ABC1 drops kids content

Australian pubcaster ABC is to drop children’s programming from its flagship channel ABC1 and move it to dedicated children’s channels.

The migration, which has been put in motion now that all Australian households now have digital television, will begin on February 2.

All children’s programming currently screening on ABC1 on Sunday mornings and weekday afternoons will move to preschool channel ABC4Kids and older-skewing ABC3.

Then, from July 21, all educational programming currently screening on ABC1 weekday mornings will move to ABC3.

The shift means parents, caregivers and children will no longer have to search across three channels for age-appropriate ABC content, the pubcaster said, while ABC1 will be able to offer a “more comprehensive” daytime schedule for adults.

“The uptake of digital TV has provided a unique opportunity to further strengthen our children’s destinations within the ABC TV portfolio,” said Deirdre Brennan, ABC TV head of children’s television.

Brendan Dahill, head of programming, ABC1 and ABC2, said: “With digital switchover now complete we can take full advantage of the breadth of our channels to offer something for everyone during daytime.”

ABC1’s daytime schedule will soon include an expanded daily edition of The Midday Report alongside News Breakfast, One Plus One and ABC News: Early Edition.

The schedule will also include dramas such as New Tricks and East of Everything, entertainment, such as Eggheads, lifestyle programming, including Gardening Australia, and documentaries, including Human Planet.

ABC’s decision follows that of the BBC in the UK in 2012, which also overhauled its schedules to move its kids content to dedicated children’s channels.

The corporation was subsequently criticised by Teletubbies creator Anne Wood, who said that moving all children’s content from BBC1 and BBC2 to digital free-to-air channels CBBC and CBeebies “ghettoises children’s programmes.”

BBC Children’s director Joe Godwin responded by saying that “far from being a ‘cynical’ move, we’re just following where our audience has already gone.”