For kids, it doesn't get much better than the Nickelodeon channel. For nearly 30 years now it has been serving kids of all ages with cartoons, games, comedy programs and more all directed at children. With Nickelodeon, the excitement of Saturday morning cartoons came every day, and kids really took notice. First launched in North America in 1979, today Nickelodeon broadcasts to nearly 300 million homes in 162 territories, including Africa, Asia, the Pacific Rim, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Nickelodeon has sponsored movies based on many of its lovable characters and cartoons, and even award shows. In the evenings it is the home of Nick at Nite, where sitcoms from decades gone by are run. In the Nineties it was where you could fall in love with Wonder Years, even if you missed it the first go round, and is the current home of classic sitcoms like Family Matter, Roseanne, and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. For the younger crowd, the station features daily Nick Jr. programming, aimed at preschoolers. For families with satellite TV, it is certainly a frequently visited channel.

Today, some of the Nickelodeon programs themselves have become modern classics. With the release of programs like 1986's Double Dare, kids began tuning-in in masses. With obstacle courses, trivia, and lots and lots of gooey green slime, no kid would be able to resist! In 1987 the Kids' choice awards were introduced, giving kids a long awaited voice in the world of music, sports, movie and television entertainment. In addition to these popular "firsts" in children's television, Nickelodeon has broadcast some of the most classic cartoons of all-time, including Ren & Stimpy, Doug and the Rugrats, some of its earliest such programs. Even before high definition kids were really taking notice of Nickelodeon programming, and parents were taking notice too.

Some of the Nickelodeon favorites of today are household names, even in homes without small children. For the Junior crowd, there are Dora the Explorer, and Blue's Clues. For kids interested in sports, there is Nickelodeon GAS, or Games and Sports for Kids. This digital network is available via satellite TV and is dedicated to games and sports that kids love to watch and play. The slightly older crowd can get into The-N, programming aimed at getting teens to talk about feelings, tolerance, respect, self-awareness, and acceptance. Some popular programs from yesterday and today that air via The-N include My So-Called Life, Daria, and Moesha. Finally, and truly in its element, are the Nicktoons of Nickelodeon, with oh-so popular titles like SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, The Fairly Odd Parents, and more airing daily.

Don't worry about all the hard work to put out quality kids programming going unrecognized over at Nickelodeon. Various programs, contributors, and the channel itself have been recognized by organizations like American Illustration, the Broadcast Designers Association, the Daytime Emmys, the NAACP, the Parents' Choice Awards, the Peabody Awards, Primetime Emmys, the Reggies, and many more. With a long history of hit programs behind them and a bright future looking ahead, the people at Nickelodeon uphold their mission to bring kids quality and selection when it comes to made-just-for-them children's programming.