The Children's Channel

The Children's Channel, also known as TCC, was a British-based pan-European children's television channel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which was owned by Flextech in London, England, UK. It began broadcasting on the original Eutelsat satellite on September 1, 1984.

History

Early years

The Children's Channel was launched on the original Eutelsat satellite on September 1, 1984, almost exclusively to cable households owing to the low proliferation of domestic satellite dishes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at the time, and originally operated by ''Starstream'' who were backed by British Telecom, DC Thomson, Thames Television and Thorn EMI.

In March 1989, The Children's Channel started airing free-to-air on the SES-owned Astra 1A satellite, airing from 5am to 10am on weekdays and from 5am to 12pm on weekends, time-sharing with Lifestyle. Following the launch of the Astra 1B-satellite in 1991, The Children's Channel expanded to broadcast until 7pm each day, time-sharing with JSTV. In 1990, Flextech acquired its first stake in the company, beating United Artists Cable International to gain a stake. In 1991, United bought its own stake in The Children's Channel and won the management contract to run it. In late 1993, Flextech held talks with Tele-Communications and acquired TCI's European programming business in exchange for shares, giving TCI a 50%-60% stake in the enlarged Flextech group. The deal was completed which resulted in Flextech increasing its stake from 50.1% to 75%.

Change of ownership

In 1992, The Children's Channel launched an evening block showing programming of greater interest to older children and teenagers. The segment, called simply TCC, aired from 5 pm to 7 pm, and featured a number of home-produced programmes, such as ''CDQ'' and ''TVFM'', as well as American imports including '' Saved by the Bell''. During the day, The Children's Channel continued targeting younger children, and a large amount of its programming output was still archive animated series from the 1980s. As time went on, the TCC block extended its hours, initially starting half an hour earlier at 4.30 pm, until the focus on teen programmes eventually became more prominent across The Children's Channel, which became known as TCC all day long. The demographic shift repositioned the channel away from its newly established competitors Nickelodeon UK and Cartoon Network Europe, to a market not adequately covered by others.

In 1993, it cut back its air hours to 6am to 5pm, allowing Family Channel to share its space with The Children's Channel, now a subscription service on the Astra 1A satellite via the Sky Multichannels package. On September 11, 1995, The Children's Channel introduced programmes for toddlers and preschoolers called Tiny TCC.

By June 1995, Flextech completed its acquisition of The Children's Channel when it acquired the remaining 25.1% stake in Starstream for £15m.

In mid 1996, Flextech were in talks with Fox and News Corp to sell off a 50% stake in The Children's Channel; however, extremely lengthy negotiations made it impossible to secure a deal. Flextech tried to undertake negotiations to secure a different form of investment in The Children's Channel, but decided to refocus on the teen and youth markets instead. News Corp went on to launch Fox Kids in a joint venture with sister company Sky. This strongly affected TCC as they no longer had access to most of Fox and Saban Entertainment's library. On February 3, 1997, all the programmes targeting older children which The Children's Channel was by then airing were split off into Trouble with TCC reverted to the original name of The Children's Channel and continuing to screen programmes for younger children, running side by side with Trouble in 1997.

On April 3, 1998, the original pan-European operations of The Children's Channel on Eutelsat's Hot Bird both unexpectedly and silently closed after 14 years. Ratings had fallen massively due to competitors Nickelodeon UK, Cartoon Network Europe, Disney Channel UK and Fox Kids UK launching within three years of each other, reducing TCC's viewer share to 0.2% by its closure. The exodus of teen programmes to Trouble only accelerated its decline. Flextech officially stated that it only wished to focus on the teen market, and there were "so many other channels designed for CC's former target audience. After the closure, Trouble's hours expanded to start at 7am.

Upon the closure of the pan-regional TCC Europe channel, Cable & Wireless carried the localized TCC Nordic feed for a few months due to the company's anger at the closure of TCC at such short notice. On 5 October 1998, it was taken off the service and its slot was filled by Fox Kids.

However, due to a pre-agreed contract signed some years before to air The Children's Channel in Scandinavia until October 2000, Flextech created an advertisement-free version of TCC known as TCC Nordic to fulfil this requirement to air until 2000 as arranged before finally ceasing transmission. As this service was only fulfilling a contractual requirement, it was totally automated and showed exactly the same four weeks of programming on a constant loop. Technical difficulties were frequent. On 30 September 2000, when the Nordic feed's contract expired, TCC closed entirely, more than two years after the original channel's closure.

The website stayed running until late 2005.

Tiny TCC/Living

On September 11, 1995, The Children's Channel introduced a strand for toddlers and preschoolers called Tiny TCC, which aired every morning from 6 am until 9 am. This block was then transferred over to UK Living on 3 February 1997 and renamed ''Tiny Living'' with its airtimes being changed to 7:00-9:00 on weekdays, and 7:00-10:00 during the weekend. Following The Children's Channel's unexpected closedown of its original pan-European operations on Eutelsat's Hot Bird on April 3, 1998, and full replacement by then-timeshared channel Trouble the next day, the strand was finally withdrawn on 1 January 2006.

