What caused the demise of PBJ?

[Kooplecrap Me]

PBJ was a digital subchannel that launched in the Summer of 2011, owned through a joint venture between Luken Communications and Classic Media (Now DreamWorks Classics.) As far as I know, it only had 19 affiliates. I just want to ask on why this channel failed and never expanded being available in more markets that would receive the channel?

 

[PicardMan]

It's really hard to say as it was a really obscure channel. Looks like it did have classics like Tiny Toons and Veggietales, but there is so much competition in the cartoon world. A great deal of the lineup could be found on competing platforms. Doesn't seem like it's a major loss, to be honest.

 

[aegisrawks]

It's really hard to say as it was a really obscure channel. Looks like it did have classics like Tiny Toons and Veggietales, but there is so much competition in the cartoon world. A great deal of the lineup could be found on competing platforms. Doesn't seem like it's a major loss, to be honest.

I think it was just too early, Cable Channels dominated back then. I think a kids channel like PBS Kids but commercial would have been a big hit if it had more mainstream cartoons or premieres. Luckily Me TV Toons will hopefully avert it now that its NOT A KIDS channel but rather a baby boomer one, since its not aimed at kids it can have more advertising profit, not be tied down by censorship, and most importantly does not rely on fickle kids as a viewer base. I hope kids DO enjoy the new channel though, this time as the Periphery Demographic.

 

[PicardMan]

Luckily Me TV Toons will hopefully avert it now that its NOT A KIDS channel but rather a baby boomer one, since its not aimed at kids it can have more advertising profit, not be tied down by censorship, and most importantly does not rely on fickle kids as a viewer base.

Woah. Broader than Boomers as I think there were a few toons as recent as the 00s that will be there (I think Xiaolin Showdown listed as part of the lineup). The rerun channel PBJ had to compete with shiny new at the time cartoons like Adventure Time and Regular Show, making it hard for a channel like that to compete.

 

[Kooplecrap Me]

Woah. Broader than Boomers as I think there were a few toons as recent as the 00s that will be there (I think Xiaolin Showdown listed as part of the lineup). The rerun channel PBJ had to compete with shiny new at the time cartoons like Adventure Time and Regular Show, making it hard for a channel like that to compete.

It wasn't like not many people knew about the network anyway. It was only in like 25% of the country. Why it never expanded is beyond me

 

[aegisrawks]

Woah. Broader than Boomers as I think there were a few toons as recent as the 00s that will be there (I think Xiaolin Showdown listed as part of the lineup). The rerun channel PBJ had to compete with shiny new at the time cartoons like Adventure Time and Regular Show, making it hard for a channel like that to compete.

Yeah, I didnt mention those especifically but that is exactly why the channel failed, thanks for putting it way better than I ever could. I simplified my post too much, but this is a channel for adults. Boomers, Gen X'ers and milllenials.

 

[JMTV]

I think the reason why the PBJ failed is that it is death by a thousands cuts. What I'm saying is, I can't really pinpoint one specific reason since there are multiple different reasons.

First off, nobody really knows what PBJ is. Heck, I've never heard of it until a few years ago that it was just a broadcast channel that aired old cartoons that is not Qubo. That because the company barely promoted PBJ at all, nor any commercials being documented online, as far as I'm aware. Which led to PBJ barely registered a blip to anyone's radar.

Secondly, like @PicardMan motioned, there's too much competition. Keep in mind, PBJ came out in 2011. In the early 2010's, Cartoon Network and Disney were KILLING IT in the animated variety, bringing out some of the best shows on linear TV at the time. Y'all know the ones. Not gonna repeated here. In the mid 2010's, when cable TV was started to dip out, Netflix became very huge with their animated shows. They give us something new and different, while also being easily accessible. I'm not saying PBJ wasn't accessible since it was a OTA channel, but again, people looking forward to something new on Netflix than watching old stuff on PBJ.

Thirdly, and unsurprisingly, corporate buyouts. Classic Media being owned by DreamWorks in 2012. You know who owned DreamWorks next? Comcast-NBCUniversal. Back in 2016, NBCUniversal bought DreamWorks Animation, including DreamWorks Classics. However, just like all other corporate buyouts and mergers, they began restructuring and cut out the middlemen, and PBJ is one of those middlemen.

