History of Comedy Central in Timeline
Comedy Central is an American cable channel owned by Paramount Global. Based in Manhattan, it primarily broadcasts comedy programming. Its content includes original series, licensed shows, syndicated programs, stand-up specials, and feature films, all centered around the comedy genre.
April 1, 1990: Viacom Launches Ha!
On April 1, 1990, Viacom launched a comedy channel called Ha!, featuring reruns of sitcoms and original sketch comedy. Viacom also owned MTV, VH1, and Nickelodeon at the time.
April 1, 1991: Relaunch as CTV: The Comedy Network
On April 1, 1991, The Comedy Channel and Ha! merged and relaunched as CTV: The Comedy Network after two years of limited distribution.
June 1, 1991: Name Change to Comedy Central
On June 1, 1991, CTV: The Comedy Network changed its name to Comedy Central to avoid issues with the Canadian broadcast television network CTV.
October 30, 2000: New Globe Logo Introduced
On October 30, 2000, Comedy Central introduced a modernized version of its globe logo, by straightening and modernizing the buildings as well as removing the transmitter and marquee.
2000: Planned rebranding with "bars" logo
In 2000, Comedy Central had intended to implement a rebranding with a "bars" version of the logo, but it was short-lived and eventually replaced with the "Comedymark".
2002: Comedy Central Records Formed
In 2002, Comedy Central Records was formed as a means of releasing albums by comedians that have appeared on the network.
July 4, 2003: Premiere of Secret Stash
On July 4, 2003, Comedy Central premiered the Secret Stash block, showcasing unedited movies, comedy specials, and animated programs late on Friday and Saturday nights (early Saturday and Sunday mornings). The debut featured the unedited cable television premiere of South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
2003: Paramount Comedy 2 Launched
In 2003, Paramount Comedy 2, a British and Irish comedy channel, launched as a sibling channel to Comedy Central.
April 5, 2006: "Cartoon Wars" Controversy
On April 5, 2006, South Park aired "Cartoon Wars Part I" and "Cartoon Wars Part II", addressing the controversy surrounding the Danish cartoon drawings depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad. The episode also mocked Family Guy, but the image of Muhammad did not appear.
April 13, 2006: Comedy Central Restricts Muhammad Image
On April 13, 2006, Comedy Central issued a statement confirming that they prohibited the creators of South Park from airing an image of Muhammad in the "Cartoon Wars" episode due to recent world events. This marked a change in policy, as the network had previously allowed such depictions in an earlier episode.
January 15, 2007: Comedy Central Launches in Germany
On January 15, 2007, MTV Networks International launched Comedy Central in Germany, providing free access throughout Europe. The channel broadcasts 33 shows, dubbed or subtitled in German, along with locally produced content.
May 1, 2007: Expansion to Italy
On May 1, 2007, Comedy Central expanded its reach to Italy, taking over the slot previously held by Paramount Comedy.
June 27, 2007: CTVglobemedia Acquires Canadian Rights
On June 27, 2007, CTVglobemedia-owned networks CTV and The Comedy Network secured exclusive Canadian rights to Comedy Central's library of past and current programs across all electronic platforms through a multi-year agreement with Viacom. This expanded existing programming agreements between the two channels.
November 5, 2007: VideoSift Protests Blocking of Comedy Central Content
On November 5, 2007, VideoSift protested Comedy Central's blocking of embedded video content for non-American viewers.
2007: PTMC criticizes Comedy Central
In 2007, Comedy Central faced criticism from the Parents Television and Media Council (PTMC) for mature content, bigotry, and blasphemy, particularly regarding its support of the Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007.
January 9, 2008: Online Streaming Announced
On January 9, 2008, Comedy Central and MTV announced that they would begin streaming their programs online for free starting in February.
March 2008: Lewis Black's Root of All Evil Debuts
In March 2008, Lewis Black's Root of All Evil, a show hosted by Lewis Black, debuted on Comedy Central.
March 27, 2008: Approval to Air in Sweden
On March 27, 2008, the Swedish Radio and TV Authority approved Comedy Central's application to air television programs in Sweden, granting permission to broadcast on the terrestrial network between January 1, 2009, and March 31, 2014.
June 2008: Important Things with Demetri Martin Picked Up
In June 2008, Comedy Central picked up the sketch comedy show Important Things with Demetri Martin, which began airing in February 2009.
July 2008: The Gong Show Remake Debuts
In July 2008, Comedy Central's U.S. flagship network picked up a remake of The Gong Show hosted by Dave Attell, star of Insomniac. Another new show called Reality Bites Back premiered after The Gong Show with Dave Attell.
April 1, 2009: Comedy Central Launches in New Zealand
On April 1, 2009, Comedy Central began airing in New Zealand as channel 010 on SKY Digital.
April 7, 2009: New Stand-Up Specials Announced
On April 7, 2009, Comedy Central announced that it would air new stand-up comedy specials starring Christopher Titus, Gabriel Iglesias, Pablo Francisco, Jim Breuer, Mitch Fatel, Pete Correale, and Jeff Dunham.
2009: Paramount Comedy 2 rebranded as Comedy Central Extra
In 2009, Paramount Comedy 2 rebranded as Comedy Central Extra in the UK and Ireland.
April 2010: South Park Episodes "200" and "201" Controversy
In April 2010, South Park episodes "200" and "201" aired, causing controversy due to the depiction of Muhammad. Comedy Central censored the episodes, leading to creator discontent and a threat to quit the show.
April 21, 2010: Comedy Central censored South Park episode "201"
On April 21, 2010, Comedy Central censored the South Park episode "201" after a death threat over the depiction of Muhammad, leading to condemnation and the episode never being aired as a rerun.
