Télétoon (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment that broadcasts animated series aimed at kids, teens, and adults. Its name is a portmanteau of "télévision" and "cartoon". Télétoon was launched on September 8, 1997 as a bilingual service owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc.; a consortium of Western International Communications and Astral Media (via their specialty channel Family Channel), Shaw Communications (via its specialty channel YTV), and the animation studios Cinar and Nelvana. With subsequent acquisitions and divestments, Corus became the sole owner in 2014. Télétoon's English-language counterpart, which launched in October 1997 as "Teletoon", would later be relaunched by Corus as a Canadian version of Cartoon Network on March 27, 2023. As of 2013, Télétoon has been available in over 7.3 million Canadian households.

History

It was licensed in 1996 by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The French-language channel was the first to be launched on September 8, 1997. It used the slogan La station de l'animation ('The Animation Station', the same as that of the contemporary English-language channel), and later added and then switched to Imagine!. When Télétoon was launched in 1997, it showed more mature fare as the day progressed, with a solid commitment to air diverse and international programming and the ability to air a great majority of material uncut. A typical broadcast day started with preschool content at 7:00 a.m. EST and ended with adult content after midnight, airing more adult cartoons such as Duckman and various anime programs. In 1999, Télétoon started airing bumpers with its first mascot, Teletina. These bumpers were made by Spin Productions in Toronto. Several more bumpers using CGI animation with some made by Guru Studio premiered on the channel in 2001. An updated look for the channel, no longer featuring the original logo (and fully utilizing the wordmark that introduced as an alternate logo in 2001), was later created for a partial rebranding in 2005. The bumpers were removed in 2007 as part of an on-air rebranding. On February 5, 2007, Télétoon's on-air appearance and website were dramatically changed, and Le Détour's website was moved to teletoon.com. The look of the channel and the Le Détour block changed. On September 5, 2011, Télétoon's branding was changed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of co-owner Astral Media and to reflect the transition from analogue to digital television. Télétoon la Nuit's on-air branding was not changed until 2020. In August 2015, it was announced that Télétoon Rétro would be shutting down, and some series would be moving to Télétoon on September 1. On February 21, 2023, Corus announced that Teletoon would be rebranded as Cartoon Network on March 27, 2023. No significant changes were made to Télétoon itself, and the "Teletoon" brand also remains active through the Teletoon+ streaming service.

Changes in ownership

When launched, the channel was owned by a consortium made up of various other Canadian specialty services and producers; Family Channel acting as managing partner at 53.3% (in a partnership between Astral Media and Western International Communications), YTV at 26.7% (under Shaw Communications), and Cinar and Nelvana with 10% each. Changes of ownership have occurred since 1999, starting when Corus Entertainment was spun off from Shaw Communications (who had owned a stake in Télétoon through YTV). In 2000, Western International Communications (who owned a stake in Télétoon through the Family Channel alongside Astral Media) sold its stake in Télétoon to Corus Entertainment. The same year, Corus acquired Nelvana, another company with a stake in Télétoon. Due to a complaint from the CRTC, Corus sold the stake to Astral Media in 2001. Through various acquisitions over the years, Cinar Films came to own a 20% stake, and Astral Media and Corus Entertainment each owned a 40% stake. In 2006, Cinar sold 10% of its stake in Teletoon to each of Astral and Corus, leading the two companies to each own 50% of Télétoon. On March 4, 2013, Corus Entertainment announced that it would acquire Astral Media's 50% ownership interest in Teletoon Canada (owner of Teletoon, Télétoon, Teletoon Retro, Télétoon Rétro and Cartoon Network). The purchase concerned Bell Media's pending takeover of Astral. The CRTC had rejected the takeover in October 2012. Still, it was restructured to allow the sale of certain Astral Media properties so that the purchase could clear regulatory barriers. Bell filed a new application for the proposed takeover with the CRTC on March 6, 2013. Corus's purchase was cleared by the Competition Bureau on March 18; the CRTC approved the Bell-Astral merger on June 27, 2013. On December 20, 2013, the CRTC approved Corus's full ownership of Teletoon Canada and it was purchased by Corus on January 1, 2014. The channel continues to be owned by Teletoon Canada, now wholly owned by Corus Entertainment under its Corus Kids and Corus Média divisions.