So basically, PBJ's quick demise all comes to....just came out a wrong place at the wrong time. If it were to came years earlier, and have a stronger library, and easily accessible, and good promotion, it might, I repeat, might, have a chance to succeed. But then again, Qubo already took the crown since it was a similar concept as PBJ, but exceed better. At least Qubo has decent recognition and better promotion, than PBJ since it was a replacement block for NBC's Discovery Kids block in 2006, before it got its own channel a year later in 2007.

PBJ was just kinda stood there. It stood there for nothing. Hence why it faded into obscurity.

I think a kids channel like PBS Kids but commercial would have been a big hit if it had more mainstream cartoons or premieres.

Yeah, at PBS Kids was able to succeed on their own because unlike PBJ, PBS Kids is a recognizable brand and has a very rich back catalog. Sure, PBJ had He-Man and She-ra, and Filmation's Ghostbusters, but that's about it. They don't really catch on, you know?

This is why I'm very very grateful that MeTV Toons existed because unlike other channels that was trying to be the next big three kids networks and failed, MeTV Toons has a better chance to succeed because it is in the same demographic as MeTV proper. Like @aegisrawks said, at least Toons don't have to geared towards kids anymore since kids don't watch TV anyway. It's best to cut to the chase and create a channel for older audiences who watches cartoons, like Boomerang and Cartoon Network, except not on cable TV, because NEWS FLASH: animation is for ALL AGES! So target all ages! Thank God MeTV is finally listening.

So that's why I'm rooting for MeTV Toons to become a success because we needed a platform that preserve old animated library in a much more accessible fashion, especially in a time where a lot of these companies removed most of their library from streaming to cut costs(I still cannot get over CN library being hit hard).

 

[aegisrawks]

I think the reason why the PBJ failed is that it is death by a thousands cuts. What I'm saying is, I can't really pinpoint one specific reason since there are multiple different reasons.

First off, nobody really knows what PBJ is. Heck, I've never heard of it until a few years ago that it was just a broadcast channel that aired old cartoons that is not Qubo. That because the company barely promoted PBJ at all, nor any commercials being documented online, as far as I'm aware. Which led to PBJ barely registered a blip to anyone's radar.

Secondly, like @PicardMan motioned, there's too much competition. Keep in mind, PBJ came out in 2011. In the early 2010's, Cartoon Network and Disney were KILLING IT in the animated variety, bringing out some of the best shows on linear TV at the time. Y'all know the ones. Not gonna repeated here. In the mid 2010's, when cable TV was started to dip out, Netflix became very huge with their animated shows. They give us something new and different, while also being easily accessible. I'm not saying PBJ wasn't accessible since it was a OTA channel, but again, people looking forward to something new on Netflix than watching old stuff on PBJ.

Thirdly, and unsurprisingly, corporate buyouts. Classic Media being owned by DreamWorks in 2012. You know who owned DreamWorks next? Comcast-NBCUniversal. Back in 2016, NBCUniversal bought DreamWorks Animation, including DreamWorks Classics. However, just like all other corporate buyouts and mergers, they began restructuring and cut out the middlemen, and PBJ is one of those middlemen.

So basically, PBJ's quick demise all comes to....just came out a wrong place at the wrong time. If it were to came years earlier, and have a stronger library, and easily accessible, and good promotion, it might, I repeat, might, have a chance to succeed. But then again, Qubo already took the crown since it was a similar concept as PBJ, but exceed better. At least Qubo has decent recognition and better promotion, than PBJ since it was a replacement block for NBC's Discovery Kids block in 2006, before it got its own channel a year later in 2007.

PBJ was just kinda stood there. It stood there for nothing. Hence why it faded into obscurity.


Yeah, at PBS Kids was able to succeed on their own because unlike PBJ, PBS Kids is a recognizable brand and has a very rich back catalog. Sure, PBJ had He-Man and She-ra, and Filmation's Ghostbusters, but that's about it. They don't really catch on, you know?

This is why I'm very very grateful that MeTV Toons existed because unlike other channels that was trying to be the next big three kids networks and failed, MeTV Toons has a better chance to succeed because it is in the same demographic as MeTV proper. Like @aegisrawks said, at least Toons don't have to geared towards kids anymore since kids don't watch TV anyway. It's best to cut to the chase and create a channel for older audiences who watches cartoons, like Boomerang and Cartoon Network, except not on cable TV, because NEWS FLASH: animation is for ALL AGES! So target all ages! Thank God MeTV is finally listening.

So that's why I'm rooting for MeTV Toons to become a success because we needed a platform that preserve old animated library in a much more accessible fashion, especially in a time where a lot of these companies removed most of their library from streaming to cut costs(I still cannot get over CN library being hit hard).

