Qubo - Qubo Channel

Qubo Channel

A 24-hour stand alone digital broadcast television network, carried via the -DT2 digital subchannel of Ion's affiliates, began broadcasting on January 8, 2007. Qubo’s digital channel initially launched with a rolling four-hour block of children’s programming. Almost all of the programming also comes with an alternate Spanish language soundtrack via the SAP channel, and Spanish closed captioning via CC3.

On December 3, 2007, Qubo expanded its offerings on the digital channel to include shows from other producers, as well as some programming currently seen on the main Qubo block on ION and NBC. In addition, the block was expanded to a 6-hour block, seen four times each day.

In January 2008, Ion Media Networks and Comcast reached an agreement to continue carrying Ion's digital channels: Ion Television, Qubo and Ion Life. ION is currently seeking the inquiry of the Federal Communications Commission for must-carry cable and satellite carriage of Qubo.

The same date Qubo's Night Owl was released, the network began officially advertising itself as "Qubo Channel" (which the NBC and Ion Television blocks already referred to the channel as in promos for the channel's programming on those networks' Qubo-branded blocks) instead of simply "Qubo" in order to differentiate the channel from the Qubo-branded blocks on NBC, Telemundo and Ion Television.

While there is no Qubo channel available on either Dish Network or DirecTV, the channel entitled "Ion West" airs a Qubo block from 6:00AM Eastern/5:00AM Central to 4:00PM Eastern/3:00PM Central time every day. Due to their extension of regular programming, Ion currently airs the primary Qubo block in one hour sections, every Wednesday-Friday at 11:00AM Eastern/10:00AM Central.