Throwback cartoon network Teletoon Retro to shut down at the end of the month

TORONTO – Teletoon Retro is old news.

Corus Entertainment says it’s shutting down the throwback cartoon channel at the end of the month.

The network features classic blasts-from-the-past including “Care Bears” and “The Flintstones.”

Corus didn’t provide details but says some of Retro’s nostalgic programming will move to the main Teletoon channel.

The end of Teletoon Retro comes as broadcasters prepare for the impact of an upcoming “pick-and-pay” system due by the end of next year.

Several observers have predicted it will result in job losses and less programming for kids, identifying youth-focused channels as least likely to survive an a la carte system.

The change will force cable and satellite service providers to let consumers buy niche channels individually, or in smaller bundles.

It’s part of a ruling by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission that also ordered providers to offer a basic TV package that cost no more than $25 a month.

Corus (TSX:CJR.B) owns a suite of specialty channels that especially target kids, families and women. They include YTV, Treehouse, ABC Spark, W Network and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.