CBBC shows suffering from scheduling

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/10/weakest-link-move-harming-childrens-shows

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/framework/bbc_service_licences/childrens.html

Stating nothing which isn't obvious, but the BBC Trust's report into children's programming has highlighted two key areas we've discussed before - moving programmes 20 minutes earlier to accomodate The Weakest Link has hit ratings, while ratings have also fallen "significantly" since Saturday morning shows were moved from BBC2 to BBC1.


Now, in reality the BBC Trust probably have even less weight than OFCOM in regards to scheduling children's programmes, and there's no sign at all the BBC will reverse the decisions - their key reaction has been to increase ratings through more "exciting" content and revamping programmes, even though both Blue Peter and Newsround have been revamped within the last year.

But on the bright side, the idents are the best they've had in a long time. Oh and I could have told them the drop in figures are due to the lack of Bungalow on a Saturday morning.

So there know why the "significantly" drop in rating has happen YET there put it back to how it was?

then the BBC get what it get. there need to revamp the daytime not Cbbc!
but the Flip side is this

Has the rating for stuff that now on BBC1 gone up?

Thing is you have to question is their actually a market for kids programming these days. A few kids i know of (from family & friends) say that watching kids tv is childish. Kids want to be grown ups before they can even walk these days.

The key to getting kids TV right and to get it rating well is to make it teenager and adult friendly too. Before they targetted just 6-12 year olds, anyone could watch kids TV which is why old Saturday morning shows such as L&K, The Saturday Show, Dick and Dom etc have done well in the past 10 or so years. If kids want to watch TV but whoever they are watching TV with don't like it then the chances are that the older people will make them switch over. I think The Weakest Link definitely has to move back to BBC2, or if BBC1 want to keep it then it should be given a new slot. With no Neighbours they could use the 5.30pm-6pm slot to their advantage and give it to BBC Switch, as that brand needs more promotion and a better time slot. If you mentioned BBC Switch to the target audience, the chances are most of them will have no idea.

The thing about the BBC is that they shouldn't have to chase after ratings but they do which is why they wouldn't do what I said above, but they should try and maximise the audiences for the shows they do have.

The damage done to CBBC is semi repairable. If they want to fix it they could but it might take a couple of years (people who should grow out of CBBC kind of half watch it, as well as inheriting new audiences from CBeebies), but I don't think many 12-16 year olds will be willing to turn over from T4 at the weekends, so although they aren't in the target audience, a demographic that once watched CBBC will not go back to it.

I recall the days when quite often Blue Peter competitions were split into three age categories along the lines of...
- Under 7s
- 8,9, and 10s
- 11 to 14
...personally I think overlapping slightly into the 'BBC Switch' audience would be beneficial, as sometimes you need to aim at the upper end of your target audience age at times.

How the rather expensive move to Salford will effect production will be an interesting one to watch. Its a bit of a shotgun approach, move or find another job - and there are precious few around.

You not seen what's being shown at 8am weekdays on BBC 2 lately? (Series is to be repeated from the beginning this coming Monday at 10am on CBBC Channel!)

Have:

Blue Peter 4:45
Newsround 5:10 then
The 5:19 show off the Switch Website.

Could work.

I think there should move the whole lot to BBC 2:

then extend it to 7pm to have switch shows. even fresh prince was half decent.

and then free up bbc1 with weakest link going to 3.15pm after murder she wrote

My idea CBBC schedule would be this...

Move Weakest Link back to BBC 2 and extend CBBC until 6pm, which BBC Switch to follow from 6-7pm on BBC 2 (then continued on BBC 3).

Blue Peter returns to 5pm, with Newsround at 5:25pm. Then the last 25/30 minutes be filled with say a classic serial like The Borrowers/5 Children and It, or failing that why not show repeats of classic Doctor Who. I'm sure there's plenty of kids who'd be interested in seeing 'other' Doctors. And if the BBC are scared because the last attempt at reruns fell flat with Pertwee and Baker, why not start with Davison stories to show that the Doctor has been 'that young' before.
Or even do an 11 faces of Doctor Who season.

There's loads of possibilities of filling this time with more innovative material than a has-been game show. Even something like The Goodies might do well or Top Of The Pops or something.

It's stupid of the BBC to say that their children's programmes are in decline because the age range aren't home in time to see it and then do nothing about it rather than planning to 'revamp' the shows rather the changing the time they go out. Grrr!

I've watched the majority of them, and part of me wishes that I hadn't as I now want Dick & Dom back in Da bungalow. That's the only problem with programmes ending it as Alan Yentob's terrible dream, and the foot stomping and kicking away da bungalow.

As much as Dick & Dom was a great programme, I just don't think that the BBC have given TMi a chance, it's a good programme, but stuck in studio 9 in a 90 minute slot has done it no favours.