| The Hub | |
|---|---|
| Launched | October 10, 2010 |
| Owned by | Discovery Communications Hasbro, Inc. (Both owning 50%) |
| Slogan | Where Everything Comes Together |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Silver Spring, Maryland |
| Formerly called | Discovery Kids |
| Sister channel(s) | Discovery Channel TLC Animal Planet OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Science Channel Military Channel Discovery Fit & Health Investigation Discovery Planet Green |
| Website | http://www.hubworld.com |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| DirecTV (US) | Channel 294 Channel 1294 (VOD) |
| Dish Network | Channel 179 (SD/HD) Channel 9494 (HD) |
| C-Band | AMC 11-Channel 610 (4DTV Digital) AMC 18-Channel 204 (H2H 4DTV) |
| SKY México | Channel 271 |
| DirecTV (Latin America) | Channel 330 |
| Cable | |
| Available on most cable systems | Check local listings for details |
| IPTV | |
| AT&T U-Verse | Channel 335 (SD) Channel 1335 (HD) |
| Verizon FiOS | Channel 259 (SD) Channel 789 (HD) |
| Sky Angel | Channel 314 |
The Hub is an American digital cable and satellite television channel that launched on October 10, 2010.[1] The channel, which replaced Discovery Kids, is a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Inc. and Hasbro. The Hub airs programming primarily aimed at children ages 6–12, drawing largely on the libraries of both parent companies.
The Hub targets a dual audience, young children in the daytime with original and acquired children's programs, and families at night with reruns of older television sitcoms, dramas and feature films. Veteran television executive Margaret Loesch serves as president and chief executive officer of The Hub. The channel is available to approximately 60 million subscribers.[2]
In a recent debt filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Discovery Communications indicated that the channel may be worth less than previously believed, based on low viewership figures. The management of the Hub is currently undergoing a fair value analysis of the channel.[3][4]
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On April 30, 2009, it was announced that Hasbro acquired a 50% stake in Discovery Kids, with the resulting joint-venture changing the channel's name to The Hub.[5][6][1] Discovery will oversee ad sales and distribution, while Hasbro will be responsible for programming.[7][8] The channel continues to use the Discovery Kids strategy of tagging their educational programming as meeting FCC educational and informational programming guidelines with an on-screen logo to list it as such on electronic program guide listings, despite the E/I policy being targeted wholly to broadcast stations, with cable channels completely excluded from E/I regulations.
The channel launched at 10:00 am ET (9:00 am CT) on October 10, 2010, taking over the Discovery Kids channel space after a final marathon of Kenny the Shark.[9] The first program aired on the channel was The Twisted Whiskers Show.[10]
Programming includes Pictureka!, The Adventures of Chuck and Friends, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Transformers: Prime, G.I. Joe: Renegades, In the Night Garden, Dennis and Gnasher, R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, Clue and Hubworld.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
Programming from Hasbro includes cartoons based on My Little Pony, Transformers, the Pound Puppies and Strawberry Shortcake. Additionally, the network airs Family Game Night, which features Hasbro's board game properties adapted into a game show form.[18]
A limited amount of original Discovery Kids programming remains including series such as Endurance, Adventure Camp and Scout's Safari, a contrast to other rebranded Discovery networks as of late which have taken on completely new schedules. In addition the network carries content from the Hasbro-acquired library of Sunbow Productions programs featuring Hasbro licenses, including The Transformers and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, though not any cartoons based on Hasbro properties (or forerunner toy companies such as Tonka that were eventually purchased by Hasbro) made by Hanna-Barbera or Ruby-Spears Productions, whose libraries are owned by Time Warner and air on Cartoon Network and Boomerang. Other library content includes Fraggle Rock, Atomic Betty, Batman Beyond and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show.[19][20][21][22]
On the day The Hub launched, Dish Network, Verizon FiOS, and AT&T U-Verse carried the high-definition versions of the network on their channel lineups.[23] Bright House, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Mediacom, Suddenlink, and Time Warner Cable now carry the HD feed in many of their markets as well.
Various types of programs are broadcast on The Hub in programming blocks.
HubBub is a daytime programming block for preschoolers, airing from 10:00 am–11:30 am ET (9:00 am–10:30 am CT).[24] The block exists on account of The Hub's primary target audience of school-age children are usually in school during that time period. Programming in the Hubbub block includes The Adventures of Chuck and Friends, Maryoku Yummy and In the Night Garden. HubBub competes with two preschool program cable channels: Nick Jr. and PBS Kids Sprout, and the program block Disney Junior. It replaced the Ready Set Learn block when Discovery Kids was relaunched as The Hub.
The Hub features a nighttime lineup on Monday-Thursdays from 7:00 pm–6:00 am ET (6:00 pm–5:00 am CT), Fridays from 2:00–4:00 am ET (1:00–3:00 am CT), Saturdays from 1:00–4:00 am ET (12:00–3:00 am CT) and Sundays from 12:00–4:00 am ET (11:00 pm–3:00 am CT). The nighttime schedule consists primarily of off-network syndicated sitcoms and dramas made prior to 2000, primarily from both 20th Century Fox Television and CBS Television Distribution aimed at families and adults. Programs currently airing in this block include Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, Doogie Howser, M.D., Laverne & Shirley, The Wonder Years and Happy Days (the latter three of which had previously run on Nick at Nite); most of these sitcoms are mainly part of a package which was formerly aired by FamilyNet in 2008 and 2009 before their December 2009 purchase by another party.
Programming originally produced for The Hub such as Family Game Night, Discovery Kids produced programming and feature films aimed at family audiences also air in primetime in place of the classic television series on Fridays from 7:00 pm–2:00 am ET (6:00 pm–1:00 am CT), Saturdays from 7:00 pm–1:00 am ET (6:00 pm–12:00 am CT) and Sundays from 7:00 pm–1:00 am ET (6:00 pm–12:00 am CT).
A late night block of action-themed programming featuring Batman, The Transformers and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero on Monday through Thursdays from 11:30 pm–1:00 am ET (10:30 pm–12:00 am CT).
This programming block seems to be an all-day block. It has several sub-blocks (Crack Up, Smash Up, Team Up, Family Prime, and Family Movie Night). Crack Up is the sub-block that airs from 6:00 am Eastern/5:00 am Central to 10:00 am Eastern/9:00 am Central; it airs comedy cartoons. Smash Up airs after it from 10:00 am Eastern/9:00 am Central to 2:00 pm Eastern/1:00 pm Central with action shows. Team Up airs from 3:00 pm Eastern/2:00 pm Central to 5:00 pm Eastern/4:00 pm Central with two back-to-back episodes of Family Game Night. Family Prime airs from 7:00 pm Eastern/6:00 pm Central to 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central; it airs The Hub's best shows. Finally, Family Movie Night airs from 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central to 11:00 pm Eastern/10:00 pm Central.
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