SVT Barn

SVT Barn is Sveriges Television’s dedicated children’s media brand, combining a free-to-air television channel with online video, applications and other digital services. It serves children and young people in Sweden with a mixture of Swedish-produced programming, commissioned productions, acquired series and public-service journalism. The brand is best known for preschool entertainment under the Bolibompa name, children’s news through Lilla Aktuellt, presenter-led formats, animated series, live-action drama, factual programming, educational content and programming for older children and young teenagers. The service began broadcasting as Barnkanalen on 23 December 2002. It was created as a public-service alternative to commercial children’s channels and initially operated for only part of the day, primarily on weekdays. Its early identity emphasized interaction with viewers and material from schools and preschools, while its schedule was divided between preschool programming in the morning and content for older children later in the day. The channel’s limited opening hours gradually expanded as its audience and role within SVT increased. A major programming and organizational change took place on 25 August 2008. SVT moved important children’s programming, including the established Bolibompa evening block, from SVT1 to the children’s channel. The service was visually branded as SVTB during this period and became one of SVT’s principal channels for children’s programming. Bolibompa supplied a recognizable preschool environment with presenters, recurring characters and a broad range of short-form and long-form content. Programming for older children was associated for a time with brands such as Bobster, while Lilla Aktuellt provided a dedicated children’s-news service. The brand has repeatedly extended beyond conventional linear television. SVT developed online video services, interactive formats, games and mobile applications around its children’s programming. Bolibompa became a broader content universe rather than a single television programme, with material aimed at different stages of preschool development. Digital products have included curated video, games, child-oriented interfaces and parental controls. The service is non-commercial and free to audiences in Sweden, reflecting SVT’s public-service mandate rather than a subscription or advertising model. On 18 June 2019, Barnkanalen was renamed SVT Barn. The name change aligned the linear channel with the wider digital service and made the brand less dependent on the idea of a single television channel. SVT describes SVT Barn as a combined world consisting of a channel, an app and a website in which children’s programming from across SVT is gathered. The brand’s positioning centers on safe access, editorial responsibility, Swedish-language content, inclusion, participation, learning and entertainment without commercial advertising. SVT Barn’s portfolio includes programming for preschoolers, primary-school children and pre-teens. Its public-service role is particularly visible in Lilla Aktuellt, which explains current affairs for children and invites questions and participation through SVT’s digital platforms. The service also carries programming in or involving Swedish Sign Language and has commissioned formats designed around accessibility, language development, emotional literacy, science, factual learning and children’s everyday experiences. The brand has faced the same structural changes affecting television generally. Children increasingly use on-demand services, and SVT has consequently emphasized SVT Play and digital discovery alongside the linear schedule. SVT has announced that from 1 January 2027 the linear SVT Barn channel is planned to show programming mainly during two fixed periods, 05:00–11:00 and 19:00–20:00, while the broader children’s offering continues through SVT Play and other digital services. SVT has stated that this is a distribution and product change rather than a reduction in the overall volume of children’s content. SVT Barn remains one of Sweden’s most prominent children’s media brands because it combines the reach and familiarity of public television with a large digital archive and a continuing pipeline of new productions. It competes for children’s attention with commercial television, global streaming platforms and online video, but differentiates itself through free access, Swedish cultural relevance, editorial oversight, public-service journalism and the absence of advertising.

