Blub! (formerly known as KBV and K-Blub) is a Dutch language children's television channel owned and operated mainly by Benny Vis BV since its inception in 1995. Its primary target audience is children aged 3-8, timesharing with Bennie, a channel geared more to the 9-14 set. As such, much like Kindernet before it, Blub! aims to provide content free of violence and sexuality with an emphasis on positive and necessary moral values.
History[]
Origins and launch[]
Benny Vis' founder Benedictus Claes was inspired by Kindernet to begin his own channel, consisting of both his studio's content and that of others with whom he had contact. Equally influenced by local parents and other adults' complaints against media such as anime, Claes planned to market his channel similarly to the aforementioned Kindernet as free of objectionable content.
Using his personal funds, Claes had his project inaugurated as KBV (short for "Kanaal Benny Vis") with broadcasts commencing on July 2, 1995. As a result, any shows owned by his studio which had aired elsewhere were immediately switched to air on KBV instead.
KBV (1995-2000)[]
In its early years, KBV banked mainly on Benny Vis' catalogue and also acquired various animated and live action children's shows which had been overlooked by other broadcasters in Flanders and the Netherlands. As such, original content was practically nonexistent at that point in time.
KBV also competed mainly against the aforementioned Kindernet and eventually Fox Kids, with a significantly lower audience than both channels despite airing Benny Vis shows which had previously enjoyed success among Dutch and Flemish speakers. Nevertheless, Claes continually pushed the channel as kid-friendly and wholesome to concerned parents, much to the chagrin of others near him.
In mid-February of 2000, KBV (in a last-ditch effort to attract viewers) began an ad campaign which would later turn out heavily controversial, known as "TV om Te Vertrouwen" (lit. "TV you can trust"). It consisted mainly of advertisements (both in print and on television) depicting scenarios where a child is exposed to a situation that is frightening, violent or obscene in some way, shape or form only to then be escorted into a safer environment with KBV airing on a TV set. Most infamously, one TV advertisement for KBV depicted Nazi imagery and archival footage as the motivation to offer a child KBV as alternative.
The advertisement incensed viewers both for a misuse of references to Belgium and the Netherlands' tormentor during World War II and essentially insinuating that children watching television programs or other content that was insufficiently wholesome or nonviolent would cause a repeat of the Third Reich. KBV almost immediately found themselves in the crosshairs of a public relations disaster as a result, with some viewers abandoning the channel in droves despite increased awareness through the controversy itself.
KBV's management ultimately decided to have Benedictus Claes ousted from the channel (as was already being done with his company at the time due to many legal cases against him mounting) to prevent further damage to its reputation with his son Benedictus Claes Jonger taking the helm instead. It was also decided the channel would be rebranded sometime later in the year.
K-Blub! (2000-03)[]
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Programming[]
Former[]
Animation[]
- Big Thinkers!
- Corduroy
- Dragon Tales
- Elliot Moose
- Freddi Fish: Undersea Sleuth
- Grimm & Grimm
- Putt-Putt's Roads to Success
- Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat
- Sammy Scribble
- The Save-Ums!
- Seven Little Monsters
- Sonnawood
- Spirou (1993)
- ToddWorld