TBS (TV Channel) - History - Shift Towards Comedy

Shift Towards Comedy

In 1997, TBS began to collect subscriber fees directly from cable operators, effectively causing the national feed to begin operating under the conventions of a basic cable network, though still technically a superstation. In exchange, TBS began to lease advertising slots to cable providers to allow them to carry local commercials; as a result the channel began to broadcast fewer Atlanta Braves regular season games to a national audience. In 1999, WTBS dropped all of its remaining cartoons (which at the time were running under the Disaster Area banner), with those shows becoming the core of a new cable channel devoted to classic cartoons that launched several months later called Boomerang.

WTBS continued to run a mix of movies, sitcoms and drama series. By 2001, several sitcoms from the 1980s and especially the 1990s such as Full House, Family Matters, The Cosby Show, Friends, Seinfeld and Home Improvement became part of the schedule, many of them airing on the afternoon "Non-Stop Comedy Block" by 2002. In 2003, WTBS dropped Little House on the Prairie and other dramatic programming as a part of its new focus on comedic programming, such as sitcom reruns, original reality television series and theatrically released comedy films. As part of this focus, TBS adopted the slogan "Very Funny" and a new logo in June 2004. It is intended as a direct contrast to sister channel TNT, which had focused on older movies initially but moved toward and now focuses on drama series and films.

On September 1, 2007, a high definition version of TBS's national feed launched. WTBS already operated a high definition digital signal that could be viewed over-the-air in the Atlanta market prior to September 1, which was replaced by the superstation feed's HD simulcast, instead of simulcasting Peachtree TV. At this time, TBS dropped its regular Braves coverage, but began airing Major League Baseball postseason games.