Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids

Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids
Launched	November 9, 1998 (as a programming block) March 1, 1999 (as a TV network)
Closed	February 20, 1999 (as a programming block) December 31, 2007 (as a TV network) April 23, 2009 (Dish Network customers only)
Owned by	MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (1999–2007; 2009 for Dish Network customers only)
Slogan	Your Games, Your Sports
Headquarters	Los Angeles
Replaced by	The N
Sister channel(s)	Nickelodeon Nicktoons Noggin (now Nick Jr.)

Nickelodeon Games and Sports for Kids (stylized as Nick GaS and commonly known as Nick Gas) was an American cable television network that was part of MTV Networks's suite of digital cable channels. The channel was available to all digital cable providers and satellite provider Dish Network. With its focus on classic Nickelodeon game shows (all of which had been removed from the parent network by 2000), Nick GAS was essentially a children's version of (and Viacom's answer to) Game Show Network, which launched on December 1, 1994.

The VP/General Manager of the network was Nickelodeon executive Mark Offitzer, producer of numerous Nick specials including the Kids Choice Awards. Summer Sanders was named on-air Commissioner of the network; Dave Aizer (1999–2003) and Vivianne Collins (1999–2003) were the network's original on-air hosts, with Mati Moralejo (2001–05) joining soon after and later on Nadine (2004) and George (2004) separately during commercials.

History

Nick GAS originally launched as a 1-hour block on Nickelodeon on November 8, 1998, featuring game & sports-related shows like Wild & Crazy Kids, Guts and Figure It Out. The block was removed from Nickelodeon's schedule in the Fall of 2002.

Nick GAS launched on March 1, 1999, and its programming primarily consisted of children's game shows and sports-related programs from Nickelodeon, its parent network. This included shows such as Guts, all versions of Double Dare from 1986 onward, and Figure It Out (which ended its run on the parent network nine months after GAS's launch).

Nick GAS also produced its own original programming, such as Play to Z, Gamefarm and Splash TV. GAS also featured original blocks Camp GAS during the summer, Double Dare Double Play (both removed in 2004), and Pumping GAS (removed in 2005).

In place of commercials, Nick GAS aired interstitial segments, some of which were produced at Nickelodeon on Sunset and the defunct Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios Florida, promos for Nick GAS original programming, aired during commercial breaks. However, in-show advertising (like consolation and grand prizes of the network's shows) were left intact, as it was part of the show itself.

The studio segments in the "GAS Garage", often included competitions between families, or interviews with athletes and other celebrities. Programs were usually grouped together in the blocks Heads Up!, Wild Card, Family Fuel, Extreme GAS (all removed in 2002) and aired during commercial breaks. Other interstitials included "Heroes of the Game", "GAS Grill", "Trade Tricks", "Time Out", T.U.M.E.G., "Skill Drill", "MLS Play of the Week", "Global GAS", "Home Turf Highlights", "Let's Just Play ads", "In Play Today", "All Access", "FastBreak", "GasCaster Report", and in the early years of the network "This Day in History".

From October 31, 2005 onwards, Nick GAS's programming was fully automated, putting only seven shows on a permanent time slot (Guts, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Figure It Out, Get the Picture, Double Dare 2000, Nick Arcade and Finders Keepers) and regular segments. In September 2006, Finders Keepers was removed from the network's schedule, leaving only a mere six shows on the channel by its final year (as well as two years exclusively for Dish Network, due to unknown bandwidth problems).

Shutdown

Viacom Networks announced on August 13, 2007 that Nick GAS would shut down on December 31, 2007 and replaced by a 24-hour network of the then-timesharing 12-hour block The N.

On December 31, 2007, Nick GAS was shut down after an episode of Figure It Out. It then aired a bumper, but it was cut off halfway through and was replaced by The N, which became a 24-hour channel after splitting from sister station Noggin (now Nick Jr.).^[1] The N was subsequently rebranded as TeenNick on September 28, 2009.

Meanwhile, Dish Network kept an automated loop of the network on the air for fifteen months, due to either unknown concerns or satellite bandwidth problems. On April 23, 2009, Dish announced it would discontinue Nick GAS and replace it with the Pacific feed of Cartoon Network the following day, and it ended at 3:30 AM ET after an episode of Legends of the Hidden Temple before cutting to the Pacific Adult Swim schedule in progress.^[2]

Programs

Nick GAS aired every game show broadcast on Nick from the parent network's inception onward, as well as non-game programming such as Salute Your Shorts, Speed Racer X, Scaredy Camp, and Rocket Power (all of which mainly involved extreme sports and competition).

The network also aired a one-hour block of video game programming on Saturday nights from 2003–04. Play to Z (mainly re-purposed content from the British Game Network) and Nickelodeon Gamefarm (an original series featuring video game news and competitions) aired during this time. Nick GAS also carried repeats of Nickelodeon Robot Wars, a program adapted from the British original.

References

1. "Nick GaS transitions into The N 24/7".
2. "Nick GaS Switches To ToonWest".