Scotland and Northern Ireland School Holidays

Don't think I've seen this mentioned as yet but I'm sure I'll shortly be pointed to page 376 of some generic thread if I've missed it.

BBC Two Scotland and BBC Two Northern Ireland are taking the CBBC Channel output in the mornings due to school holidays.

They're starting at 7am when CBBC comes on air which means there's an hour to fill before - not sure why the network CBBC on 2 schedule couldn't have been tweaked to accommodate a convenient opt point to fill 6-7

BBC Scotland are showing good old Pages From Ceefax whereas Northern Ireland have decided to take News24, which means that Breakfast is on BBC One NI (with Newsline's regional bits) and on BBC Two NI via News 24 (presumably with BBC London News)

Personally I'd have liked to see either Scotland or Northern Ireland provide a holiday mornings CBBC with a regional flavour - or maybe a week in Scotland and a week in NI in the best Why Don't You tradition?) and have that on the CBBC Channel.

There's not much of a CBBC audience at that time. Can't see what's wrong with Cbeebies at that time though.

Heehee, yes indeed, Steve. The morning I caught a bit of this had a touch of regional flavour. It was a "guess where I am" competition which was quite obviously Edinburgh... though that wasn't the answer... it was specifically Carlton Hill in Edinburgh, which I daresay was a gift to kids watching in the Scottish capital!

Still, nice to see the presenters make lots of references to their Northern Ireland and Scottish viewers!

Oh yeah, I forgot that it was CBeebies on TWO network at that time

Yes, that's right - CBBC Channel is on Beeb 2 in the mornings, they've even got a big "2" in the studio.

Also means that Xchange is on BBC 2 in NI/Scotland which is deffo good news for the profile of the show.

I do wonder why NI is taking News24 when N24 is simulcasting BBC1

Aren't we all.

I am old enough to remember the days when viewers in Northern Ireland were greeted by graphics and an announcer from BBC (1) Scotland, though in the most recent years of this we did get NI continuity on the last couple of programmes.

I always thought it pretty odd - though presumably there was some technical or cost reason for it.

Of course, it was quirky, and better than upto the start of the 1980s when childrens programmes had to wait until the schools in England and Wales got off (and then continued even after we had gone back!).

And much better than Ulster Television which, when asked why they frequently didn't start programmes until 12 midday during school holidays, responded without a hint of irony that it was to facilitate staff taking their kids on holiday! I kid you not ....

Are they explaining the big 2 to CBBC Channel viewers? Though I suppose the only non NI and Scot viewers are ill people and viewers like me that just watch the channel even though i'm out of the demographic!

What are CBBC doing on BBC Two for the summer?
The days of H.O.T. when they used to use 'feeling HOT, HOT, HOT' or whatever it's called as the theme, and played out classic shows plus a summer show like XChange, and had XMen or something on, along with a repeat of the last series of SMart.
Then played games, had a few sketches, and phone ins and guests!

If only it could return like this, but they haven't bothered really with the channel being there. Though back in those days they didn't have CBeebies, as Teletubbies was carried as part of H.O.T.
It's a shame that they can't have CBeebies from 6-8am, and then have CBBC from 8 -12, or even later if BBC Two would let them, not all viewers have the channel!

HOT of course meaning "Holidays on Two". That poor song only came along in the later years.

I've recently seen the brand used on 1 as if it just means summer. We in the know of course are aware that when it's on BBC1 it's "HOOT" (Holidays on one today).

Especially for Gav in Belfast....

"Good morning from BBC1 Scotland, and a special welcome to viewers in Northern Ireland who're joining us every morning for the next three weeks. Why Don't You..? follows in two minutes."

I can only assume BBCNI considered it a waste of money to get local Pres staff in to cover the links. But I always used to think announcements like the one above were weird.

It was also considered a waste of money to use a proper line from Glasgow to Belfast - I think I read somewhere that they used an off-air feed of BBC Scotland!