This post is so great. I love it.

 

[JMTV]

This post is so great. I love it.

Thank you so much, dude.

 

[Kooplecrap Me]

I think the reason why the PBJ failed is that it is death by a thousands cuts. What I'm saying is, I can't really pinpoint one specific reason since there are multiple different reasons.

First off, nobody really knows what PBJ is. Heck, I've never heard of it until a few years ago that it was just a broadcast channel that aired old cartoons that is not Qubo. That because the company barely promoted PBJ at all, nor any commercials being documented online, as far as I'm aware. Which led to PBJ barely registered a blip to anyone's radar.

Secondly, like @PicardMan motioned, there's too much competition. Keep in mind, PBJ came out in 2011. In the early 2010's, Cartoon Network and Disney were KILLING IT in the animated variety, bringing out some of the best shows on linear TV at the time. Y'all know the ones. Not gonna repeated here. In the mid 2010's, when cable TV was started to dip out, Netflix became very huge with their animated shows. They give us something new and different, while also being easily accessible. I'm not saying PBJ wasn't accessible since it was a OTA channel, but again, people looking forward to something new on Netflix than watching old stuff on PBJ.

Thirdly, and unsurprisingly, corporate buyouts. Classic Media being owned by DreamWorks in 2012. You know who owned DreamWorks next? Comcast-NBCUniversal. Back in 2016, NBCUniversal bought DreamWorks Animation, including DreamWorks Classics. However, just like all other corporate buyouts and mergers, they began restructuring and cut out the middlemen, and PBJ is one of those middlemen.

So basically, PBJ's quick demise all comes to....just came out a wrong place at the wrong time. If it were to came years earlier, and have a stronger library, and easily accessible, and good promotion, it might, I repeat, might, have a chance to succeed. But then again, Qubo already took the crown since it was a similar concept as PBJ, but exceed better. At least Qubo has decent recognition and better promotion, than PBJ since it was a replacement block for NBC's Discovery Kids block in 2006, before it got its own channel a year later in 2007.

PBJ was just kinda stood there. It stood there for nothing. Hence why it faded into obscurity.


Yeah, at PBS Kids was able to succeed on their own because unlike PBJ, PBS Kids is a recognizable brand and has a very rich back catalog. Sure, PBJ had He-Man and She-ra, and Filmation's Ghostbusters, but that's about it. They don't really catch on, you know?

This is why I'm very very grateful that MeTV Toons existed because unlike other channels that was trying to be the next big three kids networks and failed, MeTV Toons has a better chance to succeed because it is in the same demographic as MeTV proper. Like @aegisrawks said, at least Toons don't have to geared towards kids anymore since kids don't watch TV anyway. It's best to cut to the chase and create a channel for older audiences who watches cartoons, like Boomerang and Cartoon Network, except not on cable TV, because NEWS FLASH: animation is for ALL AGES! So target all ages! Thank God MeTV is finally listening.

So that's why I'm rooting for MeTV Toons to become a success because we needed a platform that preserve old animated library in a much more accessible fashion, especially in a time where a lot of these companies removed most of their library from streaming to cut costs(I still cannot get over CN library being hit hard).

Very good explanation
There barely are any footage of the channel on the internet
I'm glad you fully explained what killed the subchannel

 

[JMTV]

Very good explanation
There barely are any footage of the channel on the internet
I'm glad you fully explained what killed the subchannel

Thank you. I always tried my best to explain myself because I don’t have all the answers, I always ramble on too much, but based on what I have observed, I give my reasons as to why it failed.

 

[Mejo]

Nobody really knows what PBJ is. Heck, I've never heard of it until a few years ago that it was just a broadcast channel that aired old cartoons that is not Qubo. That because the company barely promoted PBJ at all, nor any commercials being documented online, as far as I'm aware. Which led to PBJ barely registered a blip to anyone's radar.

I myself haven’t even HEARD of this network till this thread came about (though I might have seen a recording of the christmas episode of The Harveytoons Show that came from this network, I’m not sure), which just goes to show how poorly this channel was advertised.

Really unfortunate too as it appears that they ran The Tomfoolery Show and Kid Power, two shows that don’t have much episodes available online.

If you’re curious, here’s a sizzle reel made by the network:

And here’s also a Cartoon Brew article about the launch of the network written by Jerry Beck:

Classic Media's retro-cartoon channel: PB&J

www.cartoonbrew.com