CBBC (TV channel)
CBBC (short for Children's BBC or Children's British Broadcasting Corporation, and sometimes referred to as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air children's television channel operated by the BBC. Launching on 11 February 2002 as a spin-off from the BBC's children's strand of the same name, CBBC broadcasts for fourteen hours per-day from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. CBBC is primarily aimed at viewers 6 to 16 years old; a sister channel, CBeebies, serves a younger audience. CBBC was named Channel of the Year at the Children's BAFTA awards in November 2008 and 2015. The channel averages 300,000 viewers daily.[1]
| CBBC | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Launched | 11 February 2002 |
| Owned by | BBC |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed) |
| Audience share | 0.34% (June 2019, BARB) |
| Slogan | Just imagine... |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Replaced | CBBC on Choice (Originally children's strand on BBC Choice) |
| Sister channel(s) | BBC One BBC Two BBC Four BBC News BBC Parliament CBeebies |
| Website | CBBC |
Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview | Channel 201 (SD) Channel 204 (HD) |
| Satellite | |
| Freesat | Channel 600 (SD/HD) Channel 607 (SD) |
| Sky | Channel 646 (SD) Channel 613 (HD) |
| Astra 2E (28.2°E) | 10818 V 22000 5/6 (SD) 10847 V 23000 2/3 (HD) |
| TrueVisions (Thailand) | Channel 147 |
| Dish Network (USA) | Channel 9407 |
| Channel 2000 (HD) | |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media (UK) | Channel 701 (HD) |
| Virgin Media (Ireland) | Channel 608 |
| Telenet (Belgium) | Channel 605 |
| Naxoo (Switzerland) | Channel 215 |
| UPC Switzerland | Channel 213 (HD) Channel 215 (SD) |
| TrueVisions (Thailand) | Channel 141 |
| Tata Sky | Channel 187 (HD) Channel 271 (SD) (21:00 – 06:00) Channel 292 (SD) (06:00 – 21:00) |
| StarHub TV (Singapore) | Channel 181 |
| SkyCable (Philippines) | Channel 121 |
| Telenet (Belgium) | Channel 605 |
| IPTV | |
| now TV (Hong Kong) | Channel 178 |
| Unifi (Malaysia) | Channel Channel 28 |
| Eir Vision | Channel 613 |
| Plusnet | Channel 617 |
| Streaming media | |
| BBC iPlayer | Watch live (UK only) |
| FilmOn | Watch live |
| TVCatchup | Watch live (UK only) |
| Virgin TV Anywhere | Watch live (Ireland only) |
| Horizon Go | Watch live (Switzerland only) |
The channel originally shared bandwidth on the digital terrestrial television platform with BBC Choice,[2] and later BBC Three, needing that CBBC sign off at 7:00 p.m. daily. Beginning on 11 April 2016, following the closure of the linear BBC Three television service, CBBC extended its broadcast day by two hours.[3][4] On 22 August 2008, the BBC announced that the channel would be available live on its website from 16 September.[5] CBBC's reach further expanded with the addition of the channel on the Sky line-up in the Republic of Ireland on 12 May 2011.[6] The British Forces Broadcasting Service have provided younger viewers with CBBC and CBeebies since 1 April 2013 when they replaced BFBS Kids.
Management
Along with CBeebies, the CBBC channel is operated by the BBC Children's department within the BBC and is part of the BBC North group. BBC Children's was originally based in the East Tower of BBC Television Centre since the department's inception, but moved to MediaCityUK in Salford in September 2011, and the live presentation links used throughout the day are now recorded and broadcast from there. The channel is answerable to the CBBC Channel controller Damian Kavanagh, in post since 2009, and to the director of BBC Children's Joe Godwin, appointed in 2009 and in charge of the whole direction of the channel and its strand counterpart.
Programming
The remit of CBBC is to provide a wide range of high quality, distinctive content for 6−12-year olds, including comedy, entertainment, drama, animation, news and factual. The great majority of this content should be produced in the UK. CBBC should provide a stimulating, creative and enjoyable environment that is also safe and trusted. The service should have a particular focus on informal learning, with an emphasis on encouraging participation.
— CBBC Remit[7]
The CBBC channel's programming output is very similar to the strand shown on BBC One. The channel often complements this strand with programmes shown earlier than on the terrestrial channels, repeats or whole series shown in a day, alongside other exclusive commissions.
Most viewed programmes
The following is a list of the ten most watched shows on CBBC, based on Live +7 data supplied by BARB.[8]
| Rank | Show | Episode | Date | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidekick | Maxum Man Mark 2 | 1 September 2014 | 993,000 |
| 2 | The Sarah Jane Adventures | Lost in Time (Part 1) | 8 November 2010 | 984,000 |
| 3 | The Sarah Jane Adventures | Death of the Doctor (Part 2) | 26 October 2010 | 960,000 |
| 4 | The Sarah Jane Adventures | Death of the Doctor (Part 1) | 25 October 2010 | 920,000 |
| 5 | Tracy Beaker Returns | Shadows | 13 January 2012 | 874,000 |
| 6-7 | Tracy Beaker Returns | Slow Burn | 6 January 2012 | 856,000 |
| 6-7 | Tracy Beaker Returns | Big Brother | 20 January 2012 | 856,000 |
| 8 | My Sarah Jane | A Tribute to Elisabeth Sladen | 23 April 2011 | 830,000 |
| 9 | Tracy Beaker Returns | Full Circle | 8 January 2010 | 828,000 |
| 10 | The Sarah Jane Adventures | Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith (Part 2) | 16 November 2010 | 824,000 |
Class TV
As part of the channel's original remit, the channel originally needed to show 100 hours a year of factual and schools programmes.[9] The service managed this by introducing the Class TV strand to the channel, which would air educational programming for approximately two hours each day in the late morning, with normal programming resuming in the early afternoon. Much of this programming was old BBC Schools programming shown, in some cases, decades before and which was for the most part still relevant. Very little new schools programmes were commissioned. Class TV ended on 20 March 2008, following a change to the channel's remit. However, 11 years later, on 9 December 2019, The channel brought back Class TV with 'Live Lessons' presented by the CBBC presenting team on late weekday mornings.
