Fun Kids is a British children's digital radio station in the United Kingdom

Digital radio in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the roll-out of digital radio is proceeding since test transmissions were started by the BBC in 1990. The UK currently has the world's biggest digital radio network, with 103 transmitters, two national DAB ensembles and 48 local and regional DAB ensembles...

 and children's website, currently the Sony and Arqiva Digital Radio Station of the year. It is operated by Children's Radio UK Ltd which is owned by Folder Media. It broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 as well as online.

Background

Fun Kids (formerly Fun Radio) was created by GCap Media

GCap Media

GCap Media was a British commercial radio company formed from the merger of the Capital Radio Group and GWR Group. The merger was completed in May 2005. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. On 31 March 2008 the company agreed a takeover by...

, Hit Entertainment

HIT Entertainment

Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...

 and the children's radio campaigner Susan Stranks

Susan Stranks

Susan Stranks is a British actress, television presenter and producer.-Career:Born in London, Stranks was ten years old when she played the role of the younger Emmeline Foster in the 1949 romantic adventure film The Blue Lagoon....

.
It went on-air in May 2005 with team members Matt Deegan, Gregory Watson, John Hirst and Jenny Nelson from GCap Media, Vici Woolgar and Chris Skala from Hit Entertainment and advisors Susan Stranks and David Kingsley.

Changes to Platforms

Fun Radio was initially launched on DAB digital radio in London and some areas of the South East alongisde being broadcast on digital television. In January 2008, the line ups of a number of local digital multiplexes changed, with Fun Radio being removed as a service from those outside of London. In summer 2009, FunKids launched temporarily on the national Digital One

Digital One

Digital One is a national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva. , the multiplex covers more than 90% of the populationfrom a total of 137 transmitters...

 multiplex from June 27 until October 3, thus everyone in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 was able to listen via DAB.

Fun Kids was removed from Virgin Media

Virgin Media

Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...

 channel 926 on 1 December 2009 and also from Sky Digital

Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)

Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...

 channel 0171 on 16 December 2009.

Sale to Folder Media

In September 2008, Fun Kids's holding company 'Children's Radio UK Ltd' was sold to radio and digital development company Folder Media.

On December 9, 2008 Folder Media renamed Fun Radio as Fun Kids and relaunched its web presence.