December 9, 2010: Comedy Central introduces a new logo
On December 9, 2010, Comedy Central introduced a new logo, replacing the previous "tower" theme with two "C"s, one inverted, intended to represent the network's comedy brand and be versatile across platforms.
2010: Tosh.0 Becomes Most Viewed
During its second year in the summer of 2010, Tosh.0 became the most viewed show on Comedy Central, overtaking The Daily Show and The Colbert Report for male audiences aged 18–49.
2010: Comedy Central Extra launched as a programing block on VH1 Poland
In 2010, the Polish version of Comedy Central Extra first launched as a programming block on VH1 Poland.
January 1, 2011: New Logo Launched
On January 1, 2011, Comedy Central launched its new logo, featuring two stylized "C"s, one inverted, aiming for brand representation and cross-platform usability.
February 20, 2011: Polish Comedy Central switches to new logo
On February 20, 2011, the Polish Comedy Central became the first international version to adopt the new logo.
April 1, 2011: Hungarian Comedy Central switches to new logo
On April 1, 2011, the Hungarian Comedy Central adopted the new logo.
October 1, 2011: German and Netherlands Comedy Central switches to new logo
On October 1, 2011, the German and Netherlands Comedy Central adopted the new logo.
2011: Comedy Central Extra launched in Netherlands
In 2011, Comedy Central Extra was launched in the Netherlands.
January 23, 2012: Comedy Central launched in India
On January 23, 2012, Viacom 18 launched Comedy Central in India.
April 1, 2012: Comedy Central launches Russian version as Paramount Comedy
On April 1, 2012, Comedy Central launched a Russian-language version branded as Paramount Comedy in Russia.
April 2012: Comedy Central New Zealand Rebrands
In April 2012, Comedy Central New Zealand underwent a rebranding.
June 2012: Comedy Central Extra becomes a full TV channel in Poland
On June 12, 2012, Comedy Central Extra became a full TV channel in Poland.
November 1, 2012: Comedy Central Asia Launched in Singapore
On November 1, 2012, StarHub launched Comedy Central Asia in Singapore.
2012: Atom.com absorbed into Comedy Central
In 2012, Atom.com (formerly AtomFilms) was absorbed into Comedy Central.
October 21, 2013: @midnight premiered on Comedy Central
On October 21, 2013, @midnight, a nightly comedy-game show hosted by Chris Hardwick, premiered on Comedy Central, expanding the network's late-night programming.
May 14, 2014: Comedy Central Expanded to Spain
On May 14, 2014, Comedy Central expanded its reach to Spain, replacing Paramount Comedy.
December 18, 2014: The Colbert Report final episode aired
On December 18, 2014, the final episode of The Colbert Report aired on Comedy Central, marking the end of its nine-year run. The finale had 2.481 million viewers.
January 19, 2015: The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore Premiered
On January 19, 2015, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, replacing The Colbert Report, premiered on Comedy Central.
February 10, 2015: Jon Stewart Announced Retirement
On February 10, 2015, Jon Stewart announced his retirement from The Daily Show after 16 years.
August 6, 2015: Jon Stewart's Final Episode of The Daily Show
On August 6, 2015, Jon Stewart's final episode of The Daily Show aired.
September 28, 2015: Trevor Noah succeeded Jon Stewart as the new host of The Daily Show
On September 28, 2015, Trevor Noah succeeded Jon Stewart as the new host of The Daily Show.
August 18, 2016: The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore Canceled
On August 18, 2016, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore was canceled due to low ratings.
January 5, 2017: Finnish Government Grants Programming Licenses
On January 5, 2017, the Finnish Government granted television programming licenses, allowing Comedy Central to broadcast from May 17, 2017, to January 10, 2027.
May 17, 2017: Comedy Central began broadcasting in Finland
On May 17, 2017, Comedy Central began broadcasting in Finland, following the grant of television programming licenses from the Finnish Government.
August 4, 2017: @midnight canceled due to low ratings
On August 4, 2017, Comedy Central canceled @midnight due to low ratings, with its 600th and final episode airing as an hour-long special.
November 16, 2017: Comedy Central launched in Ukraine as Paramount Comedy
On November 16, 2017, Comedy Central launched a Ukrainian-language version branded as Paramount Comedy in Ukraine.
July 2018: Comedy Central Refreshed its Branding
In July 2018, Comedy Central refreshed its branding with a new in-house typeface and changed the corporate color to amber.
February 11, 2019: Crank Yankers revival announced on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
On February 11, 2019, Jimmy Kimmel announced on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that Crank Yankers would be revived on Comedy Central for a fifth season.
May 1, 2019: Comedy Central networks launched on Pluto TV
On May 1, 2019, Pluto TV, owned by Viacom, launched two Comedy Central networks: Comedy Central Pluto and Comedy Central Stand Up.
December 4, 2019: Viacom re-merged with CBS Corporation
On December 4, 2019, Viacom re-merged with CBS Corporation to form ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global).
December 15, 2020: Comedy Central Stand Up channel removed, Comedy Central Animation channel added on Pluto TV
On December 15, 2020, the Comedy Central Stand Up channel was removed from Pluto TV, and a new Comedy Central Animation channel was added.
2020: Comedy Central Shifts Programming Towards Adult Animation
In 2020, Comedy Central began shifting its programming towards adult animation, picking up series like Beavis and Butt-Head and The Ren & Stimpy Show reboot.
December 2022: Comedy Central Extra Ceased Broadcasting in Netherlands
In December 2022, Comedy Central Extra ceased broadcasting in the Netherlands; with its programming moved to the Netherlands version of Comedy Central.
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