Freeform and its Complicated History (Part 2)
To understand the history of Freeform's Fox Family phase, we need to understand the programming powerhouse it built off of – Fox Kids. Launched in 1990 and spanning 12 years, this weekday afternoon and Saturday morning block hosted some of the most popular children's series on broadcast TV, including Bobby's World, Digimon, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Spider-Man 1994, and Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?
Saban Entertainment, who produced the Power Rangers franchise, merged with the block in 1996 to form Fox Kids Worldwide, which saw the Fox Kids brand expand to include international channels in the United Kingdom, Latin America, and Australia. Now searching for a way to compete with rising youth cable networks like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, FKW acquired IFE and The Family Channel in 1997, becoming Fox Family Worldwide.
As the clock struck noon on August 15, 1998, Fox Family came onto the air with a slew of Fox Kids and Saban series mixed with mostly Canadian acquisitions. Programming aired across three distinct blocks: kids from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (which itself included sub-blocks like the weekday afternoon "Basement" and preschool-oriented "Captain's Treasure House"), adults from 6 to 9 p.m., and movies from 9 p.m. onward. Through this schedule, series like The All-New Captain Kangaroo, Angela Anaconda, Donkey Kong Country, The New Addams Family, and more rose to the challenge of leading the channel to success.
It was during the Fox Family era that Freeform's popular holiday blocks took off. The 13 Nights of Halloween debuted in October as a premiere slot for Halloween-themed movies and specials, while stop-motion Rankin-Bass specials within the 25 Days of Christmas stuck around from the Family Channel era.
Since I mentioned the Family Channel, now's a good time to bring up The 700 Club. When Pat Robertson agreed to sell IFE to Fox, requirements of the deal saw Fox Family broadcast his program twice a weekday and on other occasions, like for a weekend-long CBN telethon and a morning talk show called the 700 Club Interactive.
But anyways, everything was set up for Fox Family to dominate the children's television scene. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, for one, the sudden shift in programming turned out to be a catastrophic ratings move. Believe it or not, older series that aired back during the channel's Family Channel and even CBN phases were pulling in decent viewership. By chasing away that dedicated audience, Fox Family stunted their chances at using word-of-mouth to gain younger, more modern viewers. It also didn't help that the partnership between News Corporation and Saban Entertainment hit frequent roadblocks in the years to come, to the point where Saban CEO Haim Saban was ready to sell his interest in Fox Family Worldwide for $2 billion.
Fox Family tried their hardest to stay afloat, but nothing seemed to be working. From creating short-lived, gender-segregated Boyz and Girlz channels to a 2000 soft relaunch centered on regaining that previously alienated older audience, it was clear that the venture failed in every way possible.
So, in July 2001, News Corporation and Saban Entertainment agreed to sell Fox Family Worldwide to the Walt Disney Company. They finalized the deal in October, and the Fox Family channel relaunched as ABC Family the following month.
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 3!
