ITV given go-ahead to cut kids TV

Now CITV has gone it won't belong until CBBC is cut back too. They've already been booted out of their long estabhlished Saturday morning slot, so within a couple of years they'll be gone from the BBC1 afternoon slot too.

that would mean a act of Government ?

Hopefully CBBC won't go the same way as CiTV so that TMi can return in the Autumn

I could see CBBC moving to BBC Two within the next few years, as outside of weekday afternoons nearly almost all CBBC (and CBeebies) output is on BBC Two, and to be honest it would make sense.

It's a shame it's got to this with CITV, but it's just the way things are going at the moment, ITV cannot afford to produce childrens programmes anymore as they don't rake the money back and within the children's TV market there is immense competition.

It's all well people saying ITV should carry on with it, but this would mean that money is taken from elsehwhere which could be Drama, Sport, Much Needed Comedy or Regional programming.

And out of them I'd rather lose CITV, ITV is good at the rest other broadcasters don't have the finance and the facility to produce PSB programming, mainly Regional.

Trouble is it's the thin end of the wedge. ITV - who despite the advertising turndown still make a multi-million pound profit every year - are looking to use digital switchover as an excuse to drop as much of their public service broadcasting as possible - with childrens and regional at the top of that list.


They may well be putting in the effort with the CITV channel - but without the showcase slot on ITV1, it's wasted effort to be honest.

That does not make it the best way to serve the audience.

Look at the online catalogue of Network DVD and you will see so much from ITV's archives that inspired and shaped previous generations of youngsters. What are today's going to have to look back on, apart from BBC-generated output?

ITV, and Michael Grade especially, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

They did already, because they cut off the weekday slot

Jesus, you miss the point completely. There will always be CBBC, but they will have no direct competition for the provision of quality programmes. Have you considered that this might make CBBC complacent about their own output?

As I've said many times before, children's channels on digital are little more than dumping grounds for acquired series and animations, the latter often being commercials in disguise such as Bratz.

While I can't speak for baby goats, my understanding was that most children are staying off the streets and becoming couch potatoes. Perhaps they shouldn't be, but we ought to give them something decent to watch.

Children's Ward was CITV, but only the earlier series have been repeated on C4 and Carlton Kids.