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Page: TNT Africa

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History

TNT (1993-1999, original)

Pre-launch

On 3 October 1988, the original version of Turner Network Television (also known as "TNT") — was launched. The new service included both general entertainment from Warner Bros. Television's libraries and classic movies from Ted Turner's archives. Turner stated that, he wanted to use its movie library and to launch both TNT (with the basis of a classic movie channel) and Cartoon Network internationally. Within a few months, Turner Classic Movies was launched on 14 April 1994 in the American market. TCM was launched as an replacement of the original TNT in the European and the Asian markets in 1999.

Launch and the other events

On 7 March 1993, the Turner Broadcasting System announced that it would launch Cartoon Network and TNT in the European territories, with both being in a one channel on the SES' Astra satellite service. On the same day, Turner Broadcasting System also announced that it would launch the Latin American Cartoon Network via Intelsat on 30 April, where Cartoon Network was operated as an 24-hour service (this was due to TNT being launched back in January 1991). TNT & Cartoon Network in Europe were operated in various timeslots. Cartoon Network broadcast 14 hours of programming from MGM, Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera's libraries, while TNT broadcast for 10 hours with classic Hollywood movies from Turner's archives. The version was not so similar to the original American versions of Cartoon Network and Turner Network Television, which were both aired as a separate channel.

Ted Turner also stated that the combined service needs a team of staff ranging from 20 to 30 in London to operate the channel and it would be programmed just for pan-European audiences. It was initially announced that the channel will be dubbed or/and subtitled in optional languages such as French, Swedish and Norwegian. Several other languages will be added to the service as it would expand.

Before its launch, the combined service had several difficulties, with one of them were several of its shows were licensed to other distributors across Europe such as Germany and Spain, which meant that Turner stated that it would be difficult to air on the pan-European service, unless their contracts were lapsed or had been re-negotiated. In addition, this was the cause that the combined service will be airing programmes from Turner's libraries.

The German public broadcaster, ARD had owned the German-language rights of movies from the entire MGM/Warner Bros. library up until the new millennium, which was the contract that it was agreed in the mid-1980s before Turner got its movie library, which had been the reason Turner got its late official entrance to the German TV market which was happened in 2006. Another possible cause was the European Community (now known as the European Union)'s rule that all TV channels had to fill in 50% quora of its programming with other programmes from its original European content. The new service only provided American content, where the channel didn't made its official appearance there.

Scott Sassa, the president of Turner Broadcasting System stated that it was not required for TNT & Cartoon Network to fit the guidelines of having 50% of European content, since it would provide content that it was fully American, such as its cartoons and movies. He also said when the channels started to acquire its original programming, half would be European at the time, while movies and cartoons were the most translatable types of content and also stated that Turner had their own expansion plans in Asia. At the time, there were no set plans.

Ted Turner also announced that these channels will transmitted as "unscrambled" (or as in not encrypted) and would belong to the pay-TV satellite package, which would mean that anyone across Europe with an satellite dish and a receiver within Astra's satellite footprint would be able to recieve and to watch the channel. However, Ted Turner would find an satellite encryption system for its channels during their future. At the time, there were eleven million homes across eighteen countries had Astra's satellite service installed, but the channel's audience would be doubled if the cable providers added the channel onto the lineup. A reason for the channel to be not received via the Sky Multichannels' platform was because of the long-time rivally between Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner. Mostly, it was Ted Turner's focus on channel distribution (which meant providing TV channels into several homes).

The channel's launch followed many announcements that American channels would launch in Europe, such as Nickelodeon UK launching in Autumn 1993, and the British version of The Family Channel (now Challenge). Both of which were able to be part of the Sky Multichannels' service, which would be encrypted and only accessed if they were subscribed to the service.

To launch both Cartoon Network and TNT across the European region, Turner must lease an satellite transponder on the SES' Astra satellite service, Turner also stated that Astra was going to launch another satellite service across the European markets, operating along with Astra 1A and 1B; the new service was going to be called Astra 1C and would be fully operational by July 1993, with the addition of the 18 extra satellite transponders. Turner stated that the other satellite channels might launch entertainment TV channels on the service and they must get their own operations in the service.

