Tacomaster
I Actually Like Pizza More
The odds of MeTV getting ANYTHING Disney that hasn’t fallen into the public domain are virtually nil.
"MeTV Toons" Network Launching on June 25th
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Corwin Haught
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The HB F4 cartoon can air on linear TV without any agreement with Marvel. Home video/streaming would be another matter, as the original license of the characters from Marvel took place long before those technologies existed.
I've proposed WB trading the rights to that cartoon and the New Line Blade movies to Disney for the 1966 Batman series and movie.
Goldstar!
What up, dog?
The 60s Fantastic Four cartoon might be able to slide by on a technicality, since that show was produced by Hanna-Barbera, which is owned by Warner Brothers. Keep in mind that H-B's The Smurfs cartoon from the 1980s is also expected to air on MeTV Toons. WB doesn't own The Smurfs, but the 80s SatAM Smurfs was produced by H-B, which WB does own. By that logic, MeTV Toons might also be able to air the Thing cartoons from H-B's Fred and Barney Meet the Thing, although I'm not expecting to see that there.
Jeff Harris
Creator/Webmaster, TXB
Airing the 1967 Fantastic Four series and 1978's The Thing on the linear MeTV TOONS channel is possible. However, Disney reconfigured rights preventing them from putting the series on home media and streaming platforms, which is why neither series has ever streamed anywhere, not even on Disney+, which is a damn shame. Disney would have to pay WBD syndication fees to air them since they own the series outright.
Yes, it doesn't make a lick of sense, I know.
That said, MeTV TOONS would have to preempt those shows on any streaming service the channel is on. And they wouldn't be on any FAST service either.
Television is weird in the age of streaming.
aegisrawks
Well-Known Member
In these two articles, it is mentioned how Weigel has been faring very well for itself in this new tv landscape.
www.nexttv.com/news/nielsen-crowns-disney-with-new-ranking-of-media-distributors
www.nexttv.com/news/nielsen-crowns-disney-with-new-ranking-of-media-distributors
Jeff Harris
Creator/Webmaster, TXB
Weigel is no slouch. They own and operate several diginets, including MeTV (classic TV), H&I (action/adventure), Start TV (light action/mystery), Classy Comedy (retro comedies), Story Television (reality/documentaries), MOVIES! (a movie channel co-owned with FOX), and DABL (Black comedies owned by CBS but operated by Weigel). And they're really good at what they do, which is why you're about to see them go all out for MeTV TOONS.
I just saw that on the listings. Having The Flintstones on right before Toon In with Me means that MeTV now has at least 90 minutes of cartoons every morning. They have the three-hour Saturday Morning Cartoons block and the two-hour Flintstones/Jetsons block on Sundays (plus Thunderbirds right before the Saved By the Bell three-hour block on Sundays).
It would be nice if they cut back on M*A*S*H airings. Heck, it'd be even nicer if they shook up the primetime lineup and took Hogan's Heroes from the 10 PM hour. That's been locked in for close to a decade. Something like Bugs Bunny and Friends or Rocky & Bullwinkle would do nicely.
Jeff Harris
Creator/Webmaster, TXB
The thing about 6/5c they've seemed really not be sure what to do with that hour and MASH being there has been the longest show they've had there. Moving Hogan's Heroes out and putting something else there would be bad, 10/9c is a big slot where some stations opt out and air early late local news. 6:30/5:30c could be a good preempt slot too for stations that want to air a local news cast against a network newscast or something.
My favorites of those are Catchy Comedy and Start TV.
Checkerboard
THE HOME OF THE TOP TOON STARS
Why is WBD doing this when they have Boomerang and VOD/MOD?
Mandouga
Well-Known Member
They aren't. My understanding is that they are just a partner, and that Weigel is the one doing it.
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This is more Weigel buying the rights to stuff and Discovery being like , cool yeah sure. Why not ? You can have things on more than one place that's a good thing.
My METV station owned by Weigel and simulcasting on the CBS owned station's channel airs a 30 minute local show because of FCC rules and public affairs or something, so they have a Sunday show called "Colorado and Me" in the morning hours.
And I mean from Weigel, otherwise I'd be listing off random channels from others.
I actually don't watch much METV , Sunday afternoon might be the longest I watch it. H&I gets my viewing if they do a Twilight Zone marathon or something. I used to watch alot of Decades before it ended.
JMTV
A Little Meatwad
It's simple. Boomerang is dead lol
Okay, but seriously. I don't think WBD has their hands in this when MeTV wanted their own cartoon channel after the success of the WB cartoons aired on MeTV. It just WBD hand out the licenses of their cartoons to MeTV to air them.
