For the 2000 jazz-funk album, see Jimjam.
JimJam
Launch date1 October 2006 (age 20) (Italy)
3 December 2007 (Hungary, Poland (as Polsat JimJam), Czech Republic & Slovakia)
1 January 2008 (age 18) (Moldova & Romania)
1 April 2008 (age 18) (The Netherlands)
14 April 2008 (age 18) (MENA)
1 July 2008 (age 18) (Bulgaria, Russia & CIS Nations)
15 August 2008 (age 18) (Malta)
1 November 2008 (age 17) (Southeast Asia)
28 November 2008 (age 17) (Portugal)
January 2010 (Israel)
27 April 2012 (age 14) (Sub-Saharan Africa)
29 August 2012 (age 14) (Lithuania)
ReplacedCartoon Network (Israel)
Closed date9 December 2014 (Asia)
30 June 2015 (age 11) (Italy)
31 December 2017 (Switzerland)
1 March 2018 (age 8) (Netherlands)
10 March 2022 (age 4) (Bulgaria, Russia & CIS Nations)
1 July 2022 (age 4) (Portugal)
OwnerAMC Networks International
CountryUnited Kingdom
Italy
LanguageEnglish
Czech
Hungarian
Polish (as Polsat JimJam)
Romanian
Russian
Arabic
Italian (formerly)
Portuguese
Turkish (formerly)
Hebrew (formerly)
Lithuanian
Dutch (formerly)
German (formerly)
AreaEurope
Africa
Southeast Asia (previously)
Sister channelsAMC
Film Cafe
CBS Reality
Extreme Sports Channel
HorrorXtra
Legend
RealityXtra
Minimax
Timeshift serviceJimJam +1 (closed in Italy)
Websitewww.jimjam.tv
Terr serv 1Skylink (Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Terr serv 2StarTimes (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Terr chan 2Channel 303
Terr serv 3DStv (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Terr chan 3Channel 310 (English)
Channel 641 (Portuguese)
Terr serv 4GOtv (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Terr chan 4Channel 80
Terr serv 6Polsat Box as Polsat JimJam
Terr chan 6Channel 87
Terr serv 7Zuku TV (East Africa)
Terr chan 7Channel 620
Terr chan 1Channel 28

JimJam is an international children's preschool television channel operated by AMC Networks International Central and Northern Europe, which originally launched in Italy on Sky in 2006. It is currently available across Europe and Africa.[1][2][3]

History

JimJam was launched on 1 October 2006. In September 2007, HIT Entertainment and Chellomedia (European content division of Liberty Global, currently AMC Networks International) formed a joint venture to run a children's channel. The channel was advertised as international, with plans to start cable and satellite broadcast in Western and Eastern Europe and then expand broadcasting worldwide (outside the UK, Ireland, US and Canada).[4]

The channel was expanded to Central and Eastern Europe in November 2007 on UPC Broadband.[5][6][7] By March 2008, JimJam launched in the Netherlands and Switzerland,[1] and continued expansion through MENA on Showtime Arabia[8] and Russia and Bulgaria in July.[9][10] In November 2008, it launched in Southeast Asia.[11] On 28 November 2008, it launched in Portugal.[12] In January 2010, the channel launched in Israel on Yes,[13] and in 2012, Hot launched the Russian-language version in the country.[14] By 2010, the channel had been broadcast in over 50 territories in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In August 2010, HIT Entertainment withdrew from the JimJam joint venture, leaving JimJam wholly owned by Chello Zone. HIT Entertainment was supposed to keep providing content for JimJam.[2] By 2013, JimJam was available to an audience of 17 million subscribers in 13 languages. The channel has been broadcast in over 60 territories in Europe, the Middle East, East Asia and Africa, with seven feeds and four localized versions.[3][15]

In Poland, AMC Networks International and Polsat Group formed a joint-venture in 2009 and progressively replaced JimJam by Polsat JimJam across providers in the country,[16][17] which used to have the same schedule until it progressively became localized. The channel broadcasts the same lineup of programming as other international versions of JimJam, but Polsat JimJam broadcasts according to local time. It also carries Polish commercials and also has Polish audio and subtitles. On 13 February 2023, Polsat sold its shares in Polsat JimJam Limited to AMCNI. Stanisław Janowski, President of Polsat's management board, explained the decision by the wear and tear of the formula.[18] The channel, however, continues to operate under the name Polsat JimJam and the Polsat Media office is still responsible for advertising sales.[19]

It expanded to Africa in April 2012 in English[20] and in November 2012 in Portuguese.[21] On 1 August 2016, it relaunched across the MENA region as a BeIN exclusive.[22][23]

JimJam closed in Asia-Pacific on 9 December 2014, Italy on 30 June 2015, in Switzerland and Austria on 31 December 2017,[24] Belgium and the Netherlands on 1 March 2018,[25] in the CIS Nations on 10 March 2022, and in Portugal on 1 July 2022. However, the Portuguese language feed is still available for Angola and Mozambique on DStv which also have the English language channel.

