Bugs, Porky Et Al. Together At Last

In what may seem a lot like taking money out of one pocket and putting it into another, the Cartoon Network, a cable outlet owned by Time Warner, has made an exclusive deal with Warner Bros., also owned by Time Warner, to become the exclusive outlet for the Looney Tunes animated comedy shorts beginning next fall.

The Looney Tunes library contains nearly 900 shorts featuring such classic characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Sylvester, Tweety, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepe Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Marvin the Martian and The Tasmanian Devil. In a statement, Betty Cohen, president of Cartoon Network, said: "The Looney Tunes are both the most influential and most valuable property in all of animation. They're what people think of first when they hear the word 'cartoon.'"