Entertainment is very important for all age groups and so is the case with kids also. There are different entertainment channels that are specified to kids only and do not broadcast any offensive content on them. So parents also feel safe these channels for their kids. Most of the content on these channels is based on education and other animation inspired stories that appeal kids. But February 7th 2008 cartoon network broadcast was absolute shame for TV industry. Cartoon Network is a reputed channels for kid’s entertainment and it broadcast offensive content in wee hours on 7th February 2008. Here are complete details about this incident which went on broadcasting the content for a duration of one hour.
What is Cartoon Network channels popular for?
Cartoon network channel is popular for its content which is always kids friendly. You cannot expect any offensive video or content being players on the channels. But the incident that happened on 7th February 2008 shook every soul. It was the time of wee hours in morning when offensive videos shown on the channels for a long duration of one hour leading to a lot of criticism.
What happened on cartoon network February 2008 in wee hours?
The cartoon network February 2008 incident is something that is very awful for people. The channel broadcast content which is not suitable for the kids. It was because of the mistake made by Comcast broadcasting team which broadcasted the content not meant for kids to see in the week hours. The people who have switched to Comcast network in region of Nashville have to suffer from this incident. A lot of criticism and outrage was the outcome of incident for the Comcast.
Incident of Cartoon Network on February 7, 2008
As you all know Cartoon Network was one of the most popular kids’ channels around the globe. Kids loved watching Cartoon Network because the content is very good, entertaining and the quality of cartoon characters is excellent. The detailing of cartoon series, storyline, and everything is perfect for kids. Not only toddlers but school-going kids ages 4-10 love watching cartoons on this channel. Parents allowed kids to watch Cartoon Network as it was safe and also provide basic moral education.
But on February 7, 2008, an incident occurred on this kids’ channel. Comcast, which is a leading media and technology service, made a huge mistake by telecasting some offensive videos on this channel. The offensive videos continued to run for more than an hour in the early morning. Parents and other people were very angry as telecasting such type of content can affect the kids.
What happened after this incident?
When the offensive video was displayed on the Cartoon Network, the public was very angry as any kind of offensive content on kids’ channels can be dangerous. Even if it is a mistake, the videos continue for more than an hour in the morning. Due to this, the anger was huge. After this incident, the Vice president of Comcast apologized publicly for this kind of inconvenience. He explained that this incident occurred due to a technical glitch.
Cartoon Network channel mainly shows children-related content like cartoon shows. It also displays sports, children’s games, news, and other entertainment programs. But all of the programs are kids’ friendly that assures the parents that their kids are watching safe content. But the February 7, 2008 incident made everyone very angry. These affected subscribers were from Nashville when the Cartoon Network broadcasted highly offensive videos that were not kids’ friendly.
What causes the downfall of Cartoon Network?
Decades back, Cartoon Network used to be the soul of every kid. Parents also allowed their kids to watch this channel until the February 7, 2008 incident occurred. Mistakenly pornographic content was displayed on Cartoon Network via the cable provider they use. This incident happened in the wee hours of the morning and the videos ran for more than an hour. The Vice President of Comcast John Gauder issued an apology with a statement. He said that he would like to extend his apologies to the Comcast cable TV customers in Middle Tennessee as the Tennessee people face this problem. He apologized to people who experienced a certain level of disruption on Thursday (February 7, 2008). This incident occurred due to some unusual issues.
The incident occurred when a movie channel that required a membership was accidentally broadcast on other channels including children’s programs, sports, news, and other entertainment channels. The Vice President apologized and guaranteed that this was a one-time mistake and won’t occur again in the future. Also, the team of Comcast engineers said that they had fixed the bug that occurred on certain cable channels at midnight earlier but the problem reappeared around 4 am. Due to this, the company decided to remove those channels from the lineup.
What happened on February, 2009?
