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Cartoon Network MENA: A Brief History

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3. The Free-to-Air vs. Pay-TV Split

Millions of lower-income families lost access in 2016. The FTA version now shows mostly Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo — safe, old, cheap content. This has created a two-tier childhood: rich kids watch We Bare Bears in HD; poor kids watch the same 2007 Ben 10 reruns on a loop. Cartoon Network MENA: A Brief History Stay up-to-date

However, the most ironic censorship relates to Israel. Since the MENA feed is distributed across 22 countries, including those technically at war with Israel, any episode mentioning Israel (even in a geography lesson) is cut. This created a strange vacuum in shows like Steven Universe, where complex geopolitics were allegorized, but the Arabic translators often took massive creative leaps to avoid the "I" word. Daytime (6 AM – 6 PM): Shows targeting

Case Study 1: Adventure Time

The US version of Adventure Time is surreal, philosophical, and occasionally dark. The Arabic dub made sweeping changes:

The Fares and Fares Show (2014–2018)

A live-action puppet show hosted by two comedic puppets, Fares (a boy) and Fares (a talking camel). They answered viewer letters, did sketch comedy, and promoted pro-social messages like “brushing your teeth” and “helping your mother.” It was wildly popular because it used colloquial Gulf Arabic (not Fusha) for the first time, making it feel like home.

• Daytime (6 AM – 6 PM): Shows targeting younger children (6–11), with heavy rotation of Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and The Powerpuff Girls.
• Primetime (6 PM – 9 PM): Action-comedies like Ben 10: Omniverse and Generator Rex.
• Late night (9 PM – 6 AM): Re-runs of classics (Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo).