Toonzai

Origin and launch

On October 2, 2007, The CW announced – due to a joint decision between the network's parent companies Time Warner and CBS Corporation – that it would discontinue the Kids' WB programming block, due to the effects of children's advertising limits and competition from cable television, and sell the programming time to Grupo Clarin (through its subsidiary 4Kids Entertainment).^[1][2][3] Kids' WB ended its run on The CW on May 17, 2008 (Kids' WB, like The WB Television Network that the block originated, then relaunched as an online-only video on demand service). 4Kids Entertainment took over programming the block on May 24, 2008, premiering under the name The CW4Kids. In addition to programming the block, 4Kids also handled responsibilities for its content and advertising revenue.

The CW4Kids logo used exclusively from May 24, 2008 to August 7, 2010. The logo was still being used as a sub-brand to the Toonzai name until August 18, 2012.

At the time of the block's launch, 4Kids also programmed the competing 4Kids TV block for Fox, until that network nullified its time leasing agreement with 4KidsTV on December 27, 2008, due to a dispute between Fox and 4Kids involving 4Kids' failure to pay the network for its time lease, and the network's inability to maintain guaranteed clearances for the block, due to difficulties getting Fox affiliates and stations that would be used as default carriers of the block in markets where the Fox station did not carry 4Kids TV to air it.^[4] The CW4Kids was not renamed in order to avert confusion and due to contractual obligations to feature the CW name in some form within the block's title.

On April 27, 2010, 4Kids announced the rebranding of The CW4Kids under the new name Toonzai, a name change that took effect on August 14, 2010.^[5][6]

Takeover by Saban Brands and end of Toonzai

On June 26, 2012, Kidsco Media Ventures, an affiliate of Saban Capital Group, finalized a bid to acquire 4Kids' agreement with The CW for the block.^[7] On July 2, 2012, it was announced that Saban Brands, via Kidsco Media Ventures, began programming the block, which would be relaunched under the name Vortexx.^[8][9] Toonzai quietly ended its run on The CW on August 18, 2012, after a Yu-Gi-Oh! marathon, with Vortexx premiering the following week on August 25, 2012. Some of Toonzai's programming, including Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal, Sonic X, and Dragon Ball Z Kai continued to air on the block until September 27, 2014, when Vortexx ended its run.^{[10][8][11][12][13]}

Programming differences

In most markets, CW affiliates used the network's recommended Saturday morning scheduling for the block – though some such as CW owned-and-operated station WUPA in Atlanta aired it on Sunday, instead due to regular Saturday programming. Connecticut affiliate WCCT-TV aired three hours on Saturday, and two hours on Sunday. KMAX-TV in Sacramento, California aired the entire lineup, but it had a four-hour tape delay, running from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. WLFL in Raleigh, North Carolina and WNUV in Baltimore, aired the entire lineup, but it had two hours earlier, running from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. San Diego's XETV-TV, aired three hours from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and two hours from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. San Antonio's KMYS, which affiliated with The CW in 2010, aired it on Sunday and Monday before 5:00 a.m. Other stations preempted portions of the block; Shreveport, Louisiana's KPXJ-TV preempted the final hour of the block. Columbus, Georgia's WLTZ-DT2 preempted the first half-hour of the block.

While The CW recommended that its affiliates carry The CW4Kids/Toonzai block at 7:00 a.m. to Noon Saturday mornings (regardless of time zone), its secondary CW Plus national feed for smaller markets aired the Toonzai block an hour earlier on its broadcast and cable-only affiliates in the Central, Mountain and Alaska time zones, as The CW Plus operates two separate feeds running on Eastern and Pacific time zone schedules.

