Ask John: Why Does the International Channel Air Uncut Anime?

Question:
Recently I’ve been watching El-Hazard the Magnificent World and The Wanderers on the International Channel. Seeing how Cartoon Network and other channels have been censoring their anime fare, it has been a breath of fresh air that the I-Channel doesn’t seem to be doing the same. Why has the I-Channel been able to show this type of material?

Answer:
The difference between anime screenings on the International Channel and on the Cartoon Network has nothing to do with relative television network standards and everything to do with relative consumer markets. The International Channel is tailored toward a multi cultural adult audience interested in foreign cinema, entertainment, culture and news. The Cartoon Network’s majority viewership is young children interested in watching children’s cartoons. The International Channel broadcasts uncut, and sometimes untranslated Japanese animation as an example of imported contemporary Japanese popular entertainment. The Cartoon Network broadcasts anime not as a means to bring Japanese culture to Americans but as a marketing tool to have the greatest number of viewers within a prescribed demographic view television ads targeted at that demographic. The focus of the International Channel is on education, cultural solidarity and diversity- providing foreign television programming to its native viewers in America, and bringing foreign film to discriminating American viewers. The Cartoon Network, though, does not broadcast anime as a means of educating viewers about contemporary Japanese culture. The Cartoon Network broadcasts anime because anime generates positive Nielsen ratings and profits. While the International Channel is tailored toward a select, small market of viewers interested in foreign film, the Cartoon Network’s prioritizes attracting the widest, most mainstream audience possible.

Many people, especially lately, have begun heavily criticizing the Cartoon Network’s policy of editing anime. Most of these critics, however, fail to appreciate that unadulterated adult audience programming is antithesis to the fundmental nature of the Cartoon Network. As a mainstream, national television channel targeting mainly child and family viewers, the Cartoon Network shouldn’t be expected to compromise its family friendly standards in respect to the 2 hours out of every 24 hour day that the Adult Swim program happens to broadcast mature audience titles. In defense of the network, considering its majority viewer age demographic and commercial goals, it’s just unreasonable to expect the Cartoon Network to broadcast uncut, mature audience anime. The Cartoon Network seemingly censors anime as little as it can, but expecting and demanding totally uncut, mature content anime on the Cartoon Network is a symptom of fans misunderstanding what type of channel the Cartoon Network actually is, not a fault of the Network itself.