese rules". Turner officials hadn't received official information at the time of the decision. At the time of banning, the channel had an estimated reach of 100,000 CATV subscribers. Just a few months before, the Chinese government blocked children's programming from being permitted to relay, and one media analyst said that the Cartoon Network ban was to favor local production.[8] Despite the ban, Cartoon Network Asia is still available on various CATV systems across Mainland China including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Hong Kong
Cartoon Network in Japan
In 1995, Cartoon Network Asia was launched on various CATV systems across Japan along with TNT Asia, STAR TV and many other foreign-owned satellite TV channels across Asia.
On September 1, 1997, Cartoon Network Asia has launched a separate country-specific feed for Japan called Cartoon Network Japan. Broadcasting from Tokyo in both Japanese and English, Cartoon Network Japan became the No. 1 foreign-owned children's channel in Japan. During that time, Cartoon Network Japan had signed an exclusive contract with SKY PerfecTV! (formerly PerfecTV!), but it was expired when the channel was launched on the now-defunct DirecTV Japan in December 1997.
Cartoon Network in Philippines
Cartoon Network Asia has a country-specific feed for the Philippines since 1995 and it has been available on cable and satellite since October 6, 1994 and is SD. It is broadcast in English. HD version is Cartoon Network Asia.
Almost 30 years, Cartoon Network Philippines SD feed has been ceased on major providers like Cignal on August 16, 2025, and has now in 16:9 widescreen format SD Feed & returned on Cartoon Network Asia.
Cartoon Network in South Korea
In January 2003, Cartoon Network Asia was launched in South Korea after the discontinuation of a Cartoon Network block on Tooniverse, but only in English, as Korean laws at the time stated that channels operating outside of South Korea were forbidden to carry Korean audio tracks or subtitles within South Korean territory. In 2006, JoongAng Ilbo and Turner established a joint venture to launch a separate Korean version of Cartoon Network and was launched in November of the same year.[17]
Programming
Logo history
Programming blocks
Current
Redraw Your Summer (Seasonal Summer)
Redraw Your Summer (formerly Best Summer Ever) is a Summer-themed programming block that airs Cartoon Network shows and some acquired content from May to June.
Shriektober (Seasonal Fall)
Shriektober is a Halloween-themed programming block that airs Cartoon Network shows and some acquired content.
So Much Christmas (Seasonal Winter)
So Much Christmas is a Christmas-themed programming block that airs Cartoon Network shows and some acquired content.
Redraw Your Summer (Seasonal Summer)
Redraw Your Summer (formerly Best Summer Ever) is a Summer-themed programming block that airs Cartoon Network shows and some acquired content from May to June.
Shriektober (Seasonal Fall)
Era Names
- 6 October 1994 – 22 August 1999: Checkerboard Era
- 1998–2005: Powerhouse Era
- 2005–2008: City Era
- 2008–2011: New Wave Era
- 2011–2016: CHECK It Era
- 2017–2022: Dimensional Era
- 2018–2022: Mashup Era
- 2020–2022: Shape Era
- 2022–present: Redraw Your World Era[21]
See also
- Cartoon Network USA
- Cartoonito (brand as a whole)
- List of international Cartoon Network channels
- List of programs broadcast by Boomerang
- List of programs broadcast by Cartoonito
- List of television stations in Southeast Asia
External links
References
- Cartoon Network Asia LyngSat, retrieved 24 February 2026^
- Elizabeth Guider. TNT, Toon webs bow in Asia Variety, January 26, 1994, retrieved 2023-05-17^
- Fred Flintstone to speak Thai and Mandarin South China Morning Post, 14 August 1994^