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CITV Channel
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CITV is a British children's TV station from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel is aimed at children under 12 years old, showing content from the current CITV library, as well as commissions and acquisitions.
CITV broadcasts programming weekdays between 6.30am and 6pm and weekends between 6am and 6pm. The channel broadcasts a Teleshopping strand from 6am to 6.30am on weekedays.
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Encyclopedia
CITV is a British children's TV station from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. The channel is aimed at children under 12 years old, showing content from the current CITV library, as well as commissions and acquisitions.
CITV broadcasts programming weekdays between 6.30am and 6pm and weekends between 6am and 6pm. The channel broadcasts a Teleshopping strand from 6am to 6.30am on weekedays. The channel previously timeshared with ITV4 until 5 February , as it moved to the space on Freeview that had the channel ABC1, thus meaning that viewers in Wales no longer receive CITV on Freeview. On Freeview in Wales, CITV off-air caption reads "CITV will no longer be available after 5 February". ITV4, the channel CITV timeshared with previously became 24 hours.
The channel launched on 11 March 2006 at 9.25am (with Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown) on Freeview, Homechoice (now known as Tiscali TV) and Telewest†. It also launched on Sky Digital on 8 May 2006 on EPG 624 (This has now changed to EPG 621), and NTL† on the 6 June on EPG 602/76. Additionally, the channel is simulcast on GMTV2 (which broadcasts on ITV4, previously ITV2) on weekdays between 6am and 9.25am.
†NTL and Telewest are now both known as Virgin Media.
Leading up to launch
The original launch date of the channel was set for 11 February, but this was pushed back by four weeks as a result of problems "clearing the digital rights to children's programming" and "comprehensive" re-branding. Coincidentally, 11 February was the same date as the launch of the rival CBBC Channel in 2002. Promos for the channel began on 20 February, including an online countdown clock, running to the channel's launch date.
As has become standard for Freeview Channel launches, the channel was allocated an EPG number well before transmission started. Initially, a static 'coming soon' graphic was shown, followed by a preview video loop running from late February 2006 until the launch.
Logo change
It was apparent ever since the first advertisements appeared that the CITV logo had been redesigned to match ITV's new corporate image, even using the same font as the logos for the rest of ITV plc's channels. The logo centres around the large 'C' and is coloured with two distinct palettes depending upon the nature of the programming - there is a cream/beige look for younger children's/preschool programming and red and navy blue 'comic book' scheme for older/schoolchildren's output.
Slogans
Slogans used during the build-up to the launch of the new channel, and in on-screen continuity since, have included 'It's massive!', 'It's gonna be monster!', and for the preschool strand 'As big as their imagination' - all phrases suggesting the sheer scale of the new channel.
Ratings
The CITV Channel launched with a full day average of 33,000 viewers and a 2.5% share of the child audience. This put it ahead of its major commercial rivals Cartoon Network (20,000, a 1.5% share), Boomerang (28,000 a 2.1% share) and Nickelodeon (26,000 a 2.0% share). The channel peaked at 4.30pm with Bratz gaining 51,000 viewers and a 3.6% share.
The channel took a 0.2% audience share in its first week compared to: CBBC 0.6, Cartoon Network 0.4, Boomerang 0.4% and CBeebies 1.4%.
It's overall ratings share for March 2006 was 0.1%, by April 2006 this had risen to 0.2%, 0.3% followed in May.
In August 2006, the channel became the most popular commercial kids channel between 0600 and 1800.
Programming
Programming between 6.00 and 9.25am is controlled by GMTV, who, having rebranded the vast majority of their GMTV1 and 2 children's output as CITV, now use the space to simulcast their Wakey! Wakey!, Toonattik and Action Stations! strands from GMTV1 at weekends and GMTV2 on weekdays. ITV takes over at 9.25, controlling the rest of the day's programming. When it first launched, GMTV used to sell all the airtime for the channel, making it the first ITV plc-owned channel not to be sold by the in-house sales team. Airtime sales have now been taken back in-house by ITV.
ITV's output for the new channel includes many well-established shows from the long-running afternoon slot on ITV for example My Parents Are Aliens, Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids, Jungle Run, Art Attack, and many more, as well as several new programmes exclusively on the CITV Channel like Bratz, Louie, Paz, Animal Spies!, My Life as a Popat and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Most have these shows have now been broadcast on CITV on the ITV Network. On weekdays, the channel broadcasts mainly preschool programming in the day (except during the school holidays), and programmes for schoolchildren in the late afternoon and early evening to cater for the available audience.
