K-Zone

K-Zone is a kids channel in Flarland, operated by University of Wembley Broadcasting, that started as a block in 1990 and became a channel in 1998. The channel targets an average audience of children aged between 6 and 12.

The channel broadcasts under a must-carry license, being one of 48 channels applicable; consequently the channel is broadcast over the Freeview digital terrestrial and Freesat digital satellite networks, and to all subscription television operators of Flarland. Some of its output is carried in the Henleys, Eumoritown and Yawnaro.

Much of the output is Flarlandian, despite there being some periods where foreign content dominated, particularly in the 2000s and early 2010s.

History

Before K-Zone, Channel Thirteen had commited to air programs for kids. Among the most notable ones were Saturday Morning Cartoon Club, What Now and Spectrum. K-Zone did not debut until September 17, 1990, as a two-hour programming block bent on fillind the first two hours of Channel 14's schedule, starting at 17:00 with holdovers from Channel Thirteen's own kids blocks.

For a while, K-Zone was also broadcast by Channel Thirteen as well, because the coverage was fairly limited and UWB's UHF networks were investing on an improvement of their transmission network. Because of these measures, K-Zone was shown first on Channel Thirteen, and on an hour of delay on Channel 14. Eventually it became a fixture of Channel 14's schedule, and until the premiere of On The Hour it was the most-profitable show on the channel. In September 1993, it premiered You and Me, based on a format from the Michillies, and was shown on K-Zone before moving to Playhouse K. The show was made to counter the growing popularity of the Flarlandian adaptation of Sesame Street on the FBC.

By 1995, when Channel 14 made its first large rebrand, K-Zone had divided itself into two programming blocks: Morning Express running from 6 to 9 every morning and AfterToons from 4 to 6 in the afternoon. In 1996, Playhouse K debuted as an hour-long pre-school programming block. It later moved to Channel 15 and increased its hours of length.

K-Zone became a television channel on June 1, 1998. Initially it was available on the digital service of Flarlandian Satellite Television before gaining must-carry status shortly afterward upon starting on the former DTT platform BEdigital, where it became a free channnel..

The channel got notable boosts in the early-2000s: first, in 2000, it attained the terrestrial broadcasting rights to Ed, Edd n Eddy, thus becoming the most popular cartoon in Flarland at one point, then in 2001, it got exclusive terrestrial rights to air Disney shows, an entire package stolen from the FBC, thus increasing its popularity, in a time when Disney Channel was a premium service. The carriage of K-Zone blocks on Channel 14 - primarily to reach out to viewers without Freeview, cable or satellite, did manage to increase Channel 14's daytime ratings among kids, and also among the primetime demographics.

The channel's brand identity from 2005 to 2007 centered on the "There's a Kid in Me" theme that eventually became wildly popular within Flarland, and was borrowed to Kids Central in Lenapore the following year. Both sides of the campaign won awards. A K-Zone band was supposed to be created, but the retooling of the channel in 2007 cut the plans.

Most of these strategies helped make the channel become the most-watched kids channel in Flarland. The channel reportedly attracted 10 million viewers in 2007, an unusual feat for a themed channel.

Starting in 2020, with the rise of the Disney+ platform, UWB announced that it was going to start a progressive period where all Disney content was to be phased out from the network, as per Disney's new regulations for streaming.

The network took advantage of the situation and subsequently signed a new volume deal with ViacomCBS (since renamed Paramount Global), providing the network with content from Nickelodeon. Longtime viewers of the channel were confused.

On February 21, 2023, UWB announced that K-Zone would rebrand effective March 27, in line with a number of programming changes.

Identity

2007-2019

The channel rebranded in February 2007. The centerpiece of the new look was a cubical logo featuring the K drawn in two halves on two sides.

2019-now

In February 2019, K-Zone announced that it would rebrand effective April 1, 2019. The logo will be further simplified, turning the cube into a hexagon with the letter K.

Programming

Local

• Milo of the Deep
• My Goldfish is a Merman
• Never Leave Steve
• Oblivion

Imported

• [KEI] Big Blue
• [USS] SpongeBob SquarePants
• [USS] The Casagrandes
• [USS] The Loud House

Former local

• Berzerk! (1999-2004)
• Dan and Ethel (2003-2005)
• DWUW (2006-2008)
• It's Zharmys! (2016)
• Oh What a Life It Is (2008-2009)
• Win, Lose or Draw (2014)
• [FLD/IRE] Merman + Leprechaun (2013-2015)

Former imported

• [USS] A.N.T. Farm
• [USS] Best Friends Whenever (2016-2017)
• [USS] Bill Nye the Science Guy (1998-2004)
• [USS] Chaotic (also shown on IBC in 2010)
• [USS] Cory in the House (2008; 2016)
• [ORI] Doraemon (2000; 2002-2005)
• [KEI/USS] Ed, Edd n Eddy
• [USS] Fish Hooks (2011-2014; 2016-2018; 2019)
• [USS] Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
• [KEI/USS] George of the Jungle (2007-2012, 2014-2016)
• [KEI/LEN] George of the Jungle (2014-2016)
• [NOR] H2O: Just Add Water (2008-2010; 2013-2015)
• [NMI] Hard Out (2005; 2010-2011)
• [HPL] Ketogene (2013-2015; 2018-2019)
• [DAE/HPL] Magi-Nation
• [DAE/HPL] Metajets (2010)
• [ORI] Pattle the Patrol Car (2004-2005)
• [USS] Phineas and Ferb (2008-present)
• [GSC] Prank Patrol Great Scorria (2011)
• [NOR] Prank Patrol Northulia (2011)
• [HPL] Ricky Sprocket: Showbiz Boy (2008-2009, later on CFBC)
• [KEI] Stickin' Around (2004, formerly on CFBC)
• [USS] Teachers' Pet (2001-2003)
• {USS] The Little Mermaid (2002-2003; 2007-2008; 2011)
• [USS] The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack (2010-2012)
• [HPL/USS] Wayside (2008-2010)
• [LEN] Whizzes of the Void Deck
• [NOR] Wicked Science
• [USS] Win, Lose or Draw (2014)
• [KEI] World of Quest
• [FLD] You and Me
• [KEI] Yvon of the Kunyon

Legal requirements

Changes to Flarlandian terrestrial kids content regulations were enacted in 1996. Initially K-Zone was forced to include twenty weekly hours of educational content, and this primarily included the local pre-school series You and Me. However, further changes in 1998 (the same that prompted the creation of Playhouse K using sister service Channel 15's spare daytime hours) had led to these requirements being paired down even further, as the CEO of UWB said that the K-Zone brand was for "entertainment rather than education".

On the other hand, it is subject to Flarlandian content regulations, currently standing at 20 weekly hours. Unlike the FBC, who has a minimum of 60, K-Zone uses the "profitability" part of the sector as an excuse for reducing the content quota. Ironically K-Zone produces more local animated content than the FBC at present.