CBBC facts for kids
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Logo used since 2023
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| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United Kingdom and other services worldwide |
| Network | BBC One (until 2012) BBC Two (until 2013 and then later revived in 2017 and 2022) BBC Alba (in Scottish Gaelic only) |
| Headquarters | MediaCityUK, Salford, England |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 1080i/1080p HDTV (downscaled to 576i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | BBC |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | 9 September 1985 (block, as Children's BBC) 11 February 2002 (stand-alone channel) |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview | Channel 201 (SD) Channel 204 (HD) |
| Streaming media | |
| BBC iPlayer | Watch live (UK only) |
| Virgin TV Anywhere | Watch live (Ireland only) |
| UPC TV | Watch live (Switzerland only) |
CBBC is a free TV channel in the UK made just for kids! It's owned by the BBC, which is a big public TV company. CBBC shows programs for young people aged 6 to 15. Its sister channel, CBeebies, is for even younger children (under 6).
You can watch CBBC every day from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. When CBBC finishes, another channel called BBC Three takes over the same TV spot.
Contents
About CBBC
The name CBBC stands for Children's BBC. It was first used in 1997 for kids' shows on BBC One and BBC Two. Then, on 11 February 2002, CBBC launched as its own TV channel, along with CBeebies.
Before becoming a full channel, CBBC also had special blocks of shows on other channels. For example, there was "CBBC on Nickelodeon" and "CBBC on Choice."
CBBC has won the "Channel of the Year" award at the Children's BAFTA awards three times: in 2008, 2012, and 2015. Around 300,000 people watch the channel every day!
CBBC used to broadcast until 9:00 PM from 2016 to 2022. This was because BBC Three wasn't a regular TV channel then. But since January 2022, CBBC goes off air at 7:00 PM again, sharing its time with BBC Three.
In March 2023, CBBC updated its look and logo to match the BBC's newer style.
Future of the Channel
In 2022, the BBC thought about closing CBBC as a regular TV channel by 2025. The idea was to make it an online-only service on BBC iPlayer. However, these plans to close the channel were later cancelled. So, CBBC will continue to be a TV channel!
Who Runs CBBC?
CBBC and CBeebies are managed by the BBC Children's and Education department. This team used to be in London. But in September 2011, they moved to MediaCityUK in Salford, England. Now, all the live parts of CBBC shows are made and broadcast from there.
What Can You Watch?
CBBC's goal is to offer lots of great shows for 6 to 12-year-olds. This includes dramas, fun entertainment, comedies, cartoons, news, and factual programs. Most of these shows are made in the UK. CBBC wants to be a fun, creative, and safe place for kids to watch TV. It also tries to help kids learn in an informal way.
CBBC often shows programs earlier than other BBC channels. It also airs repeats or even whole series in one day.
Most Popular Shows
Here are some of the most-watched shows on CBBC:
| Rank | Series | Episode | Date | Viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Sarah Jane Adventures | "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (Part 2)" | 3 October 2009 | 1,090,000 |
| 2 | "Lost in Time (Part 1)" | 8 November 2010 | 1,000,000 | |
| 3 | "Death of the Doctor (Part 2)" | 26 October 2010 | 960,000 | |
| 4 | "Death of the Doctor (Part 1)" | 25 October 2010 | 920,000 | |
| 5 | My Mum Tracy Beaker | "The Person I Most Admire" | 12 February 2021 | 883,000 |
| 6 | Tracy Beaker Returns | "Shadows" | 13 January 2012 | 875,000 |
| 7 | "Slow Burn" | 6 January 2012 | 856,000 | |
| "Big Brother" | 20 January 2012 | 856,000 | ||
| 9 | My Sarah Jane | "A Tribute to Elisabeth Sladen" | 23 April 2011 | 830,000 |
| 10 | Tracy Beaker Returns | "Full Circle" | 8 January 2010 | 826,000 |
Learning on CBBC
CBBC used to show two hours of educational programs each weekday morning. This was called Class TV. Many of these were older BBC Schools programs that were still useful. Class TV stopped in 2008 but came back in 2019 with "Live Lessons" presented by the CBBC team.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools were closed, CBBC broadcast special educational programs for primary school children. These included new shows and older ones, all focused on learning. This helped children who might not have had internet access for online lessons.
How CBBC Looks and Sounds
CBBC has changed its look over the years. The channel's logo has often been green. It used to be green "blobs" and then a green and white logo. The logo from 2016 to 2023 was multicoloured. The current logo, updated in March 2023, is green again.
CBBC often uses presenters from the main BBC children's service. Some presenters, like Gemma Hunt and Anne Foy, were mostly seen on the CBBC channel.
The CBBC studio has moved a few times. Since September 2011, it has been at Dock10 studios in MediaCityUK. The studio set, known as "CBBC HQ," has been updated several times, with changes to the desk, screens, and colours.
Other Ways to Watch CBBC
CBBC Online
The CBBC website is a fun place for kids aged 6–15. It has games, videos, puzzles, and printable pages. You can also find moderated message boards and up-to-date news. The website has pages for most current shows, with different content for each. You can also watch CBBC programs on BBC iPlayer for up to thirty days after they air.
CBBC HD
CBBC HD is the high-definition version of the channel. It launched on 10 December 2013. This means you can watch shows in super clear quality! CBBC HD shares its broadcast time with BBC Three HD because they air at different times of the day.
CBBC Alba
In September 2018, a special two-hour block for children on BBC Alba (a Scottish Gaelic channel) was created. It's split into CBeebies Alba and CBBC Alba. This block has its own presenters and shows, all spoken in Scottish Gaelic.
CBBC Around the World
Australia
In Australia, a channel called "BBC Kids" launched in March 2021. It's like a version of CBBC for Australia, showing children's programs from the BBC Studios collection for the same age group.
United States
An American version of BBC Kids started in January 2022 on Pluto TV. This channel also shows children's programs from the BBC. It even includes preschool content from CBeebies. There's also a Spanish version called "Niños por BBC."
Former Logos
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This logo was used since the launch of the CBBC brand in 1997 and was used along with the abbreviated logo until the launch of the new TV channels in 2002.
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On 11 February 2002, the CBBC channel launched, and to coincide with it, CBBC introduced a new logo, consisting of a green bug with a C in purple.
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A three-dimensional version of the 'bug' logo was introduced on 3 October 2005.
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A new look was introduced from 3 September 2007 to 13 March 2016.
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This symbol and a new look was created by Red Bee Media and took effect on 14 March 2016 to 14 March 2023.
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This logo is the 2022 version of the 2016 logo. This logo includes the 2021 BBC logo, whilst not changing the logo fully until 2023.
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See also
- BBC Children's and Education – The BBC department that runs CBBC.
- CBeebies – The BBC channel for younger children (under 6).
- CBBC idents – The short animations shown between programs on CBBC.
- BBC Three – The BBC channel for older teens and young adults (16-34).