Programmes

In its day, TCC created some original programming. '' Connect 4'' and '' The Super Mario Challenge'' were popular tea-time quiz shows. Some other 'in-between' show segments included ''Link Anchorman'', featuring Chuck the Chimp and Hopper the Penguin. All of the puppets were created and performed by Hands Up Puppets, primarily Marcus Clarke and Helena Smee. Other TV talent made an appearance or got an early break working on these series, including Konnie Huq, then awaiting news of her university place. Some of today's TV producers also got valuable early TV introduction experience on these series including Lisa Opie, Tim Lowe, Karen Ward, and Mike Crosby. A live-action quiz programme, '' Around the World in 80 Seconds'', was produced for the channel in 1993–94. Hosted by Timmy Mallett as Captain Everything, schoolchildren participated in a quiz based on geography and general knowledge of particular countries, before "replaying" famous scenarios from the history of their chosen country. The top team received a prize of a four-day trip to the then-new Euro Disney.

During school holidays, ''Ratkan'' aired 07:00-12:00, with ''It's Droibee Time'' off air.

Former Programmes (Including Jack in the Box/Tiny TCC blocks)

* ''The Babaloos''
* ''Babar''
* '' Baby Follies''
* '' Barney & Friends''
* '' Bertha''
* '' Bod''
* '' Bump''
* ''Button Moon''
* ''The Care Bears Family''
* '' Charlie Brown Specials''
* ''Charlie Chalk''
* ''Chorlton and the Wheelies''
* '' Christopher Crocodile''
* '' Clangers'' (Original Series 1-2 only)
* ''Cockleshell Bay''
* '' Creepy Crawlers''
* ''Crystal Tipps and Alistair''
* ''Dappledown Farm''
* ''Edward and Friends''
* '' The Flumps''
* ''The Forgotten Toys''
* '' The Fruitties''
* ''Gran''
* '' Henry's Cat''
* '' The Herbs''
* ''Ivor the Engine''
* '' James the Cat''
* '' Johnson and Friends''
* '' Kitty Cats''
* '' The Little Green Man''
* '' Morph''
* '' Mr Benn''
* ''Mr. Men''
* '' Nellie the Elephant''
* '' Noddy''
* ''Old Bear Stories''
* '' Ovide and the Gang''
* ''Papa Beaver's Storytime''
* ''Philbert Frog''
* ''Phillips''
* '' Pinwheel''
* '' Pob's Programme''
* '' Potsworth & Co.''
* '' Professor Bubble''
* '' Professor Iris''
* ''Puppydog Tales''
* '' The Puzzle Place''
* ''Rosie and Jim''
* ''Sesame Street''
* ''The Shoe People''
* '' Special Sports''
* ''Stoppit and Tidyup''
* ''Strawberry Shortcake''
* '' Titch''
* '' Topsy and Tim''
* '' Tots TV''
* '' William's Wish Wellingtons''
* '' The Wind in the Willows''
* '' The Wombles''

0 - 9

* '' 10+2''

A

* '' A.J.'s Time Travelers''
* '' The Adventures of Black Beauty''
* ''The Adventures of Blinky Bill''
* ''The Adventures of Crumbcake''
* '' The Adventures of Dynamo Duck''
* ''Adventures of Niko''
* '' Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog''
* '' The Adventures of Spot''
* '' The Adventures of T-Rex''
* '' The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin''
* ''Alfred J. Kwak''
* ''The Amazing Adventures of Morph''
* ''The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys''
* ''Animated Classic Showcase''
* ''Anna Banana''
* ''Around the World in 80 Seconds''
* '' Arthur''
* '' Astro Farm''
* '' Art Attack'' (Original series)
* ''Aubrey''

B

* '' The Baby-Sitters Club''
* ''Bad Level 10''
* ''Bananaman''
* '' Barnen''
* ''The Bartons''
* ''Batman''
* '' BattleTech: The Animated Series''
* '' Beakman's World''
* ''Bits and Pieces''
* ''The Beano's Dennis the Menace and Gnasher Show''
* ''Beverly Hills Teens''
* ''The Big Dish'' (game show)
* '' Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures''
* '' Blackstar''
* ''Blast''
* '' Blinky Bill''
* ''Blue, Child of the Earth''
* ''The Blunders''
* ''Bobby's World''
* ''Bobobobs''
* ''Bojan the Bear''
* '' Boogies Diner''
* '' The Bots Master''
* '' Bouli''
* ''Boy Dominic''
* '' Bravestarr''
* '' Bright Sparks''
* '' Bucky O'Hare''
* '' Budgie the Little Helicopter''
* ''Bulldozer''
* '' Bunny with Chequered Ears''
* '' Bullerbyn''
* ''By Way of the Stars''
* '' Byker Grove''

