Univision y Los Niños

Univision y Los Niños (in English, "Univision and the Kids" and/or "Univision and the Children") is a former American children's programming block that airs on the Spanish-language television network Univision which premiered on June 26, 1989, to September 15, 1990. The two-hour block—which airs Monday to Friday and Saturday morning cartoon from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. ET/PT—features the network was in partnership with DIC Entertainment (now WildBrain) including animated series aimed at children between the ages of 2 and 14. It was the network's attempt to have a Saturday morning block.

Univision y Los Niños
NetworkUnivision
Launched
  • June 26, 1989; 35 years ago (1989-06-26) (Univision y Los Niños)
  • September 17, 1990; 34 years ago (1990-09-17) (Platavision)
  • August 5, 1991; 33 years ago (1991-08-05) (Chispavision)
Closed
  • September 15, 1990; 34 years ago (1990-09-15) (Univision y Los Niños)
  • August 4, 1991; 33 years ago (1991-08-04) (Platavision)
  • January 24, 1993; 31 years ago (1993-01-24) (Chispavision)
Country of originUnited States
OwnerTelevisaUnivision USA
(some content is sourced by DIC Entertainment)
Format
Running time4 hours
Original language(s)Spanish

Programs featured on the block consist of a mixture of series originally produced in Spanish and dubbed versions of series that were originally produced and broadcast in English by DIC Enterprises consisting four 30-minute episodes. All shows featured on Univision y Los Niños are designed to meet federally mandated educational programming guidelines defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) via the Children's Television Act.

The following week, Univision y Los Niños aired for the final time on September 15, 1990, it was replaced by Platavision premiered on weekday and weekend morning block — including some of the DIC Animation City shows was caring on the air by Univision.

History

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Univision Infantiles

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On April 11, 1987, after the network was rebranded as "Univision" on last three months, Univision was the first foray into children's programming, called "Univision Infantiles", ahead of a mix of acquired programming from various provides with the Japanese-based animation studio Nippon Animation (Future Boy Conan) and Tokyo Movie Shinsha (Nobody's Boy: Remi). The block was featured Spanish-language dubs of the Japanese anime shows in every Saturday morning including The Adventures of the Little Prince, Princess Knight and Treasure Island. In October 1988, Univision entered into a programming agreement with the based on popular St. Louis-produced studio, World Events Productions, was the first network was the Spanish-dubbed version of the original English and Japanese series such as Voltron: Defender of the Universe. The sub-block was changed the scheduled programming was offer date at 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. right after the Univision's second children's block Univision y Los Niños. Less than a month later on August 3, 1991, the block was discontinued, Univision carried World Events Productions' cartoon series over to the block premiered following few years in 1996, as part of the La Piñata Loca block such as Denver, the Last Dinosaur.

Univision y Los Niños

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In 1989, DIC Entertainment entered into an agreement with Univision, to carry the first DIC's programming as part of a morning children's program block launched on Monday to Friday and Saturday morning block as Univision y Los Niños ("Univision and the Kids" and/or "Univision and the Children"). The block was the first Hispanic network of the Spanish-dubbed version of the DIC-produced series over the head in 30-minutes episodes with the Infomercials, and it was per week nearly doubled with the inclusion of a 2-hours block. Univision y Los Niños, featured second-run cartoons dubbed in Spanish, archived content from the programming library cartoons and segments including Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, Sylvanian Families, The Get Along Gang, Kidd Video, Rainbow Brite and The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.

Platavision

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On September 17, 1990, after Univision y Los Niños was discontinued on September 15, 1990, Univision launched a weekday morning block as Platavision, and it was carried with some DIC-produced shows. The following of the program block show including the live-action and animated series with the produced by DIC Animation City such as Beverly Hills Teens (also known as the Spanish-dubbed version titled, "Las Aventuras en Plata Hills") and C.O.P.S., as well as the sitcom, Pepe Plata. Featuring the 16-year-old Simon Maldonado as fictional pop star "Pepe Plata" and Dyana Ortelli (the 1987 film La Bamba and "Uno Nunca Sabe", which is originally exclusive producer by the arch-rival Hispanic U.S. network, Telemundo). Additional educational content was included in the form of the interstitial segment and the children's block geared toward the 5-million-plus Latino children ages 2 to 11 in the U.S. market. "Pepe Plata" was also featuring facts of relevance to historical events, and a series of public service announcements and marketed as a recording star, with an original song performed by Maldonado, as well as the managers of the musical group, "New Kids on the Block".[1]

