SATURDAY MORNING NEWSBREAK

ITEM! HUB NETWORK TO BECOME DISCOVERY FAMILY OCTOBER 13TH

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It was announced in September that Hasbro would be pulling back in its partnership with Discovery Communications in regards to the Hub Network.

The Hub Network began as Discovery Kids in 1996 with a variety of educational programming. In 2009, Hasbro entered into the partnership with Discovery to showcase its acquired and original programming. Becoming The Hub in 2010, the network had launched such programs as My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Littlest Pet Shop, Pound Puppies and Transformers: Rescue Bots. Viewership for the network had grown from 56 million to 70 million households under the leadership of Margaret Loesch, who was responsible for Marvel Productions in the 80s and Fox Kids in the 90s.

Loesch announced her departure in 2014 when her contract expired, prompting Discovery to purchase 10% of Hasbro's stake in The Hub Network, as it was rebranded in 2013, in order to give it controlling interest and cater to the growing family audience in the primetime hours. Discovery will rename the channel Discovery Family on October 13th an, while continuing to show Hasbro programming in the morning hours, it will load up the later hours with programs from its own library.