The End Of Cartoons On Saturday Morning TV

This past weekend marked the end of a staple of American baby boomers, the Saturday morning cartoons. The major network channels will no longer be broadcast cartoons on Saturday morning.

Growing up as a kid in the 70's meant Saturday morning cartoons with commercials for sugary cereal, the latest toys and the latest clothes for kids. Those days are gone.

The CW network was the last to air Saturday morning cartoons this past weekend. This marks the first time in over 50 years that network television will be not be airing Saturday morning cartoons.

NBC stopped airing them in 1992, CBS soon followed suit and ABC stopped airing cartoons in 2004.

So what killed the Saturday morning cartoons? Cable, streaming, and the FCC. In the 1990's the FCC began more strictly enforcing its rule requiring the broadcast networks to provide a minimum of three hours of 'educational' programming every week. Networks decided that it was easiest to air that type of programming on Saturday mornings.

Also with hundreds of choices with cable and satellite channels to choose from that don't have to follow the FCC guidelines, kids can get their Saturday morning cartoons elsewhere.

I remember growing up as a kid in Lewiston and watching Romper Room, Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Rogers and the classic cartoons like Bugs Bunny, The Flintstones and so many more.

The End Of Saturday Morning Cartoons On Network Television