Sue Kroll, the TNT and Cartoon Network's first senior vice president and a managing director had stated that the French, Scandivanian and Beneluxian countries were able to show the TNT & Cartoon Network services with either subtitles or dubbing. Kroll also stated that the Turner's venture was an big investment. With their decision to launch without an local partner (including BSkyB, which provided encrypted services and only limited to the British and the Irish region), TNT & Cartoon Network wanted to make ad sales expertive and also cross-platform opportunities with CNN International. Kroll also admitted that it was an very expensive investment, whilst getting the costly startup and the satellite uplink costs, she also stated that it will be a tight advertising market, in order to reclaim the investment they made and to eventually made an profit. While having an tight advertising market, there were still growth and to have enough trust to go ahead and to make sure to proceed the launch.

After a few months preparing for the channel's launch, both TNT and Cartoon Network were launched on 17 September 1993. The very first film to be aired on the newly-launched TNT Classic Movies channel was Speedway.

Bartle Bogle Hegarty, an marketing agency had signed up to arrange the launch campaign for the two channels. The campaign involved an live-action installation in Cromwell Road, London. It also featured an poster of the cartoon character Muttley on the right, and also with the actor James Cagney, both wearing flying hats and goggles. Near the right poster there was an life-sized model of a crashed plane. During the launch day, there was an actor made up as an film director came to "shoot" the scene.

The live-action installation led to the start of the estimated $4 million launch campaign. Mainly, it also used each 2 posters over 48 and 96-sheet sites, but it also was backed by other advertisements running in other TV listings, such as Satellite TV Europe, Cable Guide, What's On TV, Sunday Mirror Magazine and TV First. The outdoor campaign ran nationally, with an very strong importance in London.

The poster executions included several cartoon characters interacting with the film premieres; including Muttley sniggering at James Cagney, Yogi Bear & Liz Taylor, Scooby-Doo & Betty Davis and Top Cat being on the phone to Joan Crawford.

The channel's audiotracks were in English, Spanish and French, and with the subtitles in Swedish, Finnish and Dutch. Not all films were in these languages.

TNT Classic Movies also aired classic films and entertainment programmes such as Singin' in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, High Society, Get Carter, Poltergeist and Casablanca, along with new TNT Originals such as A Man for All Seasons and Gettysburg. At the time, the channel also aired movie-themed nights, star seasons, director or/and star tributes.

On 1 October 1995, TNT & Cartoon Network was launched in the Middle East and Africa on the PAS-4 satellite, with the channel's owner Turner Broadcasting System Europe signed a deal with ART's MultiChoice to distribute the channel as part of the service. In 1996, the channel was launched in English-language on the service.

In August 1996, TNT Classic Movies aired WCW's wrestling matches, starting with WCW Nitro, which would run Friday nights after Cartoon Network signs off for the evening/night. At the time, Turner didn't own a channel that will air the event, as Turner owned the wrestling company. WCW had turned out being an popular decision for the channel and was an regular thing to air on the channel other than movies on Fridays. WCW Thunder was aired in October 1998 on the TNT Classic Movies channel. WCW's matches was carried to the new general-entertainment focused TNT, when it was launched in October 1999 and on TCM briefly for an short period until it was taken off air. Bravo aired content from WCW, until WWE owned WCW in 2001.

During its years, Cartoon Network aired programmes on TNT's airtime twice during its history. This included The Great International Toon-In Event, which was simulcasted on Turner's entertainment channels internationally on 26 November 1993, which was started at 1pm and ends at 11pm (both times were at GMT); taking over TNT's prime-time schedule that evening. At the time, Cartoon Network was two months old in Europe. On 21 June 1995 and a short period in 1996, Cartoon Network programmes appeared on TNT's schedule as The Longest Day, a event that in the longest day of the year, Cartoon Network extended its airtime to have an additional hours from 8pm to 11pm. The Longest Day was aired after WCW Nitro which was aired on the Friday on that year, which meant TNT didn't air any classic movie that night until 11pm.