The channel was launched in Lithuania on 29 August 2012.[26]

In 2018, JimJam was rebranded with a new logo and three mascots, Jim, Jam and Star.[27]

A dedicated Hungarian version was launched on 1 January 2020.[28]

A dedicated Romanian version was launched on 1 March 2020.[29]

See also

References

  1. ^ Chala, Jean K. (28 February 2009). Transnational Television in Europe: Reconfiguring Global Communications Networks. I.B.Tauris. p. 124. ISBN 9780857717474. Archived 18 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Hit pulls out of JimJam JV". Digital TV Europe. TBIvision. 22 October 2010. Archived 26 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  3. ^ "Dutch-language feed for JimJam". BroadBand TV News. 1 March 2013. Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Chellomedia and Hit Entertainment Form Joint Venture to Launch and Distribute International Pre-School Channel". HIT Entertainment. 26 September 2007. Archived from the original on 28 November 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  5. ^ Attila, Kardos (2007-11-28). "Elindult a JimJam gyermekcsatorna! - sat-tv-radio" (in Hungarian). sat-tv-radio.hu. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  6. ^ "JimJam debuts in CEE". Broadband TV News. 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  7. ^ "Nová televizní stanice pro děti JimJam startuje v plném českém dabingu 3. prosince 2007 - Články" (in Czech). www.satcentrum.com. 2007-11-29. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  8. ^ Staff Writer (2008-04-14). "Showtime launches channel for children - eb247 - News - Emirates24|7". www.emirates247.com. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  9. ^ "JimJam continues to spread the magic". Television Asia Plus. 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  10. ^ "JimJam Television (AMC Networks International) (Royaume-Uni) - Unifrance". www.unifrance.org. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  11. ^ "JimJam Rolls Out To Asia For First Time - UK Broadcast News | 28/10/2008". www.4rfv.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  12. ^ "Meo to launch JimJam, Sci-Fi". Broadband TV News. 2008-11-28. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  13. ^ "JimJam Planning Launch in Israel". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  14. ^ "JimJam makes Israel debut on HOT". 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  15. ^ "JimJam launches on Russia's Tricolor TV". Digital TV Europe. TBIvision. 29 May 2013. Archived 18 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Polsat/JimJam deal receives approval". Broadband TV News. 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  17. ^ "Polsat JimJam powiększa zasięg" (in Polish). 2010-07-22. Archived 22 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  18. ^ "Polsat bez udziałów w nadawcy Polsat JimJam" (in pl-PL). saturier.pl. 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  19. ^ "Polsat Media (Polsat JimJam)". www.polsatmedia.pl. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  20. ^ "JimJam launches on Africa's My TV". Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  21. ^ "JimJam expands viewership in Africa". Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  22. ^ Jaafar, Ali (2016-07-26). "AMC Networks Launching Five MENA Channels With Qatar's beIN Pay TV Platform". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  23. ^ "AMC NETWORKS INTERNATIONAL TO LAUNCH FIVE CHANNELS WITH BEIN IN MENA IN 21 COUNTRIES". 2016-07-26. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  24. ^ "Mini-Change Day 16.01.2018 - UPC Community". 2018-02-25. Archived 25 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  25. ^ "JimJam trekt zich terug van Nederlandse TV-markt" (in Dutch). MediaMagazine.nl. 12 January 2018. Archived 14 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  26. ^ "TV kanalas ikimokyklinukams "JimJam" – jau lietuviškai" [JimJam launches in Lithuania] (in Lithuanian). mamyciuklubas.lt. 2012-08-29. Archived 29 September 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  27. ^ Chris Allan Tod (2018-07-26). jim jam tv channel sonic branding. Retrieved 2024-12-11. – via YouTube.
  28. ^ Szalay, Dániel (2019-11-06). "Érkezik a teljesen magyar JimJam tévécsatorna" (in Hungarian). Media1. Archived 2026-03-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  29. ^ "JIMJAM-FEED LOCAL-ROMANIA / JimJam lansează un feed special pentru România pe care va măsura audiența și va vinde publicitate locală" (in Romanian). Media Expres. 2020-02-27. Archived 2020-10-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-10-04.