SVT Barn began as Barnkanalen on 23 December 2002, when Sveriges Television launched a dedicated children’s channel within Sweden’s developing digital television environment. The original service was conceived as a public-service alternative to commercial children’s television. Its schedule initially occupied only part of the day, principally on weekdays, and it was divided by age group: preschool programming dominated the morning, while older children’s programming appeared later. The early channel also experimented with viewer interaction, school and preschool contributions, presenter-led continuity and animated hosts. During its first years, Barnkanalen gradually increased its availability and broadcasting hours. Distribution agreements with major cable operators helped place the channel in basic packages, improving household access. The channel remained free-to-air and was not built around advertising or subscription revenue. This accessibility became a central part of its identity and helped SVT establish a broad national children’s service alongside its general-interest channels. The most significant early restructuring occurred on 25 August 2008. SVT reorganized the schedules of its main channels and moved important children’s programming, including the established Bolibompa evening broadcast, from SVT1 to Barnkanalen. The children’s channel received a stronger role within SVT’s programming structure and was temporarily branded SVTB in its visual identity. The change consolidated much of SVT’s children’s output in one place and made the channel a more complete service for preschoolers, school-age children and pre-teens. Bolibompa served as the cornerstone of the preschool offer. Although it had originated as a broader SVT children’s brand, it became closely associated with the channel through presenter-led segments, recurring characters, music, stories and educational material. For older children, the schedule included formats such as Bobster, factual programming, drama, animation and children’s news. Lilla Aktuellt, which dates from 1993 and predates Barnkanalen, provided a durable public-service journalism component by explaining news for children and later adding audience questions, digital interaction and chat-based participation. From the late 2000s onward, SVT expanded the service beyond linear broadcasting. The Barnkanalen website and later SVT Play gathered programmes, clips, games and additional material. The Bolibompa identity developed into a multiplatform preschool environment, including applications and content designed to support play, language development and parental control. Some earlier online games became highly popular but were eventually removed when their Flash technology became obsolete in 2020. SVT continued to maintain digital children’s activities through newer platforms, particularly the Bolibompa app and SVT Play. The service also broadened its demographic reach. SVT extended scheduling for older children, including viewers aged approximately 12 to 15, and continued to commission or acquire programmes spanning drama, comedy, factual learning, science, music, culture and everyday life. Its public-service remit encouraged programming that represented different family situations, abilities, languages and experiences. Sign-language productions and accessibility-focused programmes became a recurring part of the offer, including the drama ORKA and later programmes such as Teckenkul. On 18 June 2019, Barnkanalen was renamed SVT Barn. The rebrand reflected a shift from thinking of the service primarily as a television channel to treating it as a connected brand across linear television, SVT Play, a website and mobile applications. The new name also aligned the children’s service more closely with SVT’s overall brand architecture. The underlying mission remained stable: to provide safe, varied, free and editorially responsible content for children and young people. During the 2020s, SVT Barn increasingly emphasized on-demand viewing, mobile use and audience participation. Lilla Aktuellt expanded its digital interaction, while preschool programming addressed language, emotional development, everyday routines and inclusion. SVT’s annual public-service reporting described a mix of original productions, older programmes and acquisitions from Sweden and other countries. The service continued to reach a large proportion of Swedish children and remained a major national source of Swedish-language children’s content. The brand has also encountered criticism. In 2015, the video Snoppen och snippan prompted strong online reactions over its visual treatment of anatomy. In 2026, a group of AI-assisted animated programmes led to renewed criticism concerning transparency, production quality and whether children should be clearly told when generative tools have been used. SVT defended the projects as limited experiments carried out under editorial responsibility, while acknowledging that the technology required continued learning and scrutiny. SVT has announced a further distribution change for 1 January 2027. The linear channel is planned to operate mainly during morning and early-evening periods, while SVT Play becomes increasingly central to the service. SVT has said that the change is intended to follow children’s media habits and improve the digital experience, not to reduce the total amount of children’s programming. SVT Barn therefore remains an active public-service brand, but its future is increasingly defined as a digital and multiplatform service rather than a traditional all-day television channel.

• 2027

  Planned shift toward scheduled linear windows

  [3]What is SVT Barn?svt.se

  SVT plans to limit the main linear SVT Barn schedule to fixed morning and evening periods while continuing the wider children’s offer through SVT Play.

• 2026

  SVT publicly discusses AI experimentation

  [7]SVT Barn and AI: why are we testing it and where is the boundary?omoss.svt.se

  SVT Barn explains its limited use of AI-assisted production methods in selected animated projects after public criticism.

• 2025

  Teckenkul premieres

  [11]Premiere of Teckenkulsvt.se

  SVT Barn launches Teckenkul, an early-childhood programme featuring Swedish Sign Language and everyday play situations.

• 2021

  ORKA premieres

  [10]Premiere of the ORKA drama seriessvt.se

  SVT premieres a children’s drama developed with deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing children, using sign language and Swedish-language versions.

• 2020

  Legacy Flash games are removed

  [9]SVT’s classic children’s games are discontinuedsvt.se

  SVT removes older Barnkanalen games because Flash is no longer supported by modern browsers and says newer activities will be delivered through updated digital products.

• 2019

  Barnkanalen becomes SVT Barn

  [4]Barnkanalen becomes SVT Barnomoss.svt.se

  The channel and broader digital children’s service adopt the SVT Barn name on 18 June 2019.

• 2015

  Snoppen och snippan becomes a viral controversy

  [1]SVT Barnen.wikipedia.org

  A SVT children’s music video becomes widely viewed and generates public debate over age suitability, imagery and educational purpose.

• 2014

  Programming expands for older children

  [12]Programming expands for older childrenomoss.svt.se

  SVT extends Barnkanalen’s offer to provide more targeted programming for viewers approximately 12 to 15 years old.

• 2011

  Barnkanalen carries Junior Eurovision

  [1]SVT Barnen.wikipedia.org

  Barnkanalen begins airing the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, continuing through 2014.

• 2008

  SVT consolidates children’s programming on Barnkanalen

  [1]SVT Barnen.wikipedia.org

  SVT moves important Bolibompa and Bobster broadcasts from SVT1 to the children’s channel and introduces the SVTB visual identity.

