Nickelodeon on CBS

On April 14, 2000, a few months after Viacom (in timeline, which CBS founded in 1952 as television syndication distributor CBS Television Film Sales, and later spun off in 1971) completed its $37 billion merger with CBS Corporation (the original Westinghouse Electric Corporation), CBS reached an agreement with new corporate cousin Nickelodeon to air programming from its Nick Jr. programming block beginning that September.

File:Nick Jr. on CBS logo (2000).svg

On September 16, 2000, the new three-hour block, known as Nick Jr. on CBS, premiered, replacing CBS Kidshow, produced by Canada-based animation studio Nelvana, which ended its run the week prior on September 9. For the first two years of the Viacom agreement, the block exclusively aired preschool-oriented programming from Nick Jr.; the block launched without commercial advertising, only airing promos, interstitial segments, and PSAs. Viacom began selling advertising during the block in early 2001; as with Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block at the time, it would be limited to four minutes per-hour.

On September 14, 2002, the block was rebranded as Nick on CBS, and its programming content expanded to animated Nickelodeon series aimed at children between the ages of 2 and 12, in addition to two returning Nick Jr. series Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer. The rebranding also introduced a new logo with three circles with different colors (orange for Nick, green for the word "On", and blue for CBS) alongside bumpers and promos animated by Primal Screen.

As with its predecessor Think CBS Kids and CBS Kidshow blocks, all of the programs within the block complied with educational programming (E/I) requirements defined by the Children's Television Act, although the educational content in some of the programs was tenuous in nature. It was partly for this reason why some of Nickelodeon's most popular programs (most notably SpongeBob SquarePants) were mainly not included as part of the CBS block, especially during the more open-formatted Nick on CBS era. However, Rugrats aired briefly in 2003, when it was added as a short-lived regular series within the block. On March 13, 2004, the block had a relaunch, making additions such as live-action shows, such as The Brothers García.

The older-skewing Nickelodeon series were removed from the block and was rebranded back to Nick Jr. on CBS on September 18, 2004, refocusing the block back exclusively toward preschool-oriented series. On September 17, 2005, the block added Go, Diego, Go! and began incorporating interstitial hosted segments featuring Piper O'Possum. On December 31, 2005, Viacom formally split under the shared control of National Amusements (owned by Sumner Redstone), with CBS and all related broadcasting, television production and distribution properties as well as some non-production entities becoming part of the standalone company CBS Corporation, while Nickelodeon and its parent subsidiary MTV Networks became part of a new company under the Viacom name.

Less than a month later on January 19, 2006, CBS announced that it would enter into a three-year programming partnership with DIC Entertainment to produce a new children's program block for the three-hour Saturday morning timeslot featuring new and older series from its program library, to begin airing in Fall 2006.{{cite news|title=Synergy not kid-friendly at Eye web|url=https://variety.com/2006/digital/markets-festivals/synergy-not-kid-friendly-at-eye-web-1117936466/|author=Elizabeth Guider|work=Variety|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=January 19, 2006|access-date=February 23, 2022}} The block was replaced by DIC's block, initially branded as the KOL Secret Slumber Party, on September 16, 2006.{{cite web|title=DIC, KOL to Produce on CBS|url=http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002725721|periodical=Mediaweek|date=June 21, 2006|access-date=August 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060713195740/http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002725721|archive-date=July 13, 2006|url-status=dead}} In October, Nickelodeon-owned network Noggin changed its weekend morning lineup to include more ongoing Nick Jr. series as a response to Nick Jr. on CBS's closure.

Following the announcement of the second merger between CBS Corporation and Viacom, former CBS Corporation CEO Joseph Ianniello was receptive to the possibility of the return of Nickelodeon children's programming to CBS,{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2019-08-26/joe-ianniello-will-keep-an-eye-on-cbs-properties-after-they-merge-with-viacom|title=Q&A: He was tied to the old regime at CBS. Can Joe Ianniello pave its future under Viacom?|first=Stephen|last=Battaglio|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 26, 2019|access-date=September 2, 2019}} though CBS continues to cooperate with Hearst Media Production Group to carry the CBS WKND E/I programming block until the end of the 2025–26 television season.{{Cite web|date=May 10, 2020|title=CBS and Litton Entertainment Extend Partnership with Five-Year Renewal of the CBS Dream Team Block — Litton Entertainment|url=http://www.litton.tv/in-the-news-1/2018/3/20/cbs-and-litton-entertainment-extend-partnership-with-five-year-renewal-of-the-cbs-dream-team-block|access-date=June 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510223339/http://www.litton.tv/in-the-news-1/2018/3/20/cbs-and-litton-entertainment-extend-partnership-with-five-year-renewal-of-the-cbs-dream-team-block|archive-date=May 10, 2020}}

All of the programs aired within the block featured content compliant with educational programming requirements as mandated by the Children's Television Act. Although the block was intended to air on Saturday mornings, some CBS affiliates deferred certain programs aired within the block to Sunday mornings, or (in the case of affiliates in the Western United States) Saturday afternoons due to breaking news or severe weather coverage, or regional or select national sports broadcasts (especially in the case of college football and basketball tournaments) scheduled in earlier Saturday timeslots as makegoods to comply with the E/I regulations. Some stations also tape delayed the entire block in order to accommodate local weekend morning newscasts, the Saturday edition of The Early Show, or other programs of local interest (such as real estate or lifestyle programs).

{{reflist}}

{{Nickelodeon}}

{{Former KidsTVBlocksUSA}}

{{Children's programming on CBS}}

{{Nick Jr.}}

{{Paramount Global}}

Category:Television programming blocks in the United States

Category:Nickelodeon

Category:CBS original programming