The Global Cartoon Network

This piece about Cartoon Network Europe grabbed my attention:

Cartoon Network Europe has established itself as an entertainment destination for children in more than a dozen countries across Europe. Since its launch in 1993, the channel has been taking the best programming from Cartoon Network in the U.S. and has also been co-producing series with international partners. Last year, channel management decided to set up a development-and-production arm in London...

Cartoon Network, of course, started as a gleam in Fred Seibert's eye. (Fred was the head of Hanna-Barbera at the time - 1991). A lot of young, budding animators came into the H-B offices on Cahuenga and pitched their ideas for fresh and zingy cartoon shorts.

From those ideas came Power Puff Girls, Dexter's Lab, Johnny Bravo and others. And from those shorts sprang series that launched -- along with Ted Turner's cartoon library -- Cartoon Network.

And what started in the U.S. is now on other continents ... and growing. CN's Fenn Arnesen -- headquartered in London -- is questioned about how all the differing 'toons from Cartoon Network's far-flung pieces interlock:

Q: What comes out of the London studio can be used by other Cartoon Network channels as they see fit, right?

ARNESEN: Absolutely, that’s how it works for us now. I’m in a privileged position whereby I sit on both sides of the Atlantic. I’m involved in the commissioning process in the U.S. for our global networks and I’m involved in the commissioning process for our work here in London, which in turn can serve our global networks. The idea is for these shows to work across the world.

So when you're pitching your next show for CN or one of the other worldwide conglomerates, think global. They like it enough, maybe they'll give you a teensy bit larger back-end...