• 2003

  Early expansion of distribution

  [1]SVT Barnen.wikipedia.org

  Barnkanalen’s availability expands through additional satellite and cable distribution, supporting wider household access.

• 2002

  Barnkanalen launches

  [2]SVT Barn on Wikidatawikidata.org

  SVT launches its dedicated children’s television channel on 23 December 2002.

• 1993

  Lilla Aktuellt begins

  [5]Lilla Aktuelltsvt.se

  SVT launches Lilla Aktuellt, which becomes Sweden’s long-running dedicated television news programme for children and later an important part of the SVT Barn ecosystem.

A Swedish public-service children’s media brand offering free, non-commercial and editorially supervised programming for preschoolers, children and pre-teens. Its proposition combines entertainment, learning, participation, Swedish-language and culturally relevant content, children’s news, accessibility and safe digital discovery across television, SVT Play and apps.

• Free-to-air children's television channel · 2002

  SVT Barn linear channel

  The original broadcast component of the brand, carrying preschool, school-age and pre-teen programming. Its schedule has historically included presenter-led blocks, animation, drama, factual programmes, comedy, music and children’s news. SVT plans to reduce its linear hours from 1 January 2027 while retaining fixed morning and evening windows.

• On-demand children's video service

  SVT Barn on SVT Play

  The on-demand component of SVT Barn, offering current and archival children’s programmes, clips and programme collections. It supports viewing outside the linear schedule and is becoming increasingly central as children use digital and mobile services.

• Preschool television and digital content brand

  Bolibompa

  SVT’s best-known preschool brand, built around recurring presenters, characters, songs, stories, short-form segments and age-specific programming. Bolibompa has expanded from a television block into a broader content universe including digital videos, games and applications.

• Early-childhood programming

  Bolibompa Baby

  A preschool and early-childhood strand developed for very young viewers, using simple visual structures, repetition, language-supportive content and, in some productions, signs derived from Swedish Sign Language to reinforce key words.

• Children's news · 1993

  Lilla Aktuellt

  A dedicated children’s news service that explains current events in an age-appropriate manner. It also uses digital questions, comments and chats to create interaction with its audience and help children participate in public discussion.

• Children's mobile application

  Bolibompa app

  A child-oriented digital application containing selected Bolibompa video clips and activities. Parent-facing controls and protected settings are designed to make the service easier to use as a supervised environment for young children.

• Older children's programming block

  Bobster

  A former presenter-led programming identity aimed primarily at older children and pre-teens. Bobster helped distinguish the later-day schedule from the preschool-oriented Bolibompa offer during SVT’s major 2008 channel restructuring.

• Children's drama · 2021

  ORKA

  A drama series developed with children who are deaf, hard of hearing or hearing. The characters use sign language, and the story focuses on emotions, relationships and everyday experiences as children approach adolescence.

• Sign-language early-childhood programme · 2025

  Teckenkul

  A programme for very young children featuring everyday situations such as taking turns, playing hide-and-seek and having a picnic. Its use of Swedish Sign Language supports accessibility and gives sign-language content a place within the youngest viewers’ offer.

• 2026

  Criticism of AI-assisted children’s programmes

  SVT Barn faced criticism after reporting identified multiple programmes using AI-generated animation or music, with critics questioning production quality and the lack of consistent disclosure. SVT said selected projects were limited experiments, defended the editorial process and stated that its AI policy requires transparency where use has a significant effect on journalism or audience trust.

  Source

• 2015

  Snoppen och snippan controversy

  A viral SVT Barn music video featuring abstract representations of genitalia produced a strong reaction among some parents and commentators. The debate concerned imagery, age suitability and whether the video’s educational purpose justified its presentation. The controversy did not end the programme but became a prominent example of disagreement over public-service children’s content.

  Source

Read more

• 2025Language and accessibility programming

  Sweden

  SVT Barn continued developing early-childhood programming that supports language, everyday communication and accessibility, including Teckenkul.

  Outcome. The initiative reinforced SVT Barn’s public-service role for children with different language and communication needs.

  Source
• 2021Inclusive sign-language drama

  Sweden

  Through ORKA, SVT Barn and SVT Teckenspråk developed a drama with deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing children and incorporated sign language into the storytelling.

  Outcome. The project expanded representation and accessibility within Swedish children’s drama.

  Source
• 2019Barnkanalen becomes SVT Barn

  Sweden

  SVT changed the name from Barnkanalen to SVT Barn to connect the linear channel with its website, applications and SVT Play presence.

  Outcome. The service was presented more clearly as a multiplatform children’s brand rather than only a television channel.