The CITV Channel aired the last 3 weeks of Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown exclusively on Saturday mornings before the show ended on Saturday 1 July 2006. The channel had previously simulcast the show with ITV before spin-off show Holly & Stephen's Saturday Showdown: Extra aired at 11:30am exclusive to the channel. The show would be replaced by the all-animation block Toon Base
As the channel is simulcast on the ITV Network, some programmes on the channel are sourced from different networks: Avatar: The Legend of Aang, SpongeBob SquarePants (and others) are produced by and airs on Nickelodeon. GMTV's morning output on the channel is largely produced by Disney.
The CITV Channel had brought some programmes back that had not been on CITV for a few years including ZZZap!, Rupert Bear, Harry and the Wrinklies, Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight in the Land & Big Meg Little Meg, Wolves, Witches and Giants, Sooty Heights, the 1998/99 series of The Wombles and The Adventures of Paddington Bear. Sir Gadabout was shown on the channel part of its 'Easter Surprise!', soon after it was shown throughout most of the summer holidays that year.
Special blocks
Toon Base
Toon Base is a weekend morning block featuring only animated programming from 9.25am, which replaced Holly and Stephen's Saturday Showdown. The schedule contains Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fast Forward, Planet Sketch, Horrid Henry, Supernormal, Bratz and Atomic Betty .
From 8 February, 2008 the strand broadcasted until 12.00pm, adding Atomic Betty into the schedule.
Get Stuck In!
Get Stuck In! is an hour timeslot on Saturday and Sunday mornings on the CITV Channel. The current schedule includes Art Attack, Finger Tips Mini, Brilliant Creatures and Art Attack Mini Makes.
From 8 February 2008, the strand will broadcast from 12.00pm to 1.00pm, but will keep the same schedule.
Get Stuck In! was also shown on Friday afternoon on CITV on the ITV Network. However, since there is now no afternoon programming on ITV it is no longer shown. Previous shows broadcast in the timeslot are Prove It!, How 2 and Skillz.
Chooseday
Chooseday on Tuesdays is where viewers vote on what episode of a show they would like to see. The winning episode is broadcast at 12:00pm and 4:00pm.
Marathon Weekends
Marathon weekends were when the CITV Channel showed 2 hours of one particular show. Previous blocks include: Bratz, Horrid Henry and Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids.
Marathon weekends were broadcast weekends between 9.25am and 11.25am. They were shown in the Summer holidays in 2007 and the last time they did them was early January 2008, which was soon replaced with the return of Toonbase.
Totally Henry
Totally Henry featured 34 back-to-back episodes of Horrid Henry, broadcast on May 5th 2008 between 9:25am and closedown at 6:00pm.
Horrid Henry's Power Hour
Horrid Henry's Power Hour was an hour of Horrid Henry, broadcast weekdays between 3.30 and 4.30.
What a Month!
CITV has an entertainment news strand that airs everyday on the channel, currently called What a Month (since January 2008). It was originally called What a Week! when the CITV Channel was launched, then in the summer of 2007 it was re-named to What a Summer!
What a Month covers new movies, songs, and videogames, with brief clips and sometimes behind-the-scenes interviews. Occasionally they mention CITV programmes too.
Web launch
CITV counted down to the launch of the new service on their website, complete with a caption showing the Freeview number (75) underneath it. Since the launch the website has been revamped to tie in with CITV's new logo and colour scheme.
The "Flea Mail" feature encourages viewers participation on the website and on air. The four Fleas are: Marcus Wingspan, Travel Bug, Flea Man, and Big Bow.
1st Birthday
On 11 March 2007, there was a normal lineup on the channel. But there was reference to it being the CITV Channel's Birthday including a video saying Happy 1st Birthday which children singing Happy Birthday and Horrid Henry saying "Mmmmm. Yummy" then the cake gets eaten up. And when the CITV Channel went to the break they would show a quick clip of some red balloons with some of them with the number one and some with the CITV logo.
Online Streaming
It was revealed in the CITV newsletter released on Friday 29 August, that the CITV Channel will soon be broadcasting simultaneously on the CITV website. The channel is now broadcasting online between 9.25am and 6pm.
See also
External links
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