CBC to Ramp Up Kids’ Programming

Canada’s CBC is making a commitment to double the amount of programming it has for young audiences on the CBC Gem streaming service over the next year.

The streaming service currently offers more than 200 hours of advertising-free programming for young Canadians. This new commitment—which will match the amount of content already available on ICI TOU.TV—includes acquired content from Canadian and international distributors.

CBC Kids is now looking to reach school-aged and tween audiences with new programming. With a focus on live-action scripted series for the 6-to-12 and tween demographics, new original programming includes the tween action-adventure series Detention Adventure. It marks CBC’s first original scripted kids’ series for CBC Gem and will premiere this spring.

Following the recent launch of CBC Kids News, CBC is also bolstering its commitment to serving young Canadians with trustworthy content with the greenlight of Let’s Talk About Sex, the English-language version of On parle de sexe, which provides tweens with age-appropriate information on healthy sexuality. It will premiere as the first original factual series for kids on CBC Gem in 2020.

For the French market, Radio-Canada Jeunesse will increase its short-form content offer for tweens and teens and strengthen its 360-degree platform approach. New original programming launching this year includes two fiction series for the 13-to-17 group: Nomades and Avec Moi. Also set to launch this year is a new magazine-style production called 14 Mille Millions De Choses À Savoir.

CBC/Radio-Canada will also continue to explore national and international partnerships to tell Canadian stories on a more significant scale. Examples of new partnerships include the tween sci-fi action adventure Endlings and Molly of Denali, an animated series that shines a light on Indigenous storytelling and perspectives.

L’Agent Jean will return with new episodes in French and English, in partnership with TFO and CBC Kids. Also launching in the fall is a new live-action fiction series for the 4-to-7 set, in addition to another upcoming live-action fiction series for the same age group.

Catherine Tait, president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, commented: “As Canada’s public broadcaster, we want to accompany Canadians on a lifelong journey. To better engage young audiences beyond the preschool demographic, we are redirecting some funding to invest in programming including digital content targeted to school-aged kids, tweens and teens. This includes acquisitions and original storytelling from Canadian creators that celebrates inclusiveness, diversity, equality and social values.”