Jetix is a children's television programming brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. It was previously known as Fox Kids.
Organisation and Ownership
The brand broadcasts in the United States as a block of programming on the ABC Family and Toon Disney television channels. In Europe and Latin America, the brand broadcasts as television channels in their own right, owned by subsidary companies Jetix Europe and Jetix Latin America. Some of these channels are primarly branded "Fox Kids", and some are branded "Jetix". The channels primarly branded as "Fox Kids" air blocks of programming branded "Jetix" during certain times. It is planned to convert over all existing Fox Kids channels to the Jetix brand. The United Kingdom and Ireland channel became Jetix on 1st January, 2005 at midnight. Most Jetix/Fox Kids channels are basic cable or satellite pay channels. The UK and Ireland channel is carried on Sky Digital, NTL, Telewest Broadband, and Chorus.
The European subsidary, Jetix Europe NV, is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange. However only 25% of the shares are listed, Walt Disney owns the remainder. The Latin American company is a wholly owned subsidary of Walt Disney.
Fox Kids
Before October 2001, Fox Kids (offically Fox Family Worldwide, Inc) was a 50-50 joint venture between News Corporation Limited and Haim Saban. The ABC Family Channel was at that point known as Fox Family Channel, and all the channels now branded Jetix were called Fox Kids. Fox Kids had itself been founded in 1996 as a merger between the US Fox Childrens Entertainment and Haim Saban's Saban Entertainment, Inc. In October 2001, Saban and News Corp sold the group to The Walt Disney Company. The brand announced the change of name to Jetix in January, 2004.
Until 2002, the brand had the rights to the children's programming slot on the Fox Broadcasting Company television network, however after the sale, that slot was sold to 4Kids Entertainment. The slot, initially known as the "FoxBox" is now named 4Kids TV. However some Jetix programmes are broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company television network, under the ABC Kids brand. It is also broadcast on the Toon Disney network, much to the chagrin of many viewers.
Programming
Jetix in the UK concentrates on action-adventure oriented programming, as of 2004 including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Sonic X, Totally Spies, Shaman King, Shin-chan (Crayon Shin-chan), Martin Mystery, and Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! .
External Links
Last updated: 05-29-2005 11:36:59
