Children's programming on Telemundo

Telemuñequitos (1992–1998)

On June 1, 1992, the network's first foray into children's programming, Telemuñequitos, was in partnership with Turner Broadcasting System, and featured Spanish-language dubs of theatrical animated shorts (including Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies and Popeye the Sailor), and Hanna-Barbera series until 1994. The network converted its children's programming every weekday mornings until 2000.^[1]

Telemundo Infantil (1995–1998)

In September 1995, Telemundo launched a branding for its children's programs, Telemundo Infantil ("Telemundo Kids"), which was developed via input from viewers on what they wanted to be featured in a children's show. The block initially contained existing series Telemuñequitos, Kolitas, Nubeluz and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.^[2]

Nickelodeon en Telemundo (1998–2001)

On November 9, 1998, Telemundo introduced Nickelodeon en Telemundo, featuring Spanish dubs of Nickelodeon programming such as Rugrats, Doug, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Hey Arnold!, Rocko's Modern Life, Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer. The block ran on weekday mornings until September 5, 2000, when it was relegated to weekend mornings in order to accommodate a time slot for Hoy En El Mundo (with Jose Diaz-Balart).^[3][4]

Telemundo Kids (2001–2006)

Nickelodeon en Telemundo was discontinued after September 30, 2001, ahead of the expiry of Telemundo's program supply deal with the network. It was replaced by Telemundo Kids on October 6, 2001, featuring a mix of acquired programming from both Sony Pictures Television (such as Men in Black: The Series, Dragon Tales, Jackie Chan Adventures and Max Steel) and various other providers. Nickelodeon programming (including Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, Dora the Explorer, and new addition All Grown Up!) returned Telemundo on October 2, 2004, with various Canadian shows (including Wimzie's House from CBC, and both Monster by Mistake and Jacob Two-Two from YTV) also joining.^[5][6]

Following Telemundo's sale to NBC in 2001 and the split of CBS and Viacom, Telemundo Kids was discontinued on September 3, 2006. Jacob Two-Two transitioned the following week to the block's successor Qubo, while Dora the Explorer (joined by its spin-off Go, Diego, Go!) migrated to rival network Univision upon the launch of the Planeta U block on April 5, 2008.^[7][8]

Qubo on NBC/Telemundo (2006–2012)

On September 9, 2006, Telemundo debuted Qubo, a new weekend morning block of educational programming formed as a joint venture between NBCUniversal, Ion Media Networks, Corus Entertainment, Scholastic, and Classic Media subsidiary Big Idea Entertainment. The block carried Spanish-language dubs of programming acquired or produced for Qubo's English-language blocks on both NBC and Ion Television. While the other two networks aired the full three-hour block within a single timeslot, Telemundo divided the programming across two 90-minute blocks airing on both Saturdays and Sundays.^[9]

The reasoning why the name "qubo" was chosen for the endeavor, or why its logo is a cube, has not been publicly explained by any of the partners, although general manager Rick Rodriguez stated in an interview with Multichannel News that the name was intended to be something that sounded fun, and be a brand that could easily be uniformally used in English and Spanish.^[10]

A companion 24-hour digital multicast network, Qubo Channel, launched on the DT2 subchannel of Ion Media Networks’ terrestrial stations on January 8, 2007. While primarily broadcast in English like the companion Qubo blocks on both NBC and Ion, the standalone Qubo network included a Spanish audio track available for most programming via the second audio program (SAP) feed, utilizing the same Spanish dubs used for the block on Telemundo. Certain programs compatible with SAP also provided Spanish subtitles via the CC3 closed captioning channel, the opposite of Telemundo's strategy in using CC3 to present English subtitles during its weekday prime time lineup.

MiTelemundo (NBC Kids) (2012–2017)

After NBCUniversal dropped out of the Qubo joint venture following its acquisition by Comcast, on March 28, 2012, it was announced that Telemundo would replace its Qubo block with MiTelemundo; programmed by Sprout, it consisted of Spanish dubbed versions of programs seen on its sister broadcast network's Saturday morning block, NBC Kids.^[11][12][13]

MiTelemundo debuted alongside NBC Kids on July 7, 2012, one week after the Qubo block ended its run on NBC on June 30, followed by Telemundo on July 1. This left Ion Television (and later Ion Plus) as the only network to retain a Qubo-branded children's block, until Qubo Channel ceased operations on February 28, 2021, as the E.W. Scripps Company is now the owner of Ion Media, which they acquired on January 7, 2021.

MiTelemundo (Litton Entertainment) (2018–present)

With NBC Kids being replaced with Litton Entertainment's The More You Know block on NBC by September 25, 2016, MiTelemundo initially retained its existing programming until January 6, 2018, when MiTelemundo moved exclusively to Saturday mornings and became programmed by Litton. The relaunched MiTelemundo carries Spanish dubs of programming from The More You Know.^[14]

Named after NBC's series of public service campaigns, the three-hour Saturday morning block is programmed by Litton Entertainment, and features live-action programming aimed at teens, all of which is dubbed in Spanish.^[15][16] Despite the change of programming, it did not change the name of the block, which remains as MiTelemundo.

Schedule issues

Due to regulations defined by the Children's Television Act that require stations to carry E/I compliant programming for three hours each week at any time between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. local time, some Telemundo stations may defer certain programs aired within its Saturday morning block to Sunday daytime or earlier Saturday morning slots, or (in the case of affiliates in the Western United States) Saturday afternoons as makegoods to comply with the CTA regulations.

List of notable programs