It was a good time when the "Adult" stations had kids blocks, either on the weekend or throughout the week. Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel were always the big players of course, but you had all kinds of awesome and often obscure stuff going on with CBS, ABC, NBC, WB, Fox... even TBS and TNT had afternoon and Saturday-morning blocks. These days it seems like 24/7 specialty stations perform better for their specific niches--which has its own benefits. The greatest detriment, though, is the absolute lack of variety. I mean, you used to be able to flip the channels and you had SpongeBob, and Dexter, and Clifford, and Kim Possible, absolutely, but then a flip to a "grown-up" channel you don't usually watch and WHOA! there's a show called Bobby's World? Flint the Time Detective? Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog? Godzilla? Where did all this stuff come from?!
That experience just... it isn't there anymore. They don't want the kids to have a variety, really. They just kind of drive the same couple of shows at them on a loop. It's a little depressing.