A3 Network/Megassa

A3 Network (formerly called DiC Network, Menace and A3) is a free-to-air television channel in Megassa. It is the Megassan version of the Jetanie channel of the same name.

As DiC Network (1998-2003)
On October 4, 1998, DiC Network launched in Megassa at 7:00am MCT, replacing TV4U. The first thing to air on the channel was an episode of Pingéya, ending at 7:06am.The channel would air from 7:00am to 7:00pm, with the last show airing (usually) being the Megassan-localised version of Sesame Street. It timeshared with the Megassan feed of TNT, which would air from 7:00pm to 6:00am. Then the test card for DiC Network/TNT would fill in the spare hour. The TNT block was removed in 2001, due to it becoming a 24-hour channel.

Controversy Over Spamming Skwræa2
The most popular show on DiC Network was the Megassan series Skwræa2 (Squared2), which originally ran on Nickelodeon from 1987 to 1990. The show was extremely popular on DiC Network, so the show was spammed, airing from 11:30am to 6:55pm on Saturdays. Many parents complained about the spamming, and how their children were by it, so the show was moved to Wednesdays in 2000, where it was spammed during school hours. When this happened, DiC Network lost thousands of viewers, causing them to air the show back on Sundays in January 2001. The show was then pulled off the air in 2002 due to parents complaining again.

DiC Network was very popular in Megassa; it won the award for Best Children’s Channel at the MeTVA (now known as MegaTelewards) in December 1999, and it won Children’s Channel Of The Year award in January 2002.

On September 3, 2003, DiC Entertainment (the owner of the channel) announced that DiC Network would be rebranding into Menace at 7:00am on October 2, 2003. DiC would no longer own the channel and Disney (the creator of the channel) would take over as owner.

As Menace (2003-2007)
On October 2, 2003, DiC Network rebranded into Menace at 7:00am MCT. This channel was not as popular as the former channel, as it aired less preschool programming and more cartoons/sitcoms. All preschool programming was moved to its morning/nighttime block A3, which aired from 10:30am to 12:00pm (11:00am to 1:00pm on weekends), and 6:00pm to 9:00pm. The channel is known for airing many cartoons that aired on Jetix, such as Yin Yang Yo! and Pucca.

The channel also had a Cartoon Network block that aired on weekends from 4:30pm to 6:00pm, called CN Menace. The block was removed in 2006, because due to the 2 blocks and spamming of Saved By The Bell and Baby Alive, the actual channel only got to air from 7:00am to 11:00am, and 1:00pm to 4:30pm, making Saved By The Bell, Baby Alive and Pink and Purple segments the only shows that actually aired on the channel on weekends.

The Menace channel was so unpopular that somebody wrote a letter to Disney about how unpopular Menace was. Very little information is known about this letter, but according to the website disneyfacts.com, the letter was written and sent to Disney in December 2006 or January 2007.

In March 2007, Disney announced that Menace would be replaced by a 24-hour version of A3 on April 8, 2007, but Menace would still air at night as a block between 7:00pm and 6:00am.

As A3 (2007-2011)
On April 9, 2007, the channel version of A3 launched, replacing the Menace channel. It had many similarities to DiC Network, such as the fact that they both aired classic children’s cartoons.

A3’s target audience was for kids aged between 4 and 12, with preschool programming airing in the morning, then regular children’s programming in the afternoon, before switching to Menace. A3’s programming was mostly cartoons (excluding preschool shows), and very few live-action shows were aired, as most of them were moved to sister channel A3Two, which aired classic children’s sitcoms.

On October 16, 2009, the Menace block shut down due to low ratings, where The Night Zone took its place.