BBC Children's and Education

BBC Children's and Education is the BBC division responsible for content and services aimed at children in the United Kingdom. It encompasses the BBC's principal children's brands and commissioning activities, including CBBC for older children and CBeebies for younger children, as well as a broad portfolio of programmes distributed through television, BBC iPlayer, websites, apps and other digital platforms. Although the division is closely associated with the CBBC brand, the two are not identical: CBBC is a principal audience-facing service, while BBC Children's and Education is the organisational structure responsible for children's content across age groups and formats. The BBC's children's output has roots in the 1930s. Its first dedicated television strand, For the Children, began in 1937, initially as a short programme on the BBC Television Service. The strand was interrupted during the Second World War and resumed in 1946, when programming for preschool audiences was also developed under the For the Very Young banner. During the 1950s and 1960s, children's content became a regular part of BBC scheduling and produced enduring series such as The Sooty Show, Blue Peter, Play School, The Clangers and Jackanory. Later decades expanded the range into children's news, drama, entertainment, factual programming and Saturday-morning television, with Newsround, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Grange Hill and Postman Pat among notable examples. A major identity change occurred in September 1985, when the BBC introduced Children's BBC as a branded presentation strand. The service used in-vision presenters, initially including Phillip Schofield, who hosted from a small continuity studio that became popularly known as the Broom Cupboard. During the 1990s, Children's BBC was increasingly shortened in speech to CBBC, and the name became the official on-air identity after the BBC's 1997 branding refresh. The brand also had a temporary programming arrangement with Nickelodeon between 1996 and 1999 and later developed a presence on BBC digital services. The launch of dedicated CBBC and CBeebies channels in 2002 reorganised the BBC's children's offer around distinct age groups. CBBC generally served older children, broadly around ages six to twelve, while CBeebies focused on younger children. The division continued to commission a mixture of original productions, acquisitions, archive programming and educational material. Its catalogue has included Blue Peter, Horrible Histories, The Dumping Ground, The Story of Tracy Beaker, Shaun the Sheep, Hey Duggee, Teletubbies, Clangers, Newsround and other drama, factual, entertainment, preschool and news formats. In 2011, BBC Children's moved its management and much of its in-house production operation from BBC Television Centre to BBC Bridge House at MediaCityUK in Salford. Blue Peter and Newsround subsequently began broadcasting from the new site. In 2012 and 2013, the BBC completed the migration of children's programming away from BBC One and BBC Two and onto the dedicated CBBC and CBeebies channels after the digital switchover. The decision reflected viewing data showing that most child viewers already used the specialist channels. The organisation has also had to respond to declining linear television viewing among children and the growth of on-demand and online media. CBBC extended its broadcast day in 2016 using capacity associated with BBC Three, but its hours were reduced from January 2022 as BBC Three returned to linear broadcasting. In 2017, the BBC announced additional investment in children's digital content. The Children's and Education departments were merged in 2019, creating the present organisational division. The BBC later discussed the eventual closure of the CBBC linear channel as part of a wider move toward digital distribution, although plans and timing remained subject to change. The division's continuing role is therefore broader than a television channel: it is a public-serv…

The BBC's children's television history began before the creation of a dedicated children's channel or continuous brand. For the Children first aired in 1937 as a short strand on the BBC Television Service. The service closed during the Second World War, but the strand returned in 1946 alongside programming for preschool viewers under the For the Very Young banner. In the 1950s, these labels were retired or replaced by other presentation arrangements, while programmes such as The Sooty Show and Blue Peter helped establish children's output as a durable part of BBC broadcasting. The expansion of BBC2 in 1964 created additional space for children's programming. Play School was among the channel's earliest programmes, while The Clangers and Jackanory became notable additions during the same decade. The 1970s brought Newsround, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Grange Hill, demonstrating the breadth of the service through news, live entertainment and socially grounded drama. The 1980s added formats such as Postman Pat and See-Saw and marked a significant change in presentation practice. In September 1985, Children's BBC was introduced as a recognisable branded block rather than simply a collection of programmes announced by ordinary BBC1 continuity. Phillip Schofield became the first presenter, broadcasting from a small studio that acquired the informal name Broom Cupboard. In-vision presentation became one of the brand's distinguishing features and continued through successive generations of presenters. During the 1990s, CBBC became the familiar spoken abbreviation, and the 1997 BBC branding refresh made CBBC the official identity. The brand also appeared in a Nickelodeon programming block from 1996 to 1999. The launch of BBC Choice in 1998 provided another outlet for children's material and preceded the creation of dedicated CBBC and CBeebies channels in 2002. The channels organised the BBC's offer by age: CBBC primarily served older children, while CBeebies served preschool audiences. Their schedules combined new commissions, acquisitions and repeats from the BBC archive. The division's work included drama, factual and educational programmes, children's news, entertainment, animation and live presentation. Operationally, BBC Children's moved to Salford's MediaCityUK in May 2011. Blue Peter began live broadcasts from the new base in September that year, followed by Newsround in November. After the BBC's Delivering Quality First programme and the digital switchover, children's programming was removed from its established BBC One and BBC Two slots between December 2012 and January 2013. The BBC cited audience behaviour showing that most children already watched through the dedicated channels. The service then adapted to the migration of children's viewing from scheduled television to online platforms. CBBC extended its broadcast day in 2016 and introduced a new visual identity, but later reduced its hours when BBC Three returned to linear television. In 2017, the BBC announced extra digital investment, and in 2019 the Children's and Education departments were merged. Subsequent proposals to end CBBC as a linear channel reflected the BBC's broader digital strategy, although the exact future of the service remained subject to later decisions. The division continues to represent the BBC's public-service commitment to content made for children across broadcast and digital media.

