In April, we reported that PBS had slated an October launch for PBS KIDS GO!, a 24-Hour digital broadcast channel for early elementary school kids. Now the public broadcasting entity says it has scrubbed those plans and is instead weighing other options for reaching that ‘underserved’ audience, including video-on-demand and other new media platforms. In the future, PBS may return to the idea of a 24-hour linear digital broadcast channel to extend its successful PBS KIDS GO! afternoon programming block.
According to PBS, member stations supported the concept of a 24-hour educational service for the early elementary school set, but an insufficient number of them are in a position to financially sustain such a service. For now, the target demographic will continue being served by the two-hour PBS KIDS GO! block and its online component at pbskidsgo.org. Plans to extend the brand and the line-up of PBS KIDS GO! series through additional platforms will be announced in the next few months.
The PBS KIDS GO! Channel was to include WGBH Boston’s new animated/live-action series FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman, which debuted in May during the PBS KIDS GO! block. Other GO! shows include Kidsworld Sports, Wishbone and Kratts’ Creatures, with a CG-animated show titled Animalia set to join the lineup in 2007. More information on these programs can e found at www.pbskidsgo.org.
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