Carousel (TV channel)
Carousel or Carousel International, also known by its transliterated Russian name Karusel, is a Russian television dedicated to children and youth. It was founded by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. It is currently available in Russia, CIS nations, France via Free ISP, United States via DirecTV, Turkey via Tivibu, and others, including the rest of Europe, Canada, UK and India.
Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Carousel International airs only Russian cartoons and some cartoons outside Russia, which is what other channels in Russia are doing as well except 2x2.
History
The children's and youth channel Carousel was established on 27 December 2010, through the merger of the channels TeleNyanya and Bibigon. This unification followed a decree signed by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on 24 June 2009, mandating the consolidation of the two channels into a single youth-oriented broadcaster by 1 January 2011.From 2010 to 2014, Carousel's programming included children's shows, TV series, animated films, animated series, and feature films. On weekdays, approximately 66% of airtime was dedicated to animated series, 21% to educational programs, 6% to TV series, 5% to feature films, and 2% to standalone animated films. Weekend schedules shifted to 25% animated series, 15% TV series, 14% feature films, 19% programs, and 27% animated films.
Alongside the culture channel Russia-Kultura, Karousel was one of two federal Russian TV channels that broadcast without commercial advertising until 2011, when sponsored segments were introduced. By 2014, full commercial advertising appeared on the channel. Initially focused on children's products, the ad content expanded to include food and pharmaceuticals due to the channel's growing audience of women over 40.
In 2013, the channel launched its first children's comedy series about school life, Klassnaya Shkola. By 2014, many original shows and animated series began disappearing from the schedule. That same year, Karousel secured exclusive rights to broadcast the 250-hour "golden collection" of Soyuzmultfilm Studio's classic animations. In 2016, the channel premiered Semyа Svetoforovykh, its first educational series teaching road safety rules.
Programming
Carousel's lineup featured animated series such as The Fixies, The Smurfs, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Masha and the Bear, Moonzy, KikoRiki, Belka and Strelka: Mischievous Family, Maya the Bee, Yeralash, Kid-E-Cats, The Pooches, Super Wings, Be-Be-Bears, Fantasy Patrol, Little Tiaras, Loudly Ville, Grizzy & the Lemmings, among others. Programming categories included:- Sports
- Music
- Cultural education
- Cooking
- Animal-themed
- Intellectual games
- Educational
- Science.
Ownership