Sat Morning Tv For Kids.

[mastercraft]

Today was the first Saturday morning in years that my TV was switched on, due to a Virgin engineer checking my connection. I was surprised not to see any kid's programs on. Last I remember, Sat morning until noon, was taken up with children's programs/films.

It was 10.30ish, and BBC 1 & ITV had cookery and Jeremy Kyle to offer!

When did this change happen?

[UKSWF]

All the children's TV are on their own Digtal channel now, round the 120 channel numbers (here in Lancashire). I think this switchover happened about 6 years ago (at a guess!)

[Stephen_G]

That's because they have their own dedicated channels now, mastercraft. There hasn't been any Kids TV on a Saturday on the Beeb or ITV for years.

[Elina]

Hi MasterCard, I think there are specific channels now solely for children's t.v. when things changed I've no idea.

[Elina]

Snap .. Snap .... & snap! ;0)

[mastercraft]

Crikey! I'm well out of touch.

I know there are dedicated channels, but I thought they were only accessible to paying subscribers. If I was on benefit and could only afford terrestrial TV(BBC licence fee), unless I had a Freeview box, could I access those channels?

[Buenchico]

>>>When did this change happen?

The BBC's CBeebies and CBBC were launched as new digital channels on 11 February 2002. Some content was also carried on the old BBC1 and BBC2 analogue channels, so that families without access to digital TV could still receive some children's programming. However once the digital changeover throughout the UK was completed on 24 October 2012, there was no need for children's programming to occupy space on BBC1 or BBC2, as all homes then had access to the dedicated children's channels.

Similarly CITV was launched as a digital channel in 2006 (five years after the original planned date, due to financial cutbacks), with some duplication of programming with ITV. That duplication also ceased (as it was no longer necessary) when the digital changeover was complete.

[Buenchico]

>>>If I was on benefit and could only afford terrestrial TV(BBC licence fee), unless I had a Freeview box, could I access those channels?

Since the digital changeover, it's impossible to receive any terrestrial TV without either a Freeview box or a TV set with built-in Freeview. So every home in the country that has terrestrial TV gets all of these channels subscription-free:
http://www.freeview.co.uk/whats-on/channels
(Note that the top section there is for HD channels, which require an HD Freeview Box or TV set with a built-in Freeview HD receiver. It's everything BELOW that section which is available to ALL households with terrestrial TV).

[mastercraft]

Thanks all. Buenchico *!

[tonymclark]

Channel Five is the only terrestrial channel to have children's programmes during the week (as well as the weekend). ITV1 does have children's programmes at the weekend, from around 6.30am to 9am.

[mastercraft]

Cheers for that Tony. Worked it out with my son last night... it's been around 25 years since I last watched TV on a Sat morn!