Thursday, 17 May 2012

Bye-Bye Blue Peter

For all of you Blue Peter fans out there don't worry, the BBC aren't axing the show completely, they're just going to move it from BBC1 to their digital channel CBBC. It's not just this iconic programme, which is the world's longest-running children's televison show having first aired in 1958, the BBC wants to move all childrens programmes from BBC1 and BBC2 to their dedicated children's digital channels CBBC and CBeebies. No date has been set yet but the final analogue transmitters will be switched off in October.
www.bbc.co.uk
When I first saw the headlines and trending I believed Blue Peter was on its way out. My first thoughts were "How could they?" and "How sad". Then I thought to myself when did I last watch an episode? My answer - not for years. My children are now at an age when they don't want to watch this type of programme and also I'm very rarely in when it is being aired.


Whilst I can understand their thinking in keeping all childrens programmes together, the same could be said for having just the news on one dedicated channel? Perhaps sport can also be given a special channel as well? I think there would be uproar if this was to happen and so perhaps the BBC should just keep things as they are? Blue Peter is, after all, only shown once a week on BBC1.


I remember when in 2010, BBC 6 Music faced closure as there were reports that people barely knew the station existed. What happened? The fans of the station set up groups to oppose the plans to end it and now two years on it has become the first ever digital radio station to win UK station of the year. Could the power of social network sites keep Blue Peter on BBC1........
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1 comment:

  1. Unknown18 May 2012 at 04:19

    I'd say it's a big mistake - there must be a whole demographic of kids who watch Blue Peter who'd never be seen dead tuning into CBBC. I don't like the idea of rigid funnelling of viewers into segments. That's why I love Radio4 so much - there are programmes I hear on there which I would never choose to listen to or actively select and yet as a captive audience inside my car I am almost always delighted by them. You are the product of all your influences and we need to expose ourselves to as wide a range as possible rather than filter out topics.

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