On 2 September 1996, TNT's airtime removed the first 2 hours, which made Cartoon Network on-air for an additional 2 hours. Cartoon Network signed off at 9pm GMT due to that.

By the October of 1996, TNT & Cartoon Network was broadcast in over 31 million households in 33 countries across the Europe. On 19 December 1996, the 24-hour separate feeds for both TNT and Cartoon Network was launched on the Astra 1G service. Several cable operators received the separate channel in Europe, including the Dutch cable operator A2000 (the owner of the KTA cable network in Amsterdam). CableTel (later known as NTL, now Virgin Media) was the first to receive the Cartoon Network and TNT's digital services. Mostly, the digital feeds were converted to an analog signal that cable operators had been carried the channel (while digital cable was not in Europe yet), but most cable operators still receive the combined service.

In June 1997, TNT was launched on Telenor's DTH service, which aired the first two films every evening in Danish and Swedish, from 20:00 to 22:00 in local time. In September 1997, Cartoon Network and TNT was launched on Canal Satellite Digital in Spain.

In December 1997, Andrew Bonner joined the channel as a programme planner for both Cartoon Network and TNT. He was known for creating and releasing programme schedules for TNT in seven languages, and also oversaw presentation and on-air events on TNT. During his time on the channel, viewing ratings was increased by 27% by the year. Frazer Price also worked as an promo producer on TNT in February 1997 and made a promo for the George Cukor season, he stayed on TNT when it was transferred to an general entertainment channel, until he was transferred to Boomerang. From 1996 to 1998, Anna MacLean worked as an language co-ordinator for both Cartoon Network and TNT. In addition, Liz Healy wrote/edited programme listings/information for CNN, Cartoon Network and TNT, which was distributed to 50 countries at the time. Lynne Frank worked as an Senior Vice President and a General Manager for both Cartoon Network and TNT during its final years.

Branding

Baxter Hobbins Sides (an British branding designer, later shortened as Hobbins Sides) had designed several idents for the network in the European market, as TNT in the European territories were slightly different from the original American version. Baxtar Hobbins Sides also designed the Cartoon Network Europe (TNT's sister channel)'s Checkerboard branding package. The branding package featured the feel of the art-decorated cinema house from the 30s to the 50s, which was the type of the cinema around the age of the silver screen, with more of the idents were themed from the era.

The branding package also made use of the typefaces for the network's branding, including CorporateA for the "Classic Movies" tagline, with Zurich being the main typefaces within the channel's branding, and was mainly used in film titles in the promo endboards, the date or/and time that the film will air, the text headings in the promos and additionally for the language symbols referring the dubbing or/and the subtitled languages that it was available for the film. Coronet was also used for the film's billing, where the film's main actors are seen the promo endboards. Endboards featured movie poster-like billboards from Hollywood's earlier days.

Hatmaker Studios also made few ident packages for the channel, including the Primetime ident; which featured various clips from classic films projected in few giant movie curtains, with the large TNT logo appears in the end of the ident. A orchestral soundtack was played during the ident. Hatmaker also made another set of idents featuring twenty different vintage cameras across Europe. These short idents were made to connect the American movie library with the European cinematic experience and its audience. It also included the "Where The Movies Are" tag written in the language in the country where the footage was shot.

In addition, Hatmaker also produced the closedown bumper for the Cartoon Network in Europe; and an pre-launch promo for the two channels, featuring the words "live", "death", "love", "war", both of these were suggestions of the emotional experience in watching great movies, with classical music playing in the background until in the "war" segment, the cartoon splat transitions into an cartoon music and Porky Pig waking up unexpectedly. The ending result features both Cartoon Network and TNT logos.

With the launch of the new 24-hour service, TNT was rebranded; which promo endboards and program menus include an modern pink/red background with an spinning light animation (a reference to the TNT's oval shaped logo) with either techno or ambient music (which was used for the tonight menu promo, the menu and the film's available languages screen that it was shown before the movie). Several elements from the previous branding package were carried over such as the usage of the Zurich font, but Fruitger will start to use more.