Presentation
The CBBC channel has had a relatively similar presentation to that of its strand counterpart. The logo has consistently remained the same until 2016 as the service; green coloured blobs at the beginning of its life and the green and white logo from September 2007 until today. The logo today is all different colours unlike the last one. The channel has mainly utilised presenters from the main service, with a few presenters appearing mostly on the new channel; Gemma Hunt and Anne Foy being notable examples and appearing consistently until August 2007. At the beginning of September 2007, along with the relaunch, the same presenters of the CBBC channel would also feature on the CBBC on BBC One and Two.
When the channel launched, presentation was located in TC2 at BBC Television Centre, where the channel shared studio facilities with the channel's original magazine show Xchange. This changed in Autumn 2004, when the channel moved to TC9 following the normal CBBC links move to TC10; however, this was changed in March 2006 so that all CBBC and CBBC channel links were located in TC9. A further change was to take place on 4 December 2006 when all output moved to a Chroma key set within TC12, and was presented by only one presenter. This short live decision lasted until the 2007 relaunch, which involved a new 'office' set being constructed, initially in TC12 and then in a new studio facility in the East Tower of Television Centre.
In 2011, the CBBC Channel moved to MediaCityUK, and has been presented from there since 5 September. The Office has been through a number of revamps since then, two in 2015, the first one being a minor change because of the Go CBBC app, and another one in May which entirely changed some of the structure, adding a post chute and an Up Next screen, and one so far in 2016, due to the channel's new look, gaining a smaller desk, an extra Up Next screen, and renaming it 'CBBC HQ'.
Other services
CBBC Extra
As from 2013, CBBC Extra is now also accessed by the CBBC website.[10]
CBBC Extra is a free interactive television service from CBBC provided by the BBC Red Button. It is accessible from the CBBC channel by pressing red and then selecting CBBC Extra from the main menu. It can also be accessed from any other BBC channel by pressing red and going to page number 570. The service differs across digital platforms, for example Sky viewers can access a video loop. Its availability on Freeview is dependent upon BBC Red Button not showing other interactive services, such as major sports events coverage.[11] The service offers numerous features including Newsround, Horoscopes, Chris/Dodge's Blog, viewer content and jokes and other interactive elements.
CBBC Online
The CBBC website provides a wide range of activities for viewers aged 6–15, such as games, videos, puzzles, printable pages, pre-moderated message boards and frequently updated news feeds. It contains pages for the majority of its current programming with various content on each. There are also micro-sites from Newsround and MOTD Kickabout, providing children with news and sport, as well as the CBBC iPlayer to replay CBBC programmes for up to thirty days.
CBBC HD
On 16 July 2013, the BBC announced that a high-definition (HD) simulcast of CBBC would be launched by early 2014.[12] The channel launched on 10 December 2013.[13] The channel broadcasts on the BBC's existing HD multiplex on Freeview and shares its stream with BBC Three HD as they air at different times.
Prior to launch, the majority of CBBC's HD output was broadcast on BBC HD before its closure on 26 March 2013. The HD channel was added to the Sky EPG in the Republic of Ireland in 2017.
From 16 July to 5 August 2014, CBBC HD was temporarily removed from Freeview during the 2014 Commonwealth Games to let BBC Three (and BBC Three HD) broadcast 24 hours a day, similar to how BBC Parliament was removed during the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
From 26 March 2018 to 17 April 2018, CBBC HD used downtime mode to let BBC Red Button HD broadcast 21:00-05:30 on Sky and Freeview, After the close, CBBC HD began to use 24 hours again.
CBBC Alba
In September 2018 as part of a branding strategy, the unbranded 2-hour children's block on BBC Alba was split into CBeebies Alba and CBBC Alba, with the former airing during the first hour and the latter airing during the second hour. This block features its own presentation, presenters and shows all dubbed into Scottish Gaelic. Previously, a similar block called Children's BBC Scotland was aired in the Scottish school holidays throughout the 1990s. The block consisted of repeats and local programming as well as regional versions of the summer holiday mid-morning slot and the Children's BBC Breakfast Show.[14]
See also
- CBBC – BBC's children's television strand; forms with the television channel of the same name
- CBeebies – BBC's children television channel; serves under 6-year-old children and is a sister channel of CBBC
- CBBC idents – identities used by the channel.
References
- "Bafta honour for Chuckle Brothers". BBC News.
- "New children's channels from BBC launch". Digital Spy. 11 February 2002. Retrieved 18 July 2007.
- "CBBC gets two extra hours on TV". BBC Newsround. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
- "BBC Trust tells parents unhappy at CBBC's late finish: 'there is an off button'". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- "BBC Four, CBBC and CBeebies to simulcast online". BBC Press Office. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
- "Ireland: Extra BBC channels being added to Sky EPG". The Airwaves. 2 May 2011. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011.
- "CBBC Service License" (PDF). BBC Trust. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
- BARB, via
- "CBBC Service License 2006" (PDF). BBC Trust. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
- "CBBC Extra". BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- "CBBC- CBBC extra". CBBC. 21 May 2007. Archived from the original on 22 February 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
- "BBC to launch five new HD channels". BBC News. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
- "BBC to launch five new subscription-free HD channels on Tuesday 10 December". BBC. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VewFEow48ps
