[mumu03]

CITV always feels like it’s not loved by ITV, look at how it wasn’t included in the recent rebranding (though some have said it may happen in the New Year). Long gone are the days of in vision presenters and even out of vision continuity, now even most trailers say that a programme is “on CITV” with no details of time, etc.

As I understand it, CITV's dedicated presentation department was cut down and then disbanded around 2015-16, with any remaining bare minimum obligations (i.e. the "on CITV" promos) now in the hands of effectively anyone available at ITV - programming commitments were shifted onto existing genre commissioners as well. Since that period at the very least, there hasn't been anyone working at ITV singularly to look after their children's output.

Of course it had all been ran on a shoestring since about 2004 anyway, certainly so after 2006 and the launch of the channel. But even then, there were several rebrands and refreshes from that point up to 2013, as well as award-winning campaigns e.g. the 'Share a Story' competitions and of course the successful 'Old Skool Weekend' one-off. The few original commissions that have continued to be made, while little in comparison to what the BBC still make, are admirable too.

Today however, especially with the Young Audiences Content Fund closed, it is pretty hard to imagine ITV putting much more aside for CITV moving forward. I can easily imagine it being quietly dropped for the apparent 'ITV Kids' brand as a digital-first concern in the short term, though the last time that name was being considered it came to nothing.