LONDON: Warner Bros. Discovery is rebranding its Boomerang channel to Cartoonito in the Middle East and North Africa region, as part of a transformation of the channel.
The children’s network will also add new programs to its library, including shows such as “Batwheels,” “Bugs Bunny Builders,” and “Interstellar Ella,” in an effort to widen its selection of family offerings.
“I am very proud that in the year we celebrate 100 years of Warner Bros., we are showing our commitment to our youngest audience by launching our preschool offering Cartoonito across EMEA,” said Vanessa Brookman, senior vice president of Kids & Family EMEA for Warner Bros. Discovery.
The channel will continue to “offer a safe space where kids and their families can laugh and learn alongside beloved characters,” blending education and entertainment, she said.
WBD said that Cartoonito’s “modern approach to preschool programming is supported by an educational framework called humancentric learning.”
All Cartoonito shows follow a curriculum designed by early childhood education specialist Laura Brown to form the four pillars of creativity, caring, curiosity and courage, it said
As a full regional channel offering, Cartoonito will offer original series and franchises, providing an “educational tool that promotes creativity, collaboration and inclusivity.”
Earlier this year, WBD rebranded Boomerang to Cartoonito in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Entertainment and lifestyle magazine Variety said that the move is “part of a big regional and global commitment by WBD to preschool content” following a “positive feedback to the Cartoonito-branded block on Boomerang and Cartoon Network launched in 2022.”
Cartoonito will officially launch on Sept. 4, with the network accessible as a pay TV channel on affiliate platforms across the MENA region.