Programming

Many of the programs broadcast on Télétoon are French-dubbed versions of those shown on its English-language counterpart. Initially, both channels had identical schedules, airing the same episode of the same program at the same time. Over time, their programming began to differ; Télétoon carries some translated programs that its English-language counterpart did not, as they are aired on other English cable networks. Many of the shows, such as The Simpsons and King of the Hill, are dubbed using domestic Québécois voice-over actors, while others (such as Naruto and virtually all series originating from Cartoon Network in the U.S) utilize dubs mainly meant for audiences in Metropolitan France.

Original series

At its inception in 1997, the channel had a stated goal of producing 78 half-hours of original content every year, and it has been active in commissioning programming since then. The licence granted by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in 1996 required a gradual increase in the portion of Canadian programming on the schedule by about five percent each year starting from 40% in its first year of operation to 60% by 2002. In 1998, network management decided to focus on renewals instead of new shows – adopting a more cautious strategy than launching a significant number of new series, as it had in the prior year. By 2001, however, the station was noted as possibly being the Canadian channel with the highest spending on original production, having invested in 98 series, including 225 half-hour episodes that fall season. As a bilingual service, Teletoon/Télétoon maintained two separate broadcast feeds, with a single licence for the English- and French-language channels. It was one of only two Canadian specialty services with such a licence. At the original licensing hearing before the CRTC, the network's operators had stated that the two channels "would be similar in nature and programmed with a similar attitude towards them. But for the reasons of rights availability, for the reasons of the question of advertising to children in Québec and for the reason of dealing with the differences in the market, there might be variations in the services offered." To this end a requirement that all original programming be delivered in both languages was instituted. It had been relaxed to apply "whenever possible" by 2007 as market differences between English and Québecois/French-originated programming became more apparent, and over the following years some original series only appeared on one of the channels.

Current programming

As of January 2025:

Former programming

Programming blocks

Current

Yearly

Former

Related services

On November 24, 2000, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved multiple applications from Teletoon Canada Inc. to launch six Category 2 television channels named Teletoon Action, Teletoon Adult, Teletoon Art, Teletoon Multi, Teletoon Pop and Teletoon Retro. None of the channels launched and their broadcast licenses expired on November 24, 2004. The "Teletoon Retro" concept would later be revived under a different license.

Télétoon Sur Demande

Télétoon Sur Demande is a video on demand channel featuring series from Télétoon.

English service

Cartoon Network (formerly known as Teletoon) is the English counterpart and sister channel to Télétoon. It broadcasts most of the shows from its French-language counterpart in English, as well as shows acquired from the namesake U.S. cable channel.

Télétoon HD

On March 24, 2014, Télétoon launched a high definition feed called Télétoon HD, which simulcasts the standard definition feed. The channel is available on Cogeco, Vidéotron, Bell Fibe TV, and Shaw Direct..

Former

Télétoon Jr. Sur Demande

Télétoon Jr. Sur Demande was a video on demand multiplex channel and was named after a program block featuring animated series aimed at younger children's; shows included on the Télétoon Jr. Sur Demande channel have included such shows as Caillou, Atomic Betty, George of the Jungle, The Future is Wild, and Bobby's World. The service was discontinued some time in 2018.

Télétoon Rétro

Télétoon Rétro was a Category B digital cable and satellite channel that debuted on September 4, 2008. It was named after a program block featuring classic animated series. Télétoon Rétro channel's programs have included The Tom and Jerry Show, The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Raccoons, The Jetsons, Astro Boy, and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. The channel shut down on September 1, 2015, and was replaced by La Chaîne Disney.