Cartoon Network Kicks-off Its 20th Birthday With Fun-Filled Event

ATLANTA, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cartoon Network kicked-off a month long celebration today for its milestone birthday at the Atlanta, Ga. headquarters, where Turner Broadcasting founder, Ted Turner, originally launched the network 20 years ago.  Stuart Snyder, President/COO of Turner's Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media division was joined by Turner Broadcasting CEO Phil Kent and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed who honored the network and staff with the city's prestigious Phoenix Award and proclaimed it "Cartoon Network Day. "

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121001/CL84400 )

Award-winning Atlanta baker Karen Portaleo (Food Network Cake Wars), designed a special cake for the event, which also included a parade of costume characters led by the Atlanta Falcons Drumline and a special taped message from Ted Turner.

Launching on Oct. 1, 1992, with just two million U.S. homes, Cartoon Network has grown to become the #1 television network among boys 6-11, and is currently seen in over 175 countries, in more than 365 million households worldwide and in 26 different languages.

As previously announced, fans across the country are also invited to CARTOON NETWORK'S BIRTHDAY PARTY taking place on-air, as the network embarks on an all-day programming take-over to showcase birthday-themed episodes from multiple classic and contemporary cartoon series. Saluting both its vast library of classic animation as well as its current crop of top-rated hits, Cartoon Network will spotlight birthday-themed episodes from such beloved classics as The Looney Tunes, The Powerpuff Girls and Dexter's Laboratory alongside more contemporary hit series including Adventure Time, Regular Show and The Amazing World of Gumball.

At 6:58 p.m. ET/PT, the world television premiere of an original music video www.youtube.com/cartoonnetwork produced especially to celebrate the network's 20 years of great animation will air followed by the 100^th episode of the award-winning Adventure Time (7:30 p.m.), and the fourth season premiere of the #1 show among boys 2012-to-date and recent Emmy-Winning, Regular Show (8:00pm). 

CARTOON NETWORK'S BIRTHDAY PARTY will continue each weekend in October as well, presenting select classic theatrical shorts and network series episodes spotlighting the top six finalists among creatively-themed categories that viewers can enjoy and review before logging on to CartoonNetwork.com to vote for their all-time favorite picks. This 20^th Birthday celebration will culminate on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 3 & 4, with an afternoon on-air tribute announcing the fan-selected winners of each category, bringing a fitting crescendo to the birthday festivities.

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com) is the #1 U.S. television network among boys 6-11. Currently seen in 99 million U.S. homes and 178 countries around the world, Cartoon Network is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for kids and families. In addition to Emmy-winning original programming and industry-leading digital apps and online games, Cartoon Network embraces key social issues affecting families with solution-oriented initiatives such as Stop Bullying: Speak Up and the Move It Movement.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

SOURCE Cartoon Network