CBBC to be taken off air
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Aneira Davies
ContributorAnd parents are NOT happy ...
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It's been a saviour to many a frazzled parent trying to homeschool their kids during lockdown. But kids' channel CBBC is to go online only – much to the upset of mums and dads across the UK.
In a statement released on 26 May, the BBC said it would no longer air CBBC and BBC Four as traditional broadcast channels. This, they say, is part of the Corporation's plans to become 'digital first'.
The children's TV channel is expected to move online to iPlayer. The BBC's Director General Tim Davie said:
'This is our moment to build a digital-first BBC. Something genuinely new ... a positive force for the UK and the world.
'Independent, impartial, constantly innovating and serving all. A fresh, new, global digital media organisation which has never been seen before.'
It's thought that CBeebies will be unaffected by the changes, which are likely to happen within the next three years.
The news did not go down well with parents, many of whom took to social media to share their thoughts.
One fan of the channel commented:
'WAIT WHAT?? CBBC? On the telly? NO MORE??'
Lots of parents said they were disappointed by the news, with one posting:
'Sad to hear this. Almost every British parent knows the feeling of searching for CBBC with gratitude and, yes, sometimes desperation.'
Meanwhile, others were concerned about where their children would now access TV shows, with many families cutting back on streaming services due to the cost of living crisis.
One Twitter user said:
'I'm surprised they'd move CBBC online... a lot of single parent households can't afford internet. No kids TV for them from the national broadcaster? Unthinkable!'
And another Tweeted:
'Hey @BBC, what are parents who can't afford a streaming service meant to do when you shut CBBC?'
And another asked what would happen to the channel's long-running programmes.
They wrote:
'Keeping Newsround and Blue Peter as digital only isn't enough at all.'
Others made a valid point about how the channel had helped many parents homeschool their kids during lockdown.
They wrote:
'CBBC... as in, the channel that educated millions of children during a pandemic when schools were closed thanks to lockdowns and the government failed to get laptops to the poorest kids so they could keep learning?'
Another said:
'Parents rely on CBBC as a place safe from corporate interests, advertising for genuinely nurturing content.'
What do you think of this news? Chat all things CBeebies, CBBC and general TV news in the chat forum below.
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