Plus, Boomerang was never been WBD's main priority for a long time. What would be the point caring about this channel when you have a new channel dedicated to classic animation that is over the air for free and not on paid cable in a high tier?
Checkerboard
THE HOME OF THE TOP TOON STARS
Do they really get more money by licensing the content than from airing it/releasing it on demand? This way Boomerang really will have no purpose soon.
Goldstar!
What up, dog?
Money. The answer is money.
Also, Weigel Broadcasting is the true mastermind behind this. Warner Discovery is just a contributing partner.
Checkerboard said:
Boomerang hasn't served a purpose in a long time. It's just been airing Cartoon Network's hand-me-downs for years.
Jeff Harris
Creator/Webmaster, TXB
For starters, MeTV TOONS is Weigel Broadcasting's baby, not WBD.
Weigel, the owner of the MeTV brand, is the majority owner and operator of the channel and most of the main launch affiliates, including many of the top 10 market affiliates.
WBD is a partner in the venture, WAM Limited Partnership, and is providing programming and resources to the channel. WBD has frequently and repeatedly worked with Weigel across many channels, including MeTV, Catchy Comedy, H&!, Start TV, MOVIES!, and, most recently, DABL.
Why they're partnering with a company like Weigel to create a broadcast animation channel? Because people have been watching classic cartoons on MeTV in larger numbers than many shows on cable in older demographics such as Friends, Seinfeld, and Law & Order: SVU. WBD, which owns most of the cartoons on MeTV, noticed viewership on the diginet was rising on those blocks. Weigel went to WBD with plans to expand animation on broadcast television, particularly classic animation for an adult audience. Together, they came up with plans to create a whole broadcast network instead of expanding the pre-existing blocks' hours.
The diginet market is growing and more stable than cable these days, especially with the cord-cutting crowd. With new digital standards coming within a few years and broadcasters gaining new bandwidth to add new subchannels, more studios and broadcasters are taking notice of the increasing marketplace and viewership of these diginets.
This article will explain a few things: Multicast Is Maturing And Studios Are Taking Notice
WBD is also partnering with Gray Television and Lionsgate in a joint venture, Free TV Networks, to create new diginets and FAST/AVOD outlets. WBD is smart enough to work with companies with broadcast experience who know how to utilize libraries of shows and can work with other studios and affiliates.
Similarly, WBD is expanding its WB TV FAST channels to multiple AVOD services. At the same time, the company is syndicating its library to outlets with vast audiences and experience with streaming such as Freevee, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Tubi. WB TV's Cartoon Rewind recently launched on Freevee, and I'm certain they will launch more animation outlets through WB TV and perhaps with Free TV Networks in the future.
Also, and here's something else. Boomerang isn't in that many households. Comcast/Xfinity, the largest cable operator in the country, doesn't carry the channel in most of its markets. Other cable operators have placed Boomerang in higher-end tiers. MeTV TOONS, again, is a broadcast channel that will be available in most major markets with a basic antenna for free on a digital TV set, including markets WITHOUT Boomerang on cable or satellite.
That's why they created MeTV TOONS.
It turns out that they will have just about every old cartoon except anything Disney related.
Silverstar
Strong to th' Finnich
Is this a surprise? Disney has never shared their toys with the other kids.
Olds like me who can remember the days of pre-cable local syndication can speak of local TV packages like Bugs & Popeye or Woody and Popeye or Bugs & Woody, but there was never a Bugs and Mickey or Woody and Donald show airing on channel 15 or whatever; back then if you wanted to see classic Disney shorts you had to hope your local theater was showing them as a weekend treat or they'd be featured on The Wonderful World of Disney that Sunday night. Then later on you had to subscribe to the Disney Channel or the buy the VHS tapes or watch the Disney Afternoon.
Disney wants to keep their stuff exclusive to them, and they want you to pay for the privilege. This strategy works for the Mouse House because they have beau coup bucks to spend plus they have other outlets like the parks and the cruises to line their pockets (the bulk of Disney's money comes from tourism not their cartoons); WB tried this same strategy years ago with stuff like CN and HBO Max and we all saw how that worked out for them.
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KeldeoKitty
Slacker Musketeer
I look forward to MeTV toons as the only other free to air cartoon channel is PBS Kids.
Furthermore the CW’s Saturday lineup (One Magnificent Morning) is just Jack Hanna’s into the Wild. -_-
Furthermore the CW’s Saturday lineup (One Magnificent Morning) is just Jack Hanna’s into the Wild. -_-
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