  Source
• 2002Interactive public-service children's television

  Sweden

  Barnkanalen launched with a positioning that emphasized viewer interaction, contributions from schools and preschools, and a public-service alternative to commercial children’s channels.

  Outcome. The approach became part of the channel’s identity and was later extended through digital participation and audience questions.

  Source

• 2026

  Shift toward digital-first distributionStrategy

  Background

  SVT states that children are among its most digital audiences and increasingly use on-demand services.

  Action taken

  SVT announced plans to restrict the linear SVT Barn channel to fixed broadcast windows from 1 January 2027 and to focus development on SVT Play.

  Aftermath

  The change is expected to reduce all-day linear broadcasting while maintaining the broader volume of children’s content across SVT’s services.

  Source

• 2026

  Limited experimentation with AI-assisted productionOther

  Background

  New generative production tools created opportunities for lower-cost or faster animation but also raised questions about quality, disclosure and editorial responsibility.

  Action taken

  SVT Barn used AI tools in selected animated projects while defending human editorial control and describing the work as an experiment rather than a wholesale production change.

  Aftermath

  The projects prompted criticism and increased public scrutiny of how SVT identifies and explains AI use in children’s programming.

  Source

• 2020

  Removal of Flash-based children’s gamesOther

  Background

  The end of browser support for Adobe Flash made many older games on the Barnkanalen website unusable.

  Action taken

  SVT removed the legacy games and said it had no immediate plan to recreate the full catalogue in a modern format.

  Aftermath

  The decision ended a notable part of the older web experience while newer play activities continued through the Bolibompa app.

  Source

• 2019

  Rebrand from Barnkanalen to SVT BarnStrategy

  Background

  Children’s consumption was increasingly spread across linear television, on-demand video, websites and apps.

  Action taken

  SVT renamed Barnkanalen as SVT Barn and positioned the service as a connected television and digital brand.

  Aftermath

  The rebrand made SVT Play and digital services more prominent while preserving the established children’s channel.

  Source

• 2008

  Consolidation of children’s programming on BarnkanalenStrategy

  Background

  SVT reorganized its channel schedules and sought to make Barnkanalen a more complete destination for children’s programming.

  Action taken

  Important Bolibompa and Bobster broadcasts were moved from SVT1 to Barnkanalen, and the service received the SVTB visual identity.

  Aftermath

  The channel became more central to SVT’s children’s strategy and hosted a larger share of the broadcaster’s children’s output.

  Source

• 2026

  SVT Barn to limit linear-channel hours from 1 January 2027[3]What is SVT Barn?svt.se

  strategy · Other

  SVT announced that the linear SVT Barn channel is planned to broadcast mainly during fixed periods from 05:00 to 11:00 and 19:00 to 20:00 from 1 January 2027, while the broader children’s service is developed around SVT Play.

• 2026

  SVT explains its approach to AI experiments in children’s programming[7]SVT Barn and AI: why are we testing it and where is the boundary?omoss.svt.se

  Other · Product launch

  SVT Barn’s program-area director Petter Bragée described the use of AI tools in selected animated projects as an experiment intended to understand new production methods while maintaining human-written scripts, child performers in some productions and editorial responsibility.

• 2025

  SVT Barn presents Teckenkul for young children[11]Premiere of Teckenkulsvt.se

  Product launch

  Teckenkul premiered as a programme for very young viewers featuring everyday situations, play and Swedish Sign Language, extending SVT Barn’s accessibility-oriented content.

• 2021

  SVT launches the sign-language children’s drama ORKA[10]Premiere of the ORKA drama seriessvt.se

  Product launch · Campaign

  SVT premiered ORKA, a drama series developed with deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing children. The project used sign language and was designed around children’s experiences of emotions, relationships and everyday life.

• 2020

  SVT removes legacy children’s Flash games[9]SVT’s classic children’s games are discontinuedsvt.se

  Other

  SVT removed a large collection of older children’s games from the Barnkanalen website because the Flash technology used by the games was no longer supported by modern browsers. The broadcaster said newer play experiences would continue through the Bolibompa app.

1. 1SVT Barnen.wikipedia.org
2. 2SVT Barn on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3What is SVT Barn?svt.se
4. 4Barnkanalen becomes SVT Barnomoss.svt.se
5. 5Lilla Aktuelltsvt.se
6. 6Bolibompa and Drakensvt.se
7. 7SVT Barn and AI: why are we testing it and where is the boundary?omoss.svt.se
8. 8Children criticize the AI seriessvt.se
9. 9SVT’s classic children’s games are discontinuedsvt.se
10. 10Premiere of the ORKA drama seriessvt.se
11. 11Premiere of Teckenkulsvt.se
12. 12Programming expands for older childrenomoss.svt.se