1. Unit 7 – Understanding the Creative Media Sector
National Media – Cartoon Network
By Johnny Ray Brolly

2. Overview
Cartoon Network is an American television channel that was launched in 1992.
It’s a channel that primarily broadcasts animated shows targeted towards an age demographic of 6-12 years old.

3. Sector Cartoon Network falls into the sector of animation.
Originally it started out a channel that aired re-runs of older cartoons that Time Warner had the rights to. Mostly “Looney Tunes” and Hanna Barbera cartoons like “The Flintstones”
However it began to air original cartoons in 1994 with the Williams Street Production, “Space Ghost Coast to Coast”.
Based on the success of this show, Cartoon Network founded its own studio to create original programming.
Cartoon Network Studios went on to produce a plethora of creative original shows like “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Courage the Cowardly Dog” to name a few.
These shows became very popular bringing a lot of attention to the network.

4. Structure and Ownership
Cartoon Network is owned by Time Warner.
It’s a company that has been horizontally integrated, meaning that they’ve been bought out by a larger company for their resources.
Time Warner bought the Cartoon Network channel, because its TV air space and its ability to produce animated programmes is of value to them for making profit.
Seeing as Cartoon Network is not a vertically integrated company, it does not receive full profit from the means of production.
It’s not a company that will receive full profit for its work, because it does not own the final product and its distribution.

5. Sources of Income
Cartoon Network makes most of its profit from advertising revenue.
Advertisers pay money for their ads to be played on Cartoon Network. Adverts that play on Cartoon Network are typically for products that appeal to children like toys, snack foods, movies and video games.
Cartoon Network also makes income from merchandise as well as advertising revenue.

6. Product Diversity
The shows that are produced for and aired on Cartoon Network are typically categorized into the comedy and action genres.
However, owns the Williams Street Productions Studios, which makes more adult oriented content for the channel Adult Swim. All of these properties are ultimately owned by Time Warner.
Adult Swim is a channel that shares air space with Cartoon Network. After 8pm Cartoon Network ceases to broadcast and Adult Swim programmes are aired until 6am.
Adult Swim content is not very appropriate for the younger demographic that watches most Cartoon Network shows. It’s shows contain more adult themes and humour.
Popular Adult Swim shows include “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and “Rick & Morty”.
This shared air space between Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, gives Cartoon Network the opportunity to appeal to both younger and older audiences with varying content.
Cartoon Network’s Toonami anime programming block shifted to Adult Swim in 2012.
In addition to their shows being aired on their own network, a few of Cartoon Network’s shows are streamed on Netflix.
Cartoon Network also produces content outside of animated shows, creating merchandise. Many of their shows have enough of a following for the creation of merchandise like toys video games .

7. Profitability of Product Range
Cartoon Network was considered to be one of the standout basic cable channels along with AMC and the Discovery channel in a fairly recent article by Variety Magazine from 2015.
This article states that Cartoon Network was amongst the top 25 most successful basic cable channels, and ended up being the number 1 most profitable ad supported network for the demographic of young people aged 6-10 by the end of 2015.
More attention has been brought to the Adult Swim slot of Cartoon Network’s programming after the break out popularity of the Williams Street produced show, “Rick and Morty”.

8. Competitors
Cartoon Network’s main competitors would be Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel.
Both companies were established before Cartoon Network and offer audiences much of the same kind of content that Cartoon Network does.
Cartoon Network seems to have somewhat of an advantage over both networks, because it appeals much more to an older audience as well as children than than both of its main competitors, especially with its shared air time with Adult Swim.

9. Rating as a Career Choice
Cartoon Network Studios produced many of my favourite animated shows as a child, and there programming targeted towards older audiences with Adult Swim has meant that my enjoyment of their network has had much longevity. I’d still even enjoy revisiting some of my favourite cartoons of theirs.
For me working at Cartoon Network in any capacity would be a an opportunity that I’d rate very highly as a career choice. It would be a very ideal company for me to work for, because their creative animated shows is the type of content that I’d be very interested in making.
Roles I’d be interested in would include; animator, character designer, writer or director.
Not only would working for this company be a highly enjoyable and educational experience, Cartoon Network’s status as a major American cable network would mean that securing a job there would likely mean I would have a long term job that I could support myself with.
Working for either Cartoon Network Studios or Williams Street Productions, making animated content would be equally gratifying career positions for me.