As Cartoon Network (2012–2023)
YTV as originally intended to be the Canadian distributor of Cartoon Network, applying for a licence at the CRTC in late 1992. The original target was to launch the channel in late 1993 at earliest. The arrival came at a time when US cable networks were beginning to encroach Canadian cable, which, according to YTV's president Kevin Shea, could open new avenues for Canadian producers.[1] Said licence would eventually become Fun TV, which eventually became Teletoon. By that time, Family Channel was interested in obtaining distribution rights to launch its own cartoon channel, using CN's back catalog. The channel was to be known in English as Cartoon Network and in French as Le Réseau Cartoon. Unlike Fun TV, the channel would air limited amounts of Canadian content, as the bulk of Cartoon Network's original output, then as now, was made in the United States.[2]
In November 2011, the CRTC granted a category B license to Teletoon Canada, Inc. for a new specialty channel tentatively named "Teletoon Kapow!", which would be "devoted to programming from international markets, featuring the latest trends in non-violent action, adventure, superheroes, comedy and interactivity".[3]
In February 2012, Teletoon announced that it would launch a Canadian version of Cartoon Network. The channel would also feature a version of its late-night block Adult Swim. Ahead of the launch, Cartoon Network-branded blocks were added to Teletoon and the now-defunct Teletoon Retro as a preview for the new channel. Cartoon Network launched on July 4, 2012, using the Teletoon Kapow! license.[4][5][6]
On March 4, 2013, Corus Entertainment announced that it would acquire Astral Media's 50% ownership interest in Teletoon Canada Inc., as well as certain other properties, as part of Astral's pending acquisition by Bell Media (which had earlier been rejected by the CRTC in October 2012, but was restructured to allow the sale of certain Astral Media properties in order to allow the purchase to clear regulatory hurdles).[7]
Corus's purchase was cleared by the Competition Bureau two weeks later on March 18.[8] On December 20, 2013, the CRTC approved Corus's full ownership of Teletoon Canada[9][10] and it was purchased by Corus on January 1, 2014.[11] The channel continues to be owned by Teletoon Canada, now wholly owned by Corus Entertainment under its Corus Kids division.[12][13]
In August 2015, internal sources at Corus reported that Cartoon Network would be moved to the channel allotments of Teletoon Retro, which was being shut down on September 1, 2015. It was stated that this change would enable the channel to have expanded distribution, as Teletoon Retro was carried by more providers than Cartoon Network,[14] specifically Shaw Cable, Shaw Direct, and Rogers Cable.[15] At that time, Cartoon Network moved under the auspices of the license that was formerly used by Teletoon Retro; the original Teletoon Kapow! license was revoked by the CRTC on October 2, 2015.[16][17] This expanded the channel's carriage to five million households nationwide.[18]
On March 4, 2019, the primetime Adult Swim block was discontinued on the channel, due to the planned re-launch of Action as an Adult Swim-branded channel on April 1.[19]
