AnimeCentral
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| AnimeCentral | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | 13 September 2007 |
| Owned by | CSC Media Group |
| Audience share | <0.1% (February 2008, [1]) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Website | animecentral.com |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| Sky Digital | Channel 199 |
| Eurobird 1 | 11642V 27500 2/3 |
AnimeCentral is a British television channel owned by CSC Media Group. The channel launched on September 13, 2007. It was first announced on August 5, 2007 though its licence first appeared on the Ofcom website in January (initially named "Toon TV", this was changed to AnimeCentral in June). The channel runs from 9pm to 6am, free-to-air on Sky Digital's Digital TV Platform, channel 199; and it is currently the only channel broadcast in the UK and Ireland which is dedicated solely to showing Anime. The channel timeshares with Pop Girl, the second spinoff channel from POP!. It is unlikely to come to Freeview, but is in talks on coming to Virgin Media.[2]
As of November 2007 the channel does not broadcast in anamorphic widescreen. Programmes made in 16:9 format are screened in letterbox format. [3]
Contents |
[edit] Programming
The regular schedule comprises six series, with a different episode broadcast every day.[4] These make a three-hour block, which is then repeated twice through to 6:00am. Each series is usually repeated once before a major schedule change is made, unless the series is much longer than the standard length of 26 episodes. However, since 1/3/2008 the schedule has changed, first to three double-bills, then to two triple-bills. The reasons for the change are unknown and reactions to this change on the channel's forum have generally been negative. [5]
[edit] Current series
The current broadcast schedule is as follows:[6]
- Cowboy Bebop (Triple Bill)
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (1st GIG) (Triple Bill - Alternating with 2nd GIG)
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2nd GIG) (Triple Bill - Alternating with 1st GIG)
[edit] Former series
- Bleach (up to episode 52)
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
- Gundam SEED
- .hack//SIGN
- Planetes
- s-CRY-ed
- Transformers: The Headmasters
- Transformers: Super-God Masterforce
- Transformers: Victory
- Vision of Escaflowne
- Witch Hunter Robin
- Wolf's Rain
[edit] Christmas marathons
Over the 2007 Christmas season, from 21/12/2007 until 4/1/2008,[7] the regular schedule was replaced by marathons of these 3 popular anime shows:
- Cowboy Bebop (21/12/2007 - 23/12/2007)
- Fullmetal Alchemist (24/12/2007 - 29/12/2007)
- Bleach (30/12/2007 - 4/1/2008)
Nine consecutive episodes of a series were shown each day to form a 4½ hour block, except on the final day of each series' marathon which had fewer episodes. Each block was repeated until 6:00am.
[edit] Upcoming series
The channel has broadcast, or has scheduled the broadcast of, all the series that were first announced when the launch of the channel was officially confirmed at AmeCon[8]. No further announcements about upcoming series has been made.
[edit] Subtitling
Although all series are currently broadcast dubbed into English, a popular topic of discussion on the AnimeCentral forums is of the member's preferences for Anime dubbed into English or in Japanese with English subtitles.[9][10] Perhaps as a result of the high demand for both, during late 2007 the last repeat of the night of Cowboy Bebop and .hack//SIGN were broadcast in Japanese with English subtitles.
[edit] Possible closure or replacement
As of 3 June 2008, an updated list of UK TV licenses from OFCOM no longer lists Anime Central as a licensed channel,[11] reinforcing the long-standing speculation on the Anime Central forums that the channel will soon close.[12][13] However, the same OFCOM data indicates that CSC Media Group is set to start a new cartoon channel called True Entertainment, prompting further speculation on the Anime Central Forums that some of the channel's programming could move to the new channel.[13]
[edit] References
- ^ BARB Monthly Viewing Summary
- ^ Anime Central - Forums - I only have Telewest/Virgin/Freeview, will I ever see Anime Central?
- ^ Anime Central - Forums - Widescreen?
- ^ Anime Central - Series
- ^ Anime Central Forums - Schedule from late Feb
- ^ Anime Central - TV Guide
- ^ Anime Central - News - Ho, Ho, Ho... Anime Central Announce Their Festive Schedule!
- ^ Anime UK News - AmeCon news - the anime wave hits UK TV, hard
- ^ Anime Central - Forums - Will Anime Central show anime in subtitles?
- ^ Anime Central - Forums - should the animes [sic] on channel 199 be in japanese with subs?
- ^ http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/tvlicensing/cs/main.htm OFCOM UK TV Licenses
- ^ Anime Central Forums - The 'what's going with the channel/line-up' thread
- ^ a b Anime Central Forums - Bye Bye Anime Central
[edit] External links
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