Another incident occurred with Comcast in February 2009. During Super Bowl XLIII, there was an interruption for the subscribers in Tucson, Arizona. A transmission of NBC affiliate KVOA by Comcast was interrupted for about 20 seconds. The telecast of the popular game was replaced by NBC. The change occurred by Comcast, not at KVOA. Due to this, the viewers who got the service through over-the-air satellites or any other cable providers didn’t face this issue. Also, the high-definition feed of KVOA on Comcast was unaffected. Comcast described this incident as an isolated, malevolent act. Due to this, the company initiated an inquiry to look into this matter. Comcast also offered $10 to the subscribers who admitted to seeing the short video clip that lasts for about 20 seconds.
However, in 2011, Frank Tanori Gonzalez, a former employee of Cox Communication acknowledged that he was the person behind this incident. He was asked to pay $1,000 and was sentenced to three years of probation for his action. Due to all these kinds of incidents, Cartoon Network suffered a lot and lost its publicity. Subscribers lost their faith in Cartoon Network and that led to a big downfall.
Cartoon Network February 7 2008, who was guilty for incident?
If you are also eager to know about who was guilty for cartoon network February 7 2008 then it was Comcast. The broadcasting agency played something not apt for the children and it brings a lot of disgrace to the channel. This is not the only time when Comcast committed such blunder as it has a history of repetition in such cases. The entire blame came to Comcast and its team who seek pardon from the masses for this unfortunate thing.
February 7th 2008 cartoon network incident, How It faces criticism?
The February 7th 2008 cartoon network incident was really shameful for the broadcasting agency Comcast. It stunned many people and bring out the negative criticism as well. The content played in the wee hours of the said say was not acceptable on any grounds. Parents were really furious towards the channel and broadcasting team of Comcast. It was a very sensitive matter and everyone was claiming punishment for the act to Comcast. So this was the outcome of this blunder that becomes so important for everyone to deal with as parents were worried about their kids.
Why outrage for the February 7th 2008 Cartoon network blunder?
This is very common to expect for the February 7th 2008 cartoon network blunder. It was a heinous and unacceptable thing for parents. People keep their kids away from the offensive content as much as possible and that is why always prefer kid’s channels only. But above incident was not pleasing to them which left very deep impact on the brain of kids. The outrage was very common outcome for such blunder that must not happen on any grounds. The channel and broadcast agency had to suffer a lot because of this in terms of TRPS and popularity also.
Aftermath the incident of cartoon network February 7th 2008
The incident of cartoon network February 7th 2008 brought a lot of awareness amongst parents. They were not in trust with the cartoon channels even. It took a long time for the parents and the channel to revive the interest. A lot of judicial and legal things were also involved in the case where parents claims compensation for their loss. So we can say that it was not an easy time for both parents and the channel. Both were suffering because of the fault of Comcast broadcasting agency. People were really angry and out of their mind and blaming the channels to boycott the Comcast or take some legal action against it. This way we can see a huge backlashes for CN and Comcast after the above incidence.
Other incidents similar to February 7th 2008
The above incident is not the only one that is associated with blunders of the Comcast. Apart from it such incident happened one year later as well that is in 2009 when a short video of twenty seconds was broadcasted in between a match. The bowl match was being broadcasted at that time when a short offensive video broadcasted in-between. The second incident was not taken in ignorance by the judiciary and Comcast has to face legal difficulties. Even the people who were victim got compensation amount of $10 as well. This is how we can say that Comcast is making repeated blunders when it comes to the broadcasting responsibility.
Conclusion
So the above incidence that is related to the fault of Comcast broadcasting team is really a thing of blunder. It is very important to double check the content before broadcasting it because one single mistake can leave deep impact on the kids. The psychology of kids is very much different and we cannot supposed to make a single mistake to leave the kids in a poor cognitive development scenario. Most of the parents are very much conscious about this thing. That is why they cannot afford to bear with such heinous things to go with their psychology and development of their children. It is the responsibility of channel and broadcasting team to check the content before relaying it on TV. Kids must not suffer because of the carelessness and mistakes of the adults. Parents should also sift out the platforms which are authentic and relevant to access for their children.
