| Nick GAS | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | March 1, 1999 |
| Owned by | MTV Networks (Viacom) |
| Picture format | SDTV |
| Slogan | Your Games Your Sports, Nick GAS |
| Sister channel(s) | Nickelodeon, Nicktoons Network, Noggin, The N |
| Website | Official Site |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| Dish Network | Channel 177 |
Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids (commonly referred to as Nickelodeon GAS, Nick GAS or GAS), is a U.S. cable television network which was launched on March 1, 1999 as part of MTV Networks' suite of digital cable channels. Olympic swimmer and Figure It Out host Summer Sanders was named the Commissioner of Nick GAS. Dave Aizer and Vivianne Collins were the network's original on-air hosts, with Mati Moralejo joining soon after. Nick GAS's programming primarily consisted of children's game shows and sports-related programs from Nickelodeon, its parent network. This includes shows such as Nickelodeon GUTS, Double Dare 2000 and Figure It Out. Nick GAS also produced its own original programming: Gamefarm and Splash TV. Programs were usually grouped together in blocks such as Heads Up!, (which was removed in 2002) Family Fuel (removed in 2002), Extreme GAS (removed in 2002) and Pumping GAS (removed on November 1, 2005).
In lieu of commercials, Nick GAS aired interstitial segments, some of which were produced at Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, Florida. However, in-show advertising (like consolation and grand prizes of Legends of the Hidden Temple) were left intact, as it was part of the show itself. The studio segments often included competitions between families, or interviews with athletes and other celebrities. Other interstitials included "Heroes of the Game", "GAS Grill", "Trade Tricks", "Time Out", "Skill Drill", "MLS Play of the Week", and in the early years of the network "This Day in History". Some looked at Nick GAS as a children's version of Game Show Network. At 6:00AM Eastern/5:00AM Central on December 31, 2007, Nick GAS left cable after Figure It Out and was replaced by The N, which became a 24-hour channel after splitting from sister channel Noggin. However, it is still currently seen on Dish Network.
Contents |
History
Nickelodeon GAS was created by Nickelodeon in March of 1999 as a channel where game shows produced by Nickelodeon could air more frequently. This was when game shows that were playing re-runs up until March 1999 such as Figure It Out, What Would You Do?, Nick Arcade, Family Double Dare, You're On!, Nickelodeon GUTS, Legends of the Hidden Temple and Wild and Crazy Kids were drafted to this channel. This also marked the return for game shows that weren't played for years such as Think Fast!, Finders Keepers, Double Dare, Super Sloppy Double Dare, Get the Picture and Super Special Double Dare. On January 2, 2000 Make the Grade (which was last played on regular Nickelodeon on December 29, 1991) started airing on Nickelodeon GAS. On December 27, 2002 game shows such as What Would You Do? and Super Sloppy Double Dare were removed and Double Dare 2000 was taken off Nickelodeon and put on Nick GAS. This was also when programming blocks such as Extreme GAS, Family Fuel, Heads Up! and Wild Card were removed. In Spring of 2003 Nick GAS began to broadcast original series. This was when they began showing Gamefarm, Play2Z, Robot Wars and Splash TV. On April 5, 2004 Think Fast!, Make the Grade, Gamefarm, Splash TV, and Play2Z were removed from Nick GAS. On November 26, 2004 You're On!, the original Double Dare, plus the Camp GAS and Double Dare Double Play blocks were removed from Nick GAS. On November 1, 2005 Pumping Gas was removed, along with Super Sloppy Double Dare, Global GUTS, Rocket Power, Speed Racer, Scaredy Camp, SK8-TV, Wild and Crazy Kids and Family Double Dare, to be replaced with additional repeats of shows such as Legends of the Hidden Temple, Get the Picture, Nickelodeon GUTS, Figure It Out and Double Dare 2000. On September 4, 2006 Finders Keepers was removed, and replaced with Figure It Out and Legends of the Hidden Temple, leaving only six shows regularly broadcasted on the network. Afterwards, Nick GAS played five of its six shows in heavy rotation, with Nick Arcade being played twice per day during late night hours only. On December 31, 2007, Nick GAS was removed from digital cable and became a broadband service with The N taking over the channel space currently occupied by the Nick GAS channel, as stated below. Dish Network viewers, however, still receive the channel, also as stated below.
