The channel, which debuted on October 1, 1992, mostly shows animated television series, particularly for children, ranging from action to animated humor. It is now open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) and is aimed towards youngsters aged 7 to 15. Adult Swim, its midnight daypart block, is intended towards adults and is considered as a different entity for promotional purposes as well as by Nielsen as a distinct channel for ratings purposes. ¹⁾

Originally, the show was sponsored by Winston Cigarettes, and the characters smoked them on-air. The original broadcasts featuring Fred and Barney smoking are still available on YouTube. ²⁾

If you saw Ed, Edd, and Eddy as a child, you would never have noticed some of the adult comedy that creeps into the animation. In one episode, the lads are seen reading a magazine while surrounded by used tissues, with quizzical smiles on their faces. That is not a kid-friendly reference! ³⁾

For nearly 90 years, children all around the country have grown up with characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck from Looney Tunes. Though the show has brought joy to generations of children, it is also responsible for the perpetuation of some racist prejudices. The show, in particular, featured extremely troubling representations of African Americans. ⁴⁾

Despite the fact that most adult references in Cartoon Network shows are minor, several of the network's programming have been prohibited in Australia. The country is very harsh on the network, and even bans items that would be acceptable in the United States, such as the sentence “this sucks” or the premise of two characters dating. ⁵⁾

Adventure Time and Steven Universe are two shows that have had a lot of problems in other countries. The shows have been prohibited in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as several other culturally conservative nations, due to their pro-LGBTQ+ themes. Despite this, Cartoon Network is still broadcast in over fifty countries worldwide. ⁶⁾