CBS ended its Saturday morning children's block in 2019 and replaced it with news and educational content

CBS Saturday Morning, the long-running children's programming block, ended in September 2019. The network replaced it with CBS Saturday Morning, an adult-focused news and lifestyle show that airs in the same 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. time slot on Saturdays. If you were looking for Saturday morning cartoons and kids' shows on CBS, they no longer air on that network during those hours.

The shift reflected a broader change across broadcast television. Networks including NBC, ABC, and Fox had already moved away from Saturday morning children's programming in the years before CBS made the switch. Streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube had become the primary place families watched animated shows and children's content on their own schedule.

CBS did not move its children's programming to a different time slot on the main network. Instead, the company shifted some educational content to CBS Kids, a digital platform, though that service has also changed over time. For families who depended on Saturday morning broadcast television for children's entertainment, the options now exist almost entirely on streaming platforms and cable channels dedicated to kids' programming.

Key Takeaways

  • CBS replaced its Saturday morning children's block with CBS Saturday Morning, a news show for adults, in September 2019.
  • Broadcast networks across the United States stopped airing Saturday morning cartoons between 2014 and 2019 as families shifted to streaming services.
  • Children's programming that once aired on CBS Saturday mornings is now available primarily through streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube.
  • Cable channels including Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel continue to air children's shows throughout the week, though not on Saturday mornings on broadcast television.
  • Parents looking for scheduled children's programming on Saturday mornings will need to use streaming services or cable rather than broadcast television.

Where Saturday morning kids shows moved

The shows that aired on CBS Saturday mornings before 2019 did not disappear—they moved to different platforms. Some programs went to streaming services owned by their parent companies. Others found homes on cable channels dedicated to children's programming, where they air at various times throughout the week rather than in a Saturday morning block.

Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ now host most of the animated and live-action children's content that broadcast networks once reserved for Saturday mornings. These platforms let families watch on demand rather than waiting for a scheduled broadcast time. Cable channels like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, and PBS Kids continue to produce and air children's programming, though their Saturday morning schedules vary by channel and change seasonally.

Why broadcast networks stopped Saturday morning cartoons

The decline of Saturday morning television happened gradually across all broadcast networks. NBC ended its Saturday morning children's block in 2014. Fox and ABC followed suit in 2016 and 2017. CBS held on longer than most, but the trend was clear: families were no longer watching broadcast television on a fixed schedule.

Streaming services offered something broadcast television could not: the ability to watch any show at any time. Parents no longer needed to plan their Saturday mornings around a network's schedule. Children could watch their favorite shows before school, after school, or on weekends whenever they wanted. This shift in viewing habits made the Saturday morning block economically inefficient for broadcast networks, which depend on advertising revenue tied to live viewership.

Regulatory changes also played a role. The Children's Television Act of 1990 required broadcast networks to air educational programming, but streaming services faced fewer such requirements. Networks found it more profitable to air news and lifestyle content aimed at adult audiences on Saturday mornings than to produce or license children's shows that met federal educational standards.

Cable and streaming alternatives for Saturday morning viewing

If you want scheduled children's programming on Saturday mornings, cable channels remain an option. Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network air children's shows throughout the week, including weekend mornings, though their specific Saturday schedules change by season. PBS Kids offers educational programming on Saturday mornings on many PBS stations, and the PBS Kids app lets you watch on demand.

Streaming services give you more control over timing. Disney+ includes the full Disney Channel library plus original animated series. Netflix has a dedicated kids section with shows organized by age group. YouTube Kids offers a curated selection of children's content with parental controls. Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ also carry children's programming, though their selections vary.

The trade-off is that streaming services require a subscription (though some offer free trials), while broadcast and cable television remain free with an antenna or cable subscription. Streaming gives you flexibility; broadcast and cable give you a set schedule if that is what your family prefers.

What CBS Saturday Morning airs now

CBS Saturday Morning, which replaced the children's block, airs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday mornings. The show focuses on news, human interest stories, and lifestyle segments aimed at adult viewers. It covers current events, health topics, travel, and feature stories. The program is hosted by rotating anchors and includes reporting from CBS News correspondents.

The show occasionally includes segments related to family activities or parenting, but it is not designed for children. If you have a CBS affiliate in your area, you can watch CBS Saturday Morning over the air with an antenna, or through your cable or streaming TV provider if you subscribe to one that carries CBS.

How to find children's programming on Saturday mornings now

Your options depend on what you have access to. If you have a cable subscription, check the schedules for Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, and PBS Kids—all air children's content on weekend mornings, though the specific shows and times vary. If you use an antenna for broadcast television, PBS Kids is often available on a PBS subchannel and offers educational programming.

For streaming, open the app for the service you subscribe to and search for children's content or browse the kids section. Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube Kids all organize content by age group, making it easier to find age-appropriate shows. YouTube Kids includes parental controls that let you set screen time limits and restrict content by maturity level.

If you do not have a streaming subscription and want to avoid cable, PBS Kids is free over the air on most PBS stations and also free online at pbskids.org. Many public libraries also offer free streaming service passes, including to services like Kanopy, which carries children's programming.

The broader shift away from scheduled television

The end of CBS Saturday morning cartoons is part of a larger change in how people watch television. Broadcast networks built their business model on scheduled programming—you watched what they aired when they aired it, and advertisers paid for access to that audience. Streaming services flipped that model: you watch what you want when you want it, and the service charges a subscription fee or shows ads on demand.

This shift has affected all age groups, not just children. Fewer people watch live television overall. Families that do want scheduled programming often turn to cable or streaming services rather than broadcast networks. For children's content specifically, the shift happened faster because parents and children adapted quickly to on-demand viewing and because streaming services invested heavily in original children's shows.

Broadcast networks have not abandoned children's programming entirely—they still air some educational content and family-friendly shows at various times—but Saturday morning as a dedicated block for kids is gone across all major broadcast networks in the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still watch old CBS Saturday morning shows anywhere?

Many of the shows that aired on CBS Saturday mornings are available on streaming services or through the networks that produced them. For example, shows produced by Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network often appear on those networks' streaming apps or on platforms like Netflix. You can search for specific show titles on streaming services you subscribe to, or check if your library offers free streaming passes.

Does any broadcast network still air Saturday morning cartoons?

No major broadcast network in the United States airs a dedicated Saturday morning children's block anymore. NBC, ABC, Fox, and CBS all ended their Saturday morning programming for children between 2014 and 2019. PBS stations sometimes air educational children's programming on Saturday mornings, and you can check your local PBS schedule online.

Is CBS Saturday Morning appropriate for kids to watch?

CBS Saturday Morning is designed for adult viewers and focuses on news and current events. While it is not inappropriate for children, it is not created with children in mind. If you want children's programming on Saturday mornings, streaming services, cable channels, or PBS Kids are better options.

What happened to the shows that used to air on CBS Saturday mornings?

The shows moved to different platforms. Some went to streaming services owned by their parent companies, others to cable channels, and some were discontinued. You can find many of them by searching on Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, or the cable network that originally produced them.

Do I need a cable subscription to watch children's programming on Saturday mornings?

No. PBS Kids airs free over the air on most PBS stations and online at pbskids.org. Streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ require subscriptions, but many public libraries offer free passes to streaming services. YouTube Kids is also free with ads or through a YouTube Premium subscription.