Nickelodeon Australia

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Nickelodeon Australia
Nickelodeon Australia
Launched October 23, 1995
Owned by XYZnetworks
Audience share 0.9% (February 2008, [1])
Country Australia
Replaced Max/ClassicMax
Sister channel(s) Nick Jr.
Website nickelodeon.com.au
Availability
Satellite
Foxtel Channel 5
Austar Channel 5
SKY Network Television Channel 41
Cable
Optus Television Channel 701
Foxtel Digital Channel 701
Austar Digital Channel 701
TelstraClear InHomeTV Channel 41

Nickelodeon Australia is the Australian counterpart of the Nickelodeon network in the United States. However unlike other Viacom-branded stations in Australia (i.e. MTV, VH1, and TMF), Nickelodeon Australia is owned by XYZnetworks, under license from Viacom. The channel was launched on October 23, 1995, replacing the Max/ClassicMax channel launched by XYZ in April 1995.[2] This and Nick Jr. Australia are the only Nickelodeon channels in the world that are not either fully or partly owned by Viacom.

Contents

[edit] History

Nickelodeon Australia was launched on October 23, 1995, encrypted as part of the newly launched Foxtel and Austar cable counterparts, showing live action shows and cartoons. Nickelodeon was also added to the Optus Television network in December 2002. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the channel began broadcasting more Australian-produced shows, rather than having American-only content.

On March 14, 2004, XYZnetworks launched Nick Jr. Australia as the first full, 24-hour TV channel designed for pre-school audiences in Australia. Before this, Nick Jr. was a morning and afternoon programming block on Nickelodeon, including shows that now get much more airtime on the full channel, such as Dora the Explorer and Blue's Clues. For a few months after Nick Jr. became a full channel, it kept a 2 hour-long time slot on Nickelodeon, but it was drastically shorter than it was before it became a full channel.

Direct competitors to the network are Cartoon Network Australia (also launched in October 1995) and the first of the children's networks in Australia, Disney Channel Australia (launched in May 1995), as well as their respective sister channels, Boomerang (launched in March 2004, the same month as Nick Jr.) and Playhouse Disney (launched in December 2005). Former competitors to the network were Fox Kids Australia (also launched on 23 October 1995, died on 31 January 2004) and ABC Kids (launched on 1 August 2001, died on 30 June 2003).

[edit] Programming

Main article: List of shows aired on Nickelodeon Australia

Nickelodeon Australia mainly airs shows from the American Nickelodeon but also broadcasts a variety of non-American foreign (namely Canadian, British, and New Zealand) and locally-produced shows, some of which are detailed below.

Other locally produced shows not included below are Nick Takes Over Your School, as well as an Australian version of Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids (Nick GAS).

[edit] Hot Chunks

Hot Chunks was a show starring Angus King as a variety of characters. It ran for two seasons in 1998 and 1999 and also had a spin-off special featuring the best dares, as well as the series of Hot Chunks animated shorts.

[edit] Camp Orange

Main article: Camp Orange

Camp Orange began in 2005 and was hosted by Dave Lawson. Dave was moved to 'Sarvo due to the fact that Tony "T-Bone" Brockman (a former 'Sarvo host) left the network. The show entails eight kids (between the ages of 10 and 13) in four teams. They battle it out to win various competitions and prize packs provided by the sponsor.

The second and third seasons aired in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Since 2006, Maude Garrett has hosted Camp Orange. Maude is now a well-known celebrity within the Nickelodeon community, attending events such as the Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards.

[edit] Juice

Juice is a weekday morning show. It shows popular Nicktoons between 7am and 9am such as SpongeBob SquarePants and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Although the show was originally hosted, it no longer features a host.

[edit] Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards

Main article: Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards

The annual awards show commenced in 2003, celebrating kids' favourite choices in music, movies, books and more.

[edit] Blocks

[edit] Nick at Nite

From Nickelodeon's opening date until 2001, Nickelodeon shared its channel with an Australian version of Nick at Nite. Much of the programming was similar to the U.S. channel at the time, including shows such as Mister Ed and Gilligan's Island. Eventually it was closed due to the expansion of Nickelodeon, as well as the existence of another classic TV channel, TV1, co-operated by another Viacom subsidiary, Paramount Pictures. Much of the programming was moved to TV1 and later some of it to the Sci Fi Channel.[3]

[edit] 'Sarvo

Main article: Sarvo

'Sarvo is a block shown on weekday afternoons that was previously hosted by James Kerley and Dave Lawson. The duo left 'Sarvo on Friday, February 23, 2007. The new series which began on April 9, 2007, and is now hosted by Maude Garrett and Kyle Linahan. 'Sarvo aires in the afternoons and plays various Nicktoons such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Kappa Mikey, and Captain Flamingo as well as other shows such as Zoey 101. As well as children's programs, this show also offers other things such as interviews with celebrity guests and funny extras of what the hosts get up to.

[edit] Weekend Mornings

Weekend Mornings is a block of two episodes each of four Nicktoons on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It was originally named Double Up but changed names to support Nickelodeon's new format in 2006.

[edit] Saturday Nick Television

Saturday Nick Television was a morning show that was launched in 2002 with the help of Britney Spears. This show was shot in Melbourne and involved games in which the live audience could participate in, celebrity interviews, performances, skits and more. Nickelodeon cancelled the show in 2005 due to a lack of audience numbers.

[edit] Lunchtoon

Lunchtoon is a weekday lunchtime block that has four half-hour episodes of a Nickelodeon show. It is usually played from 12pm to 2pm.

[edit] Toons2Nite

Nickelodeon also plays classic Nick shows such as Rocko's Modern Life and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters in the late night hours. It was originally named Classics, however it has since been rebranded Toons2Nite.

[edit] Other projects

[edit] Nickelodeon Magazine Australia

The Australian Nickelodeon Magazine was a monthly magazine available in most newsagents and supermarkets between September 2005 and May 2006. In total, six issues were published before being dropped by Australian Consolidated Press. It was edited by former Australian Disney Adventures contributor, Santi Pintado. The Australian Nickelodeon Magazine content was borrowed heavily from its American counterpart, Nickelodeon Magazine. The first copy of the magazine was handed out free at the 2005 Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards.

[edit] You're on Nick

To support Nickelodeon Australia's new format, the network launched Moby Nick, a bus that would tour around Australia in places such as Sydney Olympic Park. Part of the bus was a small recording studio, where kids could say a sentence or two about what they could do, or who they were. The ten-second clips would be shown during the ads on Nickelodeon Australia shows.

[edit] Hosts

[edit] Current

[edit] Past

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ratings Week 5 ((27/1/2008 - 2/2/2008)
  2. ^ Network news.(XYZ Networks 10th Anniversary). Variety 396.7 (Oct 4, 2004): pD5(1). (141 words)
  3. ^ Rugrats Down Under
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