Former programming

The CW4Kids

• Eon Kid † (May 24, 2008 – June 14, 2008)
• Johnny Test † (May 24, 2008 – June 14, 2008)
• World of Quest † (May 24, 2008 – June 14, 2008)
• Tom and Jerry Tales † (May 24, 2008 – September 6, 2008)
• Magi-Nation † ‡ (May 24, 2008 – September 20, 2008)
• The Spectacular Spider-Man † (May 24, 2008 – January 31, 2009)
• Will and Dewitt † (May 24, 2008 – April 4, 2009)
• Skunk Fu! † (May 24, 2008 – October 18, 2008 and May 29, 2010 – July 10, 2010)
• The Batman † (June 21, 2008 – August 2, 2008)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (June 21, 2008 – September 6, 2008)
• Chaotic (June 21, 2008 – July 10, 2010)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (June 21, 2008 – August 7, 2010) (includes the later retooled/renamed seasons)
• Viva Piñata (September 13, 2008 – October 18, 2008)
• Dinosaur King ‡ (September 13, 2008 – August 7, 2010)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's ‡ (September 13, 2008 – August 7, 2010)
• GoGoRiki (September 27, 2008 – November 14, 2009)
• Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight (December 13, 2008 – December 26, 2009)
• Sonic X ‡ (January 3, 2009 - August 7, 2010)
• Huntik: Secrets & Seekers (January 3, 2009 – December 26, 2009)
• Kirby: Right Back at Ya! (June 6, 2009 – July 11, 2009)
• Winx Club (July 18, 2009 – July 17, 2010)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! † ‡ (September 5, 2009 – May 22, 2010)
• RollBots (September 19, 2009 – January 23, 2010)
• Magical DoReMi (April 24, 2010 – July 17, 2010)
• Cubix: Robots for Everyone † ‡ (July 24, 2010 – August 7, 2010)

† - Program transitioned from final schedule of Kids' WB
‡ - Program transitioned to Toonzai

Toonzai

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Back to the Sewer (August 14, 2010 – August 21, 2010)
• Dinosaur King (August 14, 2010 – October 9, 2010)
• Sonic X † (August 14, 2010 – August 4, 2012)
• Dragon Ball Z Kai † (August 14, 2010 – August 11, 2012)
• Cubix: Robots for Everyone † (August 14, 2010 – February 12, 2011 and February 18, 2012 – August 18, 2012)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's (August 14, 2010 – September 10, 2011)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! † (September 4, 2010 – August 18, 2012)
• Magi-Nation (February 19, 2011 – February 11, 2012)
• Tai Chi Chasers (September 17, 2011 – June 2, 2012)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal † (October 15, 2011 – August 18, 2012)
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters (March 24, 2012 – April 28, 2012)

† - Program transitioned to Vortexx

Short segments

• Magical DoReMi Witchling Sing-along
• TMNT: Mayhem at Mutant Island
• GoGoWiki (GoGoRiki)
• GoTunes (GoGoRiki)
• The CW4Kids Vault (Viva Piñata, Skunk Fu!)

Programming blocks

• Popcorn for Breakfast – consisted of movies distributed by 4Kids Entertainment, like Kirby: Fright to the Finish!! and Turtles Forever.
• Dinosaurs and Dueling (8am–10am) – consisting of two new episodes of Dinosaur King, and two episodes of the original Yu-Gi-Oh!.
• Full Hours (8am–Noon) – consisting of one full hour of Dinosaur King, one full hour of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, one full hour Sonic X and one full hour of Yu-Gi-Oh!.
• Saturday Morning Superstars (9am–Noon) – consisting of two episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, two episodes of Sonic X, and two episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! (part of Full Hours).
• The Fast and The Fierce (10am-11am) – consisting of two episodes of Sonic X. Title is a parody of The Fast and the Furious (part of Full Hours).
• Double Vision Saturday (10am–Noon) – consisting of two episodes of Sonic X and two episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! (part of Full Hours).

Film airings

• Kirby: Fright to the Finish!! (September 12, 2009)^[14]
• Turtles Forever (November 21, 2009, March 20, 2010, and May 29, 2010)