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'Comedy Central' is an American cable television and satellite television channel in the United States. As its name implies, the channel carries predominantly comedy programming, both original and syndicated. Since late 2006, local versions of Comedy Central (which do not have identical schedules to their U.S. counterpart) have launched in European markets such as Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Contents

Programming

History

Creation

1991-1996

''South Park''

2002-2006

The ''Secret Stash''

2007-

Criticism

References

External links

Programming

History

Creation

In November 1989, Time Warner, owners of HBO, launched The Comedy Channel as the first cable channel devoted exclusively to comedy-based programming. In April 1990, Viacom (who owned MTV, VH1, and Nickelodeon) launched an edgier rival channel called HA! After two years of limited distribution, the two channels merged into one, relaunching, fittingly, on April Fool's Day 1991 as ''CTV: The Comedy Network''.^[4] However, trademark issues with the Canadian network CTV forced the merged channel to rebrand itself ''Comedy Central'' on June 1, 1991 (coincidentally, the Canadian channel ''The Comedy Network'' is owned by CTVglobemedia, which also owns the Canadian CTV, of which both names were used on the American merged network). Viacom bought out Time Warner's half in April 2003 for $1.23 billion. ^[5]

1991-1996

From the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, much of the programming on Comedy Central, and its predecessors, consisted of comedy movies and half-hour specials and clip-shows featuring stand up comedians. With the exception of the cult favorite ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'', the channel had a relatively small viewership. A notable early success was ''Politically Incorrect'' with Bill Maher, which after showing promise on Comedy Central was quickly snapped up by the ABC network.

''South Park''

The channel made a breakthrough when ''South Park'' premiered in 1997. The first major cable show to carry the TV-MA rating for mature audiences, the show was too controversial to get picked up by a mainstream network. As word-of-mouth spread, the number of people who requested that Comedy Central be added to their cable systems increased, and the channel became available in over 50% of American homes by 1998.

2002-2006

In 2002, Comedy Central Records was formed as a means of releasing albums by comedians that have appeared on the network.
Since 2003, Comedy Central has created a tradition of "roasting" comedians in tradition of the New York Friars Club roasts. During these roasts friends of the roastee, along with comedians, take turns making fun of the roastee, the other roasters and occasionally audience members. So far, the roastees have included Drew Carey, Jerry Stiller, Rob Reiner, Hugh Hefner, Chevy Chase, Denis Leary, Jeff Foxworthy^[6], Pamela Anderson^[7], William Shatner^[8], and Flavor Flav.^[9]

The ''Secret Stash''

The success of ''South Park'', despite its mature content, encouraged the network to continue to push the limits on adult language. Every Friday and Saturday at 1 a.m., a movie or comedy special is shown unedited. This is called the '''Secret Stash'''. It premiered on July 4, 2003 (with the unedited cable television debut of the ''South Park'' movie). It is now seen every Saturday and Sunday morning at 1 a.m.
The movies and comedy specials shown on the Secret Stash are typically those with a large amount of adult themes and offensive language, especially four-letter words not typically allowed on television, that would be heavily edited otherwise. Movies shown on the Secret Stash to date include '', ''Friday'', ''The Big Lebowski'', ''Money Talks'', ''Bad Santa'', the comedy special ''Eddie Murphy Raw'', '', ''Clerks'', ''Scary Movie 2'', ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'', ''Not Another Teen Movie'', ''The Breakfast Club'', ''National Lampoon's Van Wilder'', ''Major League'', ''S.F.W.'', '', '', ''Shaun of the Dead'', and also its Friars Club roasts, although on November 26, 2006 the channel aired ''Fast Times At Ridgemont High'' with the profanity intact but all of the nudity excised from the film. Nudity is also censored during presentations of ''The Big Lebowski'', ''National Lampoon's Van Wilder'', ''Jackass the Movie'', ''Clerks'' and ''Not Another Teen Movie''.
However, during the airing of Rodney Carrington's stand-up special, ''Rodney Carrington: Live at the Majestic'', on June 23, 2007, nudity was left intact. During Carrington's song, "Show Them to Me", there were numerous shots of audience members (male and female) flashing their breasts. Partial nudity was also left uncensored during the roast of Pamela Anderson when her breasts were clearly visible through her shirt, a shot which is censored on earlier showings.
In late 2004, it was reported that the top four rated shows on Comedy Central, in order, were ''South Park'', ''Chappelle's Show'', ''The Daily Show'', and ''Reno 911!''. Shortly thereafter, Dave Chappelle infamously backed out of the anticipated third season of ''Chappelle's Show''^[10]; meanwhile, ''The Daily Show'' continued to climb in ratings. In October 2005, on the occasion of a new three-year contract for ''South Park'' and the launch of ''The Colbert Report'', it was reported that ''South Park'' and ''The Daily Show'' were the two highest rated shows on Comedy Central. Comedy Central chief Doug Herzog was reported as saying that he hoped to continue to air new seasons of ''South Park'' forever, and that ''The Colbert Report'' fulfilled a long-held plan to extend the ''Daily Show'' brand.
On April 5, 2006, in a controversial two part episode arc titled "Cartoon Wars Part I" and "Cartoon Wars Part II", ''South Park'' touched the issue of the recent Muslim protest over the Danish comic strips depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad. The image of Muhammad did not appear in the episode. On April 13, 2006, Comedy Central issued a statement^[11] which appears to confirm that the network prohibited the show's creators from airing an image of Muhammad. The statement reads, ''"In light of recent world events, we feel we made the right decision."'' An anonymous source close to the show indicated that ''South Park'' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were informed of the policy several weeks earlier, and wrote this story arc in protest. This is a significant change of policy for Comedy Central, having allowed ''South Park'' to portray an image of Muhammed in an earlier episode, "Super Best Friends."
On October 19, 2006, MTV Networks International launched Comedy Central in Poland. The channel contains 19 series and 3 shows from USA (for example ''Saturday Night Live'', ''Scrubs'', ''Desperate Housewives'') and 2 programs from Poland (''Kookły'', ''Hu jak humor''). In Friday and Saturday channel emmits films.