Chispavision

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The following week, Platavision was discontinued on August 4, 1991, the new block launched as Chispavision on Monday to Friday and weekend morning block. Univision was already caring over some of the DIC-produced shows to the block premiered following debut such as Captain N: The Game Master as well as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, The New Archies and Inspector Gadget.[2] One such notable program was El Show de Xuxa ("The Xuxa Show"), a variety-based series starring the Southern Brazilian entertainer, which became a hit in the United States when it premiered on the network in 1992 (Xuxa would subsequently star in an American syndicated version of the program that aired for one season from 1993 to 1994).[3][4][5]

Univision children's programming block hiatus

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In January 1993, when Univision discontinued its animation block on Saturday and Sunday mornings to DIC-produced shows as some of the block such as "Chispavision", the block was pulled in the three-years hiatus, as expiry of Univision's program supply deal with DIC Entertainment, L.P., and making it the network not to air DIC animated cartoon series within its children's programming block. However, Univision adding regularly scheduled cartoons and a 30-minutes flagship show that included feature and combines segments, starring Mario Moreno Reyes "Cantinflas", the popular and educational series program of the Hanna-Barbera Productions and Spanish-dubbed version as Cantinflas y Sus Amigos, briefly premiered on November 6, 1993.

Programming

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All of the programs aired within the block featured content compliant with educational programming requirements as mandated by the Children's Television Act. Although the Univision y Los Niños or Univision Infantiles block regularly aired on Saturday mornings, affiliates in some parts of the country deferred certain programs within the lineup to Sunday morning timeslots to accommodate locally produced programs, or tape delayed the entire block in order to accommodate local weekend or due to scheduling issues with of local interest (for example, then-affiliate KMEX-34 in Los Angeles, Californiaowned-and-operated by TelevisaUnivision) or network sports broadcasts (such as 1990 FIFA World Cup soccer tournaments) that start in time periods normally occupied by the block.

Former programming

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Title Premiere date End date Moved to Source(s)
Univision y Los Niños
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors June 26, 1989 September 15, 1990
Kidd Video
Rainbow Brite
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater
Sylvanian Families
The Get Along Gang
Univision Infantiles
Ulysses 31 January 19, 1985 June 24, 1989
The Adventures of the Little Prince April 11, 1987 October 1, 1988 Crunchyroll
Princess Knight August 3, 1991
Nobody's Boy: Remi March 18, 1989
Time Bokan October 1, 1988
Moonlight Mask June 24, 1989
Treasure Island March 10, 1990
El Tesoro del Saber December 4, 1994
Future Boy Conan October 1, 1988 GKIDS
Voltron: Defender of the Universe October 8, 1988 August 3, 1991 Dreamworks TV
Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future June 24, 1989
Once Upon a Time... Life March 25, 1989 September 15, 1990
Once Upon a Time... Man
Platavision
Pepe Plata September 17, 1990 August 4, 1991 [1]
Beverly Hills Teens
C.O.P.S. December 27, 1991
Chispavision
Captain N: The Game Master August 5, 1991 February 28, 1992
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! August 7, 1992 Paramount+ [2]
Inspector Gadget March 2, 1992 January 24, 1993 [2]
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 [2]
The New Archies June 6, 1992 ViX [2]
El Show de Xuxa August 10, 1991 [3]

Acquired programming from Univision

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Title Premiere date End date Moved to Source(s)
Cepillin January 16, 1978 March 14, 1980
Villa Alegre September 18, 1978 January 5, 1979
Big Blue Marble September 5, 1982
Burbujas October 6, 1979 May 5, 1985
Agencia S.O.S.S.A. March 24, 1980 February 28, 1987
Ruy, the Little Cid January 19, 1985 October 11, 1986
Superbook October 26, 1985 April 4, 1987
Toqui December 29, 1985
Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue April 21, 1990 [6]
Cantinflas y Sus Amigos November 6, 1993 February 26, 2000 Estrella TV/ViX/Galavisión

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Kellner, Elena (September 13, 1990). "Is 'Evita' in Madonna's Future?". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^ a b c d e Apodaca, Patrice (April 21, 1992). "Down but Not Out: Cartoons: Insiders say the growth of cable, syndication and home video can help DIC Enterprises survive NBC's pullout from animated fare". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ a b Cerone, Daniel (April 19, 1992). "COVER STORY : A Hit in L.A. Latino Homes, Xuxa Is Working on Her English". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  4. ^ "Brazilian star becomes hit on Spanish kiddie TV". Kentucky New Era. Kentucky New Era, Inc. Associated Press. January 6, 1992. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  5. ^ "Sexy star a smash on Spanish kid-TV". The Fort Scott Tribune. Associated Press. January 2, 1992. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  6. ^ Yardena Arar and Los Angeles Daily News (April 20, 1990). "ANTI-DRUG CARTOON TO DOMINATE TV". sun-sentinel.com. Sun-Sentinel.