C

* ''Cable Cook''
* ''Cable News''
* '' Cadillacs and Dinosaurs''
* ''California Dreams''
* ''California Raisins''
* '' Captain N: The Game Master''
* '' Captain Pugwash''
* ''Cartoon Classics''
* '' Casper and Friends''
* '' The Castle of Adventure''
* ''Cats & Company''
* '' The Chestnut Soldier''
* '' Chicken Minute''
* ''Children of the Luna''
* ''Clémentine''
* '' The Clifton House Mystery''
* ''The Club Cafe''
* ''Clutz''
* ''C.L.Y.D.E.''
* ''The Computer Show''
* '' C.O.P.S.''
* ''Cool Cartoons''
* ''Cool McCool''
* ''The Colours of World''
* '' Cococinel''
* '' Connect 4''
* ''Costa''
* '' Count Duckula''
* ''Crack The Code''
* ''Cuckoo: Omnibus''
* ''CurioCity''
* ''Cybernet''

D

* '' Danger Mouse'' (Original series)
* ''Decimal the Whale''
* '' Defenders of the Earth''
* '' Degrassi Junior High''
* ''Dennis''
* '' Dennis the Menace''
* '' Denver, the Last Dinosaur''
* ''Derrou''
* ''Derrou Juniors''
* ''Derrou Tales''
* '' Dino Babies''
* '' Dino-Riders''
* ''Dish of the Day''
* '' Diplodos''
* '' Dog City''
* '' The Dr Fad Show''
* '' Dr. Snuggles''
* ''The Dreamstone''
* ''Dungeons and Dragons''
* ''Dynamo Duck''

E

* ''Earthworks''
* '' Earthworm Jim'' (co-production with Universal Cartoon Studios)
* '' Eek! The Cat''
* '' Emil I Lonneberga''
* '' Emlyn's Moon''
* '' Enchanted Pencil''
* ''Ernest the Vampire''
* '' Escape from Jupiter''

F

* '' Fame''
* ''A Fantastic Competition''
* '' The Fantastic Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor''
* '' Fifteen''
* ''The Finder''
* '' Finders Keepers''
* ''FishTales''
* ''Flash Gordon''
* '' The Flockton Flyer''
* '' Floradora''
* '' Foo Foo''
* ''Fred Basset''
* ''Fun Factor 10''
* '' Fun House''

G

* ''Galaxy High''
* '' Garfield and Friends''
* ''The Get Along Gang''
* ''Get Your Own Back''
* '' Gigantor''
* '' The Girl From Tomorrow / Tomorrow's End''
* ''Grasshopper Island''
* '' Gravedale High''
* ''Greedysaurus and Gangtape''
* ''The Greedysaurus Gang''
* ''Groovy Ghoulies''
* '' Gustavus''
* '' The Guys Next Door''

H

* ''Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left''
* '' Hang Time''
* '' Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child''
* '' The Happy Prince''
* ''Head to Head''
* ''Heartbreak High''
* '' Heathcliff''
* '' He-Man and the Masters of the Universe''
* '' Henry's Cat''
* ''Here Comes the Grump''
* ''Home''
* ''Hotshots''
* ''How Things Work''
* ''Hunter's Gold''

I

* ''Ike and Webber''
* '' Inspector Gadget: (Original series)''
* ''Inspector Nasy''
* ''Intelsat Close''
* '' Interbang''
* '' Into the Labyrinth''
* '' Iznogoud''

J

* ''Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors''
* '' Jem''
* ''Jim Henson's Animal Show''
* ''John Ross''

K

* '' Kaboodle''
* ''King Koopa's Kool Kartoons''
* '' Kissyfur''
* ''Koleto and Murr''
* ''Krazy Kat''

L

* '' The Legend of Prince Valiant''
* ''The Little Prince''
* ''Little Wizards''
* ''The Littles''
* ''Little Brrm''
* ''Little Dog''
* ''Lotta''
* '' Lucky Luke''
* '' Ludwig''

M

* ''Madeline''
* ''Madison''
* ''Magic Corner''
* ''Make Music Fun''
* ''M.A.S.K.''
* '' Manu''
* '' The Marvel Superheroes
* '' Michael Valiant''
* '' Molly''
* ''Mr. Bogus''
* '' Mr Majeika''
* '' Mr. Rossi''
* '' My Little Pony and Friends''
* ''The Mysterious Cities of Gold''

N

* ''The New Adventures of Black Beauty''
* ''The New Adventures of Gigantor''
* '' The New Adventures of He-Man''
* '' The New Archies''
* '' New Kids on the Block''
* ''The New Steve and Danny Show''
* '' Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk''
* '' Noozles''
* ''Non-Stop Cartoon Capers''
* ''Nursery Rhymes''

O

* '' Ocean Odyssey''
* '' Okavango''
* '' Once Upon a Time... Space''
* ''Open House''
* '' Oscar's Orchestra''
* '' Ovide and the Gang''

P

* ''Paddington Bear''
* '' Pettson and Findus''
* '' Picture Pages''
* '' Pingu''
* '' The Pink Panther''
* ''Popeye

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