[WhoOdyssey]

Articles are stating that “Children’s content will also continue to be available in the early mornings on ITV2 from September.”

[DiamondJoe2.0]

Articles are stating that “Children’s content will also continue to be available in the early mornings on ITV2 from September

Anybody remember GMTV2?

[nwtv2003]

Articles are stating that “Children’s content will also continue to be available in the early mornings on ITV2 from September.”

Whilst it’s a shame to lose the branding, I’m more concerned about a linear outlet and at least something will be retained. If anything it’s almost back to the future as this was pretty much GMTV2’s function back in the day.

[UTVLifer]

Does ITVBe still have its LittleBe block of kids programmes every morning?

[eyeTV]

Here is the ITV press release

www.itv.com 

ITV to supercharge kids offering on ITVX | Press Centre
ITV today announces the launch of a new dedicated destination for kids on ITVX -…
  Source: www.itv.com

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From the press release:

"As a consequence of this new streaming approach, and responding to the changing ways children and their parents are increasingly accessing content, the CITV broadcast channel will close in early Autumn, once the new streaming destination for kids has been rolled out across platforms and devices, over the summer holidays. However, ITV will maintain the LittleBe pre-school segment on ITVBe and will offer some children’s content in the early mornings on ITV2 from September with strong cross promotion to ITVX."

[Former Member 406]

Once CITV closes as a linear channel, I wonder what will be shown at weekends during the Channel 3 National Breakfast franchisee hours.

Maybe there'll still be a block of children's programmes in that slot, but put together especially for that ITV1 slot (comprised of content otherwise available via the online-only "ITVX Kids" or whatever it might be called), rather than a simulcast of another linear channel as currently?

[Keith]

I imagine that the ban on junk food advertising reduced the channel's revenue since it launched. Additionally, the rise of streaming services has presumably also seen a decline in audience.

I'm assuming that the limited CITV output at weekends on ITV1 more than fulfils ITV's PSB obligations, given that they'd previously managed to persuade OFCOM to water-down the number of hours of children's programming. Giving a limited airing of children's output on ITV2 early mornings sounds like a token gesture, which is presumably when viewing figures and/or advertising revenue is minimal.

It does however give a stronger argument against the BBC not closing the CBBC channel. I seem to recall there being reports recently on the lack of or limited UK children's programming. Maybe the BBC will opt for a similar approach of putting some CBBC branded programming on BBC Two pre-9am and maybe even early evening (similar to before the channel existed).

[thomalex]

No issue with this at all, and it’s a similar move to what’s happening with CBBC and BBC News Channel as streaming/online content allows linear TV to roll back largely to how things were before the digital channel boom of the late 90s/early 00s.

[Brekkie]

ITV obviously spinning it as twice as much content so be interesting to see how their original commissioning (which isn't huge as it is) changes.

Good it's getting a block on ITV2 instead - the nostalgia in my wouldn't mind an afternoon slot on ITV2 but realise that is fairly pointly, but I think a mid-morning block on ITV2 at the weekends (or replacing LittleBe at the weekends, assuming that continues) would be a fair concession alongside the breakfast slot on ITV1.

[Toby brown]

Does ITVBe still have its LittleBe block of kids programmes every morning?

Yes and that will continue