PBS Kids goes 24/7 in US

PBS Kids’ schedule includes Mattel’s Bob the Builder

PBS Kids is launching as a standalone 24/7 channel in the US and will introduce a family-skewing programming block later this year.

The free channel will debut on 75 local networks today and it will also be available as a live stream on pbskids.org and on the free PBS Kids Video App for mobile and tablet devices.

It is expected to launch on a further 108 local broadcasters by the end of the year, making it available to 90% of US TV households, the pubcaster said.

The network’s line-up consists of programming such as Arthur, Bob the Builder, Caillou, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Nature Cat, Odd Squad, Ready Jet Go!, Splash & Bubbles, Thomas & Friends and Wild Kratts.

PBS said the move means that children and caregivers will be able to access children’s content at a time that suits them, be it primetime, weekends or other out-of-school times.

Later this year, the live stream will introduce an integrated games feature, allowing children to move between a show and an activity, which the pubcaster said is the first offering of its kind.

Stations will provide the new net in addition to the current PBS channel, which will continue to feature a PBS Kids programming block in the day, alongside its dramas, documentaries and investigative journalism.

The schedule of children’s programming on the primary PBS channel will be different from the 24/7 channel.

Meanwhile, beginning April 21, the PBS Kids channel will debut a weekly family block every Friday from 19:00 to 21:00, which will be repeated on Saturday and Sunday evenings, featuring movies or feature-length specials.

“By offering PBS Kids programming 24/7, PBS stations will extend the reach and impact that they already have in their communities, where they provide essential services for families,” said PBS president and CEO Paula A Kerger

“As the only free national 24/7 kids’ TV service in the US, the PBS Kids channel will be a game changer for all families – especially our nation’s most underserved, many of whom do not attend preschool and rely solely on over-the-air television for media content.”