The Big Channel was an Argentinian
cable channel
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broadc ...
aimed at children, owned by
Pramer. It was associated with the former toy importer, Cartan.
History
Early years
Although the channel was inaugurated in mid-1989, its debut was in the early 1990s. It succeeded CableMágico, the only channel for children to date.
Running 24 hours a day, the main objective was to promote Cartan imported toys, which were mainly manufactured by
Tyco, for which Cartan had an exclusive distribution contract in Argentina. All commercials showed the corporate logo, followed by Tyco products such as
SpyTech, Hit Sticks, Typhoon, Chattanooga Choo Choo and Domino Rally, among others. The commercials were dubbed into Spanish.
The channel brought varied merchandise to the marketplace, including, in 1993, a
CD entitled "A Jugar y a Cantar con el Big (Let's play and sing with the Big)" and the monthly "Big Magazine".
Programming temporarily closed in January 1995, as Cartan went bankrupt that year. In its place, the producers decided to launch
Magic Kids
Magic Kids was an American indie pop and rock music band from Memphis, Tennessee. They were signed to True Panther Sounds, of Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also pun ...
, a channel that was 100% Pramer-owned.
The Big Channel returned to
Cablevisión and other cable operators in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
in 1995, during the reign of Magic Kids as the most watched cable channel in Argentina. After its return, Pramer was forced to buy "promotional package" series that were largely ignored by the public, along with other series that it was interested in for Magic Kids. The Big Channel was thus reduced to transmitting second-rate series or series that Magic Kids had stopped broadcasting, but whose contracts had not yet expired. Without quality programming and advertising, the channel lost its audience and permanently closed in 2001.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Channel, The
Television in Argentina
1990 establishments in Argentina
2001 disestablishments in Argentina
Latin American cable television networks
Defunct television channels
Television channels and stations established in 1990
Television channels and stations disestablished in 2001