Kindernet


Kindernet was a Dutch-language television channel aimed at children and has been part of Nickelodeon's line-up of channels in the Netherlands and Flanders. Since its rebrand in 2011, the channel timeshared with Comedy Central, replacing TMF in its slot.

History

In the 1970s, Kindernet began as an idea by Dennis Livson, a Finnish producer and distributor of animated programmes. He explained that, at the time, children's programmes made for television were too violent for young children. He therefore started a channel with so called "violence-free" cartoons. Its first logo reflected the childish aesthetic. The channel eventually launched through satellite and some cable networks on 1 March 1988. It was founded and owned by Livson's production company Telecable Benelux B.V. with financing by British retailer W H Smith and Japanese company Fuji Eight of the Fujisankei Communications Group. Because in those days, commercial television was not allowed by Dutch law, the Dutch channel was broadcast via Luxembourg and England, and is considered to be the very first commercial television channel in the Netherlands.
From 1988 till 2003 Kindernet aired between 7 AM and 10 AM, timesharing with other channels like the Flemish BRT. In 1995 the director of Kindernet started VTV, aiming at the female audience. Both channels timeshared but VTV was unsuccessful. Later Kindernet time-shared with Discovery Channel and from 2000 till 2002 with Net 5. The channel then went through a rebranding during which the name was changed to Kindernet 5 ; the logo was also changed.
By the end of 2001 Kindernet was taken over by MTV Europe and switched from Net 5 to Veronica in September 2002. This takeover was expressed in the logo of the channel, which was promptly changed to resemble the Nickelodeon one - with the same font and many variations. One year later Kindernet is rebranded by Nickelodeon and ceased its broadcast.
On 4 April 2011 MTV re-launched Kindernet. It took over the TMF slot and from then on timesharing with Comedy Central. On 1 October 2012 it had to decrease its airtime in favor of Comedy Central. It used to broadcast between 6 AM and 3 PM, later to be reduced to between 6 AM and 9 AM. Kindernet closed on 1 November 2013 making Comedy Central a 24 hours channel.