CBBC Channel
Encyclopedia
CBBC is a BBC television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
channel aimed at 6 to 12 year olds. It complements the CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
programming that continues to air on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. Launched on 11 February 2002, it broadcasts from 7am to 7pm on Freeview, cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
, IPTV
IPTV
Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
and digital satellite
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
, occupying the same bandwidth as, but a different channel position from BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
. CBeebies
CBeebies
CBeebies is the brand used by the BBC for programming aimed at children 6 years and under. It is used as a themed strand in the UK on terrestrial television, as a separate free-to-air domestic British channel and used for international varients supported by advertising, subscription or both...
is its sister service for younger children.
The channel was named Channel of the Year at the Children's BAFTA awards in November 2008.
History
The CBBCCBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
strand was originally launched on 9th September 1985 on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, however was launched as a separate channel running alongside the strand in 2002. It launched on all major platforms, however had to share bandwidth with another channel on the DTT
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...
platform: this was initially BBC Knowledge
BBC Knowledge
BBC Knowledge was an early BBC digital television channel, available by cable, satellite, or terrestrial digital broadcasting, providing a programme of documentary, cultural and educational television.-Launch:...
on the ITV Digital
ITV Digital
ITV Digital was a British digital terrestrial television broadcaster, which launched a pay-TV service on the world's first digital terrestrial television network as ONdigital in 1998 and briefly re-branded as ITV Digital in July 2001, before the service ceased in May 2002. Its main shareholders...
platform, however following their collapse, the channel shared bandwidth with BBC Choice
BBC Choice
BBC Choice was a BBC TV station which launched on 23 September 1998 and closed on 9 February 2003. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format, and was the first new channel from the BBC since BBC Two launched in 1964...
on the replacement system Freeview. In both cases, the channels could be accessed by separate numbers.
From launch, the channel was notably separate from the strand it was created from. While on screen both used the smae logos and many of the same presenters, the studios were different: the new channel using TC2 while the strand used the purpose built TC9. TC2 however was shared by the channel so other programmes, such as short Newsround
Newsround
Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
bulletins, as well as the magazine show Xchange
Xchange (TV series)
Xchange was a factual entertainment BBC television programme for children. It was broadcast initially on BBC Two and later the CBBC Channel. The programme was transmitted live from studio TC2 at BBC Television Centre...
also came from the studio.
Throughout the channels life, the channel became less and less distinctive from it's strand counterpart and resources were reduced: the continuity presenters were reduced in number from two to one, with Simon Grant
Simon Grant
Simon Grant in Falmouth, Cornwall is a British television presenter and actor.-Biography:Before becoming a CBBC presenter, he studied acting at Middlesex University....
, Matt Edmondson
Matt Edmondson
Matt Edmondson is an English television and Sony Award-nominated radio presenter, specialising in music, entertainment and celebrity news.-Television career:...
and Angelica Bell leaving as CBBC studio presenters without being replaced, and the studios were replaced with a Colour separation overlay (CSO) set in studio TC12. In 2007, the BBC confirmed plans for a major rebrand of CBBC, with new channel idents and presentation launching on 3 September 2007.
Towards the latter part of its life, the channel has increased its accessibility to its audience: the new look links the service to the website heavily, and the rebrand of the website in 2011 has increased this access. On 22 August 2008, the BBC Press Office announced that the channel would be available live on the CBBC website from 16th September, with the possibility that the channels hours may extend to 9.00pm being announced as part of the BBC's review in strategy on 2 March 2010. CBBC's reach further expanded with the addition of the channel on the Sky EPG in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
on 12 May 2011. On the same day BBC Three, BBC Four and CBeebies were also added to the Irish EPG.
Management
Along with CBBCCBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
, the CBBC channel is operated by the BBC Children's department within the BBC and is part of the BBC North
BBC North
BBC North is a brand used by the BBC to mean any of the following.*The large BBC North region, centred on Manchester, that was active from the late 1920s until 1968....
group. BBC Children's was originally based in the East Tower of BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
since the departments 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 it's strand counterpart.
Programming
The CBBC channel's programming output is very similar to the strand shown on BBC One and Two. 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 commisions.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. 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 SchoolsBBC Schools
BBC Schools, also known as BBC for Schools and Colleges, is the educational programming strand set up by the BBC in 1957, broadcasting a range of educational programmes for children aged 5–16. From launch until June 1983, programming was based on BBC One during the daytime, before programming was...
programming shown, in some cases, decades before and which was for the most part still relevant. Very little new schools programmes were commisioned.
Presentation
The CBBC channel has had relatively similar presentation to that of its strand counterpart. The logo has consistently remained the same as the service; green coloured blobs at the beginning of it's life and the current green and white logo since September 2007. The channel has mainly utilised presenters from the main service, with a few presenters appearing mostly on the new channel; Gemma HuntGemma Hunt
Gemma Hunt is a CBBC presenter who also used to be on the TV series Xchange.-CBBC:Gemma joined the CBBC continuity team in 2002, since then she has presented on the CBBC Channel and also on BBC One and BBC Two. In 2004 she was noticed by CBBC series Xchange and later became a presenter until its...
and Anne Foy
Anne Foy
Anne Foy is a children's television presenter for the BBC. Until March 2008, she worked for the CBBC Channel and on CBBC. She can currently be heard as the voiceover on the music channel 4Music and is also working for Current TV.-Recent work:Anne has been presenting CBBC weekdays on BBC One or on...
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
BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
, where the channel shared studio facilities with the channel's original magazine show Xchange
Xchange (TV series)
Xchange was a factual entertainment BBC television programme for children. It was broadcast initially on BBC Two and later the CBBC Channel. The programme was transmitted live from studio TC2 at BBC Television Centre...
. 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
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
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.
The channel has now moved to MediaCityUK and is presented from there.
CBBC Extra
CBBC Extra is a free interactive television service from CBBCCBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
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.
The service offers numerous features including a CBBC Quiz, Horoscopes, Agony Uncle Chris, viewer content and jokes and other interactive elements.
CBBC Online
The CBBC website provides a wide range of activities for viewers aged 6–14, 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 NewsroundNewsround
Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
and Sportsround
Sportsround
Sportsround was a weekly spin-off from CBBC children's news programme Newsround. The sports magazine show was broadcast Friday evenings at 6:30pm on CBBC Channel and on Saturday mornings on BBC Two at 7.25am....
, providing children with news and sport, as well as the CBBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer, commonly shortened to iPlayer, is an internet television and radio service, developed by the BBC to extend its former RealPlayer-based and other streamed video clip content to include whole TV shows....
to replay CBBC programmes for up to seven days.
See Also
- CBBCCBBCCBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
- CBeebiesCBeebiesCBeebies is the brand used by the BBC for programming aimed at children 6 years and under. It is used as a themed strand in the UK on terrestrial television, as a separate free-to-air domestic British channel and used for international varients supported by advertising, subscription or both...
- BBC Children's identsBBC Children's identsThroughout the years, Children's BBC, and later CBBC and CBeebies, have used a number of different identities. The branding of the stranded service is distinctive both in the past and at present.-Pre Children's BBC:...
- History of BBC television idents
- History of BBC