2007-

On Monday January 15, 2007, MTV Networks International launched Comedy Central in Germany. It is the first 24 hour German-speaking comedy channel in Germany and is available for free throughout Europe. The channel airs 33 shows either dubbed in German or subtitled while also airing locally produced shows.^[12] As of April 30, Dutch channel The Box has been transformed into the Dutch version of Comedy Central during the primetime and overnight hours timesharing with Nickelodeon.^[13] And on May 1, 2007 the channel has launched in Italy replacing Paramount Comedy.^[14]
The current Comedy Central Network ID, created in 2000, was underscored with an audio signature and accompanying music campaign composed and produced by Musikvergnuegen -- a Hollywood-based music and sound company specializing in audio branding founded by Austrian-born composer Walter Werzowa.

Criticism

Comedy Central has been a frequent target of criticism from conservative media watchdog group Parents Television Council, which accuses them of racism and blasphemy^[15][16], especially within the programs ''South Park'', ''The Sarah Silverman Program'', ''Halfway Home'', and the annual "Roast" special.^[17] In fact, the PTC has used their criticisms against Comedy Central for their support of the Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007, which would allow American cable TV subscribers to choose which channels they subscribe to^[18], and to persuade advertisers to stop advertising on the channel.^[19] PTC founder and former president L. Brent Bozell III has called the channel unfunny, claiming the channel has managed "to reach the top of its field in spite of – or, better put, because of – the network's sheer lack of comedic talent" due to the channel's extensive reliance on shocking or disgusting humor.^[20] The channel has also received criticism from certain parents^[21] and feminists^[22] for airing advertisements for "Girls Gone Wild". The channel also airs the least cut version of the popular film, Not Another Teen Movie, as well as other films.
Stephen Colbert, host of the channel's own program ''The Colbert Report'', has included a satirical criticism of the channel on his site "Wikiality, the Truthiness encyclopedia, claiming that the channel has mostly "biased, liberal filth" and referred to parent company Viacom as "the biggest America-hating corporation in existence" although this is consistent with Colbert's signature satirical style.^[23]

References

1.
2. Comedy Central FAQ - Who Owns Comedy Central?
3. http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/whats_on_dish/programming_packages/channels/index.asp?NetwID=50262
4. [1]
5. Viacom buys Comedy Central
6. Comedy Central Roast of Jeff Foxworthy
7. Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson
8. Roast of Shatner
9. Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav official site
10. Comedy Central to air Chappelle remainders - MSNBC - Dec. 12, 2005
11. http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2006/04/13/165631-south-park-creators-skewer-own-network
12. Comedy Central plays to a German sense of humor
13. Dutch launch for Comedy Central
14. http://www.broadcastclub.co.uk/sateuropa_forum/upload/viewtopic.php?pid=318
15. Comedy Central's War on Christmas
16.
17. Roasting the Final Frontier
18. Remarks Presented by Dan Isett of the PTC at the News Conference Regarding the "Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007"
19. Letter to Advertisers Concerning their Sponsorship of the August 16th Roast of Pamela Anderson on Comedy Central
20. The Arrested Adolescent's Channel
21. Parents Television Council - Letters to the Editor - Offensive Ads
22. Petition to Stop Pornographic Ads on Mainstream TV
23. "Wikiality" entry on Comedy Central