Switch to broadband
On December 31, 2007,[1] Nick GAS left the digital cable channel lineup and became an online-only service on TurboNick, while The N took over Nick GAS's channel position after splitting from Noggin. DirecTV, Dish Network, Time Warner Cable, and Comcast have confirmed that they will air both Noggin and The N.[2] The changeover occurred at 6:00AM Eastern/5:00AM Central, making the 5:30AM Eastern/4:30AM Central airing of Figure it Out the final program aired on Nick GAS. After the "You are watching Nick GAS" announcement, the "Your games, your sports" sequence which aired before the 'up next' sequence every half hour was aired one last time, and the network ended anticlimactically with The N being switched over before the sequence ended (A static line could briefly be seen during the switch), leading into the start of the pilot episode of Instant Star.
Problems with the switch
Due to reasons not yet disclosed by Echostar, Nick GAS has remained on-air for Dish Network customers. Subscribers had reported a continuous black screen when the transition was planned to occur. Echostar then undid the changes, returning the station to Nick GAS's normal program lineup. This retainment of service is possible since the channel and its programs will be moving to the TurboNick broadband channel in the near future. Noggin and The N continue to switch on channel 169 at 6:00AM Eastern/5:00AM Central and 6:00PM Eastern/5:00PM Central daily. Starting on January 2nd, Dish Network's program guide showed that Nick GAS would be showing NICKG after January 9th. However, on January 4th it was changed with regular Nick Gas programming and on Noggin's channel, it shows that the N and Noggin will be switching off at 6:00AM/6:00PM ET with the correctly scheduled programming shown on the guide. DirecTV also suffered from the glitch until 7:25AM Eastern/6:25AM Central. Most digital cable viewers saw no problems with the transfer from Nick GAS to The N.
Programs formerly broadcast on the network
Nickelodeon GAS played every Nickelodeon game show to first air by around 2002 or earlier. Nickelodeon GAS had also shown some Nickelodeon non-game show programming like Speed Racer, Scaredy Camp, Rocket Power and Gamefarm.
- Double Dare (1999-2004)
- Double Dare 2000 (2002-2007*)
- Family Double Dare (1999-2005)
- Figure It Out (1999-2007*)
- Finders Keepers (1999-2006)
- Gamefarm (2003-2004)
- Get the Picture (1999-2007*)
- Global GUTS (1999-2005)
- Legends of the Hidden Temple (1999-2007*)
- Make the Grade (2000-2004)
- Nick Arcade (1999-2007*)
- Nickelodeon GUTS (1999-2007*)
- Play 2Z (2003-2004)
- Robot Wars (2003-2004)
- Rocket Power (2003-2004)
- Salute Your Shorts (2003-2004)
- Scaredy Camp (2003-2004)
- SK8-TV (1999-2005)
- Speed Racer (2003-2004)
- Splash TV (2003-2004)
- Super Sloppy Double Dare (1999-2005)
- Super Special Double Dare (1999-2002)
- Think Fast! (1999-2004)
- What Would You Do? (1999-2002)
- Wild and Crazy Kids (1999-2005)
- You're On! (1999-2004)
* 2008 for Dish Network Viewers
Blocks formerly on the network
- Camp GAS (2002-2004)
- Double Dare Double Play (2001-2004)
- Extreme GAS (2001-2002)
- Family Fuel (2001-2002)
- Heads Up! (2001-2002)
- Pumping GAS (1999-2005)
- Wild Card (2001-2002)
References
- ^ MTV Networks splits Noggin, the N channels. Yahoo!. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- ^ A Coming of Age at Nickelodeon. New York Times Online. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Blocks | Current: Nick Jr. • TEENick • Nick at Nite Former: SNICK • Nick in the Afternoon • Friday Night Nicktoons |
| Media/Studios | Nickelodeon Magazine • Nickelodeon Family Suites • Nickelodeon Movies • Nickelodeon Studios • Nick Rewind • Nickelodeon Toys |
| Lists | Programs • Programs broadcast by Nick at Nite |
| US sister networks | Noggin • The N • Nicktoons Network • TV Land |
| Defunct sister networks | Nick GAS • Nick on CBS/Nick Jr. on CBS |
| International sister networks | Nickelodeon (Japan) • Nickelodeon Australia • Nickelodeon New Zealand • Nickelodeon Scandinavia • Nickelodeon UK • Nickelodeon Latin America • Nickelodeon Brazil • Nick Jr. Australia • Nick Jr. (UK) • Nicktoons UK • Nick Jr. 2 |
| Internet | TurboNick • Nicktropolis |
| Theme Park | Nickelodeon Universe |
10% 3Q 2005)