• 2019

  Children's and Education departments merge

  [1]BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org

  The BBC created the BBC Children's and Education division.

• 2016

  CBBC identity refresh and schedule extension

  [1]BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org

  CBBC launched a new logo and extended its broadcast day to 9 p.m.

• 2013

  Children's output leaves BBC One and BBC Two

  [1]BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org

  The final regular children's programming slots on the two main BBC channels ended after the digital switchover.

• 2011

  BBC Children's relocates to Salford

  [1]BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org

  Management and in-house production moved to BBC Bridge House at MediaCityUK.

• 2002

  CBBC and CBeebies channels launch

  [1]BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org

  Dedicated digital channels began organising the BBC's children's television offer by age group.

• 1997

  CBBC becomes the official brand identity

  [1]BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org

  The BBC's network branding refresh replaced the formal Children's BBC identity with CBBC.

• 1985

  Children's BBC launches as a branded strand

  [1]BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org

  The BBC introduced dedicated branding, graphics and in-vision presenters, beginning with Phillip Schofield.

• 1964

  BBC2 expands children's programming

  [1]BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org

  Play School became one of BBC2's first programmes and the channel provided additional room for children's output.

• 1946

  Children's television resumes after the war

  [1]BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org

  For the Children returned, with preschool programmes also developed under For the Very Young.

• 1937

  First dedicated BBC children's television strand

  [1]BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org

  For the Children began broadcasting on the BBC Television Service as a short children-specific programme.

A UK public-service children's media operation combining trusted educational, informative and entertaining content with age-specific brands for preschool children and older children.

• Children's television and digital service · 2002

  CBBC

  The BBC's principal service for older children, broadly centred on viewers aged around six to twelve. CBBC commissions and schedules drama, entertainment, factual programmes, animation, comedy, news and live presentation. Its identity developed from Children's BBC, the branded strand introduced in 1985, and it became a dedicated digital channel in 2002.

• Preschool television and digital service · 2002

  CBeebies

  The BBC's service for younger children, particularly preschool audiences. It provides age-appropriate entertainment, learning and factual programming through television and digital platforms and forms the younger-audience counterpart to CBBC.

• Children's magazine programme · 1958

  Blue Peter

  A long-running BBC children's magazine programme combining features, interviews, challenges, demonstrations and viewer participation. It is one of the most recognisable and enduring programmes associated with BBC children's output.

• Children's news programme · 1972

  Newsround

  A news service designed to explain current affairs and other significant events for children. Newsround is a distinctive part of the BBC's public-service children's offer and has been distributed through television and online formats.

• Digital video service

  BBC iPlayer children's content

  On-demand distribution of BBC children's programmes through BBC iPlayer and associated digital services. The digital offer allows viewers to access commissioned and acquired content outside traditional linear schedules and has become increasingly important as children's viewing habits have shifted online.

• 2021

  Reduce CBBC linear hoursStrategy

  Background

  The BBC needed to accommodate the return of BBC Three as a linear television service and was also responding to the growth of on-demand viewing.

  Action taken

  It announced that CBBC would close at 7 p.m. from January 2022 rather than continue the 9 p.m. schedule introduced in 2016.

  Aftermath

  CBBC returned to shorter linear hours, while digital distribution and on-demand access became more central to the service.

  Source

• 2019

  Merge Children's and Education departmentsStrategy

  Background

  The BBC reorganised its children's activities in the context of changing media consumption and the importance of education across its services.

  Action taken

  The Children's and Education departments were combined into BBC Children's and Education.

  Aftermath

  The merged division became the organisational home for children's content and related educational activity.

  Source

• 2017

  Increase digital children's investmentStrategy

  Background

  Research showed substantial declines in children's linear television viewing between 2010 and 2017.

  Action taken

  The BBC announced an additional £34 million for children's digital content over three years.

  Aftermath

  The investment formed part of the BBC's response to the migration of children's media use toward online services.

  Additional investment in children's digital content. £34 million (Three years announced in 2017)

  Source

• 2016

  Extend CBBC's broadcast dayStrategy

  Background

  BBC Three's move away from linear broadcasting made additional broadcast capacity available for CBBC.

  Action taken

  CBBC extended its schedule from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and introduced a new visual identity intended to work across broadcast and digital platforms.

  Aftermath

  The extended hours were later reversed when BBC Three returned to linear television, with CBBC closing at 7 p.m. from January 2022.

  Source

• 2012

  Concentrate children's programming on specialist channelsStrategy

  Background

  Audience research and the digital switchover indicated that most children already watched CBBC and CBeebies rather than children's slots on BBC One and BBC Two.

  Action taken

  The BBC approved the permanent migration of children's programming from BBC One and BBC Two to the dedicated children's channels.

  Aftermath

  Children's programming on BBC One ended in December 2012, followed by the end of the CBeebies morning strand on BBC Two in January 2013.

  Source

• 2020-10-21

  BBC and Getty Images launch Kids Collection[2]BBC与Getty Images推出Kids Collectionvoice-online.co.uk

  Reported: 2020-10-21

  The BBC and Getty Images launched the BBC Kids Collection, a library intended to showcase children and families underrepresented in UK media. BBC Children’s sponsored a £10,000 seed fund for photographers contributing to the collection.

1. 1BBC Children's and Educationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2BBC与Getty Images推出Kids Collectionvoice-online.co.uk