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Boomerang

Country	United Kingdom
Broadcast area	United Kingdom Ireland Malta
Network	Cartoon Network
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Programming
Language(s)	English
Picture format	1080i HDTV (downscaled to 576i for the SDTV feed)
Timeshift service	Boomerang +1
Ownership
Owner	Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA
Sister channels	Cartoon Network Cartoonito CNN International
History
Launched	27 May 2000; 24 years ago (2000-05-27)
Links
Website	www.Boomerangtv.co.uk
Availability
Terrestrial
See separate section

Boomerang is a 24-hour British pay television channel which primarily features classic and modern animated series from Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros. Animation. The channel launched on 27 May 2000 as a spin-off of Cartoon Network and localisation of the original American network. It is run by Warner Bros. Discovery under its EMEA division.

History

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Boomerang UK began as a block on Cartoon Network in 1993. It launched as a separate channel on 27 May 2000, broadcasting from 6:00AM until 12:00AM on Sky Digital and other cable systems. At the time of its creation, Cartoon Network had a unique schedule. This led to the creation of the channel by Turner Broadcasting to allow them to broadcast classic cartoons from the Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Warner Bros. archive programme library. This subsequently allowed its sister network (Cartoon Network) to free many of its classic programming from its the schedule.

In May 2001, Boomerang became the second highest-rated children's channel in the UK, beaten only by parent service Cartoon Network. In July of that year, the channel was added to cable operator Telewest, thus increasing its viewership. James Greville, head of Cartoon Network UK at the time, stated, "The channel launched barely a year ago and yet it's already beaten established kids' channels in terms of ratings and share". By November, the channel was available on NTL.

Boomerang increased its library of old cartoons in early 2003 by acquiring rights to other animated shows such as Danger Mouse, The Pink Panther Show and Garfield and Friends.

A one-hour timeshift channel, Boomerang +1, launched on 6 March 2006.

Boomerang rebranded with the new international graphics package developed by UK based graphic design agency Art&Graft on 16 February 2015. The channel switched to 16:9 widescreen on 1 June 2015. Subsequently, a high-definition feed was launched on 24 June 2015.

On 3 September 2018, the channel was rebranded once again.

On 18 November 2020, following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, Boomerang and Cartoon Network were split into two regions after the broadcasting licence reserved for the Republic of Ireland and Malta was moved to the Czech Republic, in accordance with the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and single market law following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. Like the UK, the Czech Republic has minimal broadcasting regulations and was chosen for EU licensing purposes as WarnerMedia's HBO had substantial operations located in the country. Editorially, the channel is still managed from WarnerMedia's EMEA headquarters in London.

Availability

Cable

• Virgin Media UK: Channel 730 (HD) and Channel 731 (+1)

Online

• Now TV: Watch live

Satellite

• Sky: Channel 603 (HD), Channel 611 (+1) and Channel 641 (SD)

Terrestrial

• EE UK: Channel 467 (SD) and Channel 474 (HD)

Programming

Live-action programming

Between 23 July 2007 to 1 August 2009, the channel started airing live-action programming, starting with Fraggle Rock (which also began airing on Cartoonito the same day).

Other live action series included Life with Derek, popular sitcom The Latest Buzz and the spy show My Spy Family.

Logos

• 27 May 2000 – 13 September 2004
• 13 September 2004 – 16 February 2015

References

1. "Digest". Marketing Week. 6 November 2000. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
2. Archived 22 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine
3. "Boomerang increases its UK penetration". C21Media. 7 September 2001. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
4. "NTL adds 15 channels". Broadcast. 26 October 2001. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
5. "Garfield joins Cartoon Network". Broadcast. 20 March 2003. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
6. "Boomerang Global Rebrand". Art&Graft. Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
7. "Boomerang UK Rebranded Today (16/02/2015)". RegularCapital.com. 16 February 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
8. "Boomerang UK HD Officially Launched Today (24/06/2015)". RegularCapital.com. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
9. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Boomerang UK - Rebranded! (September 3, 2018)". YouTube.
10. "Spisová značka: _____ - Rada pro rozhlasové a televizní vysílání" (PDF). RRTV (in Czech). Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
11. https://rxtvinfo.com/2024/virgin-media-upgrades-two-childrens-channels-to-hd/
12. Oatts, Joanne (22 June 2007). "Boomerang gets its own 'Spy' Family". Digital Spy. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
13. "Boomerang Expands its Life with Derek". Thinkbox. 4 June 2008. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.

External links

• Official website

• Children's television channels in the United Kingdom
• Boomerang (TV network)
• 2000 establishments in the United Kingdom
• Television channels and stations established in 2000
• Turner Broadcasting System UK & Ireland
• Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA