PBS Kids Go! facts for kids
| Network | PBS PBS Kids |
|---|---|
| Launched | October 11, 2004 |
| Closed | October 7, 2013 |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Owner | PBS |
| Key people | Natasha Wing |
| Headquarters | Los Gatos, California |
| Format | Afternoon programming block |
| Running time | 2 hours |
| Original language(s) | English |
PBS Kids Go! was a special TV block from PBS. It showed programs for older kids, usually between 6 and 8 years old. This was different from the regular PBS Kids shows, which were for younger children. You could watch PBS Kids Go! on PBS channels during the afternoon on weekdays. It started on October 9, 2004, and stopped on November 21, 2013.
Contents
History of PBS Kids Go!
The PBS Kids Go! TV block began in October 2004. Around 2005, the original PBS Kids TV channel changed its name to PBS Kids Sprout. But the PBS Kids Go! block kept showing its programs on the main PBS channel.
Plans for a PBS Kids Go! Channel
In April 2006, PBS announced an exciting plan. They wanted to launch a new 24-hour TV channel called PBS Kids Go! Channel. This channel would have even more shows. It was set to start in October 2006.
The new channel would have different parts, called programming blocks. These included:
- An evening block for families, called "Go! family."
- A Spanish language block, named "PBS Kids Vayan!"
- A special block for schools.
Some shows were planned to be only on this new channel. These included KidsWorld Sports, old episodes of Wishbone, and Kratts’ Creatures. These special shows, plus those from the main PBS block, would add up to seven hours of new programs. PBS also planned to add one or two new TV series each year.
Why the Channel Didn't Launch
The new channel was going to cost money for local PBS stations to show. This meant stations that paid could also put the special shows on their regular channels. There was also a plan for a special club that kids could join.
However, the new channel never launched. Only about one-third of PBS stations agreed to join, but PBS needed half of them to say yes. On July 6, 2006, PBS decided to stop the plan. Stations felt the fees were too high for the number of exclusive shows they would get. They had also just spent money to get the PBS HD feed. PBS said they might try to offer the channel again later, but they never did.
The End of PBS Kids Go!
On August 20, 2013, PBS announced that the PBS Kids Go! name would be retired. It would be replaced with new PBS Kids branding. This change happened about two months later, on November 21, 2013. The new branding started with the launch of a show called Peg + Cat. PBS decided to stop using the "Go!" name because many parents and kids didn't really understand what it meant.
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Images for kids
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A robot, representing kids' content.
