Margaret Loesch is leaving Hub Network

[Nameless]

Another nail in the coffin for the network...

It's coasted by on one show for pretty much all of its existence, and I've long suspected that once Discovery and Hasbro's five-year "commitment" to the network is up, we can kiss it goodbye.

But they could be replacing Loesch with someone who will seriously upgrade the network, but I don't have my hopes up. Its predecessor, Discovery Kids, was a bit of an unloved stepchild at Discovery in the years before it was shut down, and I doubt that Discovery is much interested in the kids' TV business now.

[LumRanmaYasha]

It'd be a shame for the Hub to die. It put out some solid original programing and had a nice lineup, even if it has rubbed out all the action programing from it in the last year. But I don't think we should count it out just yet. They could bring in a new replacement and make a new direction for the network. I guess we'll just have to see how this all plays out.

[Daikun]

That's really unfortunate. Mrs. Loesch has an eye for talent, and her contributions to this network will be missed.

Although I suppose her departure was to be expected. The Hub was on fire for the first few years, but it feels like it burned itself out. Dan Vs. was cancelled, new Aquabats episodes take way too long to produce, and they can only survive on Hasbro and WB reruns for so long before it grows tiresome. And now it's acting like Nickelodeon since it relies way too much on a single show.

I haven't watched the Hub at all this year, and I really need a reason to get back into it. I hope the new Kid President series (watch starts next week) can lure me back in.

[Daikun]

The Hub is dead.

Discovery is taking back full control of the network (although Hasbro will still be allowed to program a portion of the lineup) and they're renaming it Discovery Family.

[LumRanmaYasha]

No surprise. They really don't have anything going for it anymore.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Shame. They had such potential as a network but never quite made it there.

[Skeeter Valentine]

Poor old Huntsman's dream network is dead.

But seriously, other than MLP and Prime, it's entire lineup was bland and forgettable. Hasbro simply didn't have the resources to compete, plus kids are less and less interested in TV these days.

[Nameless]

They were also a toy company with no broadcasting experience trying to run a TV network. It was bound to end unfavorably.

[Daikun]

Discovery Family takes over on October 13.

Well... That was fast.

[Rynnec]

Yeah, I was expecting the Hub to last for at least another year before the re-branding.

[Daikun]

The Discovery Family logo:

[Skeeter Valentine]

I fully expect them to eventually drop the Hasbro shows and become just another crappy Discovery channel.

Or they'll sell the channel space to someone else.

[Daikun]

The new Transformers series is coming to CN!

[Nameless]

I fully expect them to eventually drop the Hasbro shows and become just another crappy Discovery channel.

Or they'll sell the channel space to someone else.

Discovery will probably buy back all of Hasbro's stake when the five-year pact expires. They seem like the sort of company that is very, very loath to completely divest channel spaces to anyone else (the only exception I can think of is when they dealt the Travel Channel to Cox Communications in order to regain their stake in the company).

[Daikun]

The Hub's final moments captured on YouTube.