Virgin: 3.7m customers to receive cartoon channel

Virgin Media has announced its cable subscribers will now have access to the cartoon channel, Cartoonito.

The popular kids' channel broadcasts shows such as Fireman Sam, the Care Bears and Hi-5.

Part of an agreement with Turner Broadcasting, the new channel's availability will be made available to any of Virgin's 3.7 million cable TV customers if they subscribe to the L or XL television package.

The deal, which introduces new online and mobile content, builds on existing agreements that give access to the likes of CNN and the Cartoon Network.

Cindy Rose, the executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media, heralded the deal as part of the advancement of their three-screen strategy.

Ms Rose added: "With the addition of Cartoonito and a huge range of TV on demand content, families are going to be spoilt for choice on Virgin Media."

Earlier this week, Fraser Macdonald, editor of Stuff magazine, indicated that Sky's launch of 3D programming was going to be one of the major technological developments in 2010.