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Next generation: up to a third of iPlayer views are children's programmes

2018-08-14T09:50:41+00:00

Children growing up today have never been bound by a linear TV schedule. Being able to catch up, stream or download box sets of new shows are native concepts to them. Some C�鶹Լ�� programmes receive a bigger proportion of iPlayer viewing than the TV channel.

In 2013 we began to curate children’s programmes on the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer, to make the dramas and comedies they love easier to find but also showcase hidden gems, such as our documentary strand about extraordinary children, My Life, or Newsround Specials, which give greater context for children to a news or current affairs issue.

The launch of the iPlayer Kids app in 2016 took this a step further in that we were able to serve up content relevant to a child’s age. We could be specific in our curation for the under 4s, for instance, by pulling together song or ‘sleepy time’ collections, as well as a playlist featuring their favourite characters. For the 8-9s, we were able to introduce more full series drama box sets and themed collections, such as cartoons or comedies.

This year, the creation of personalised homepages brings C�鶹Լ�� and CBeebies content together with programmes across the �鶹Լ�� that we know children enjoy, such as Blue Planet and Match Of The Day. It also means we can showcase cherry picked appropriate content from big events like Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend and Glastonbury.

Whereas previously under-13s visiting iPlayer would have seen the same homepage as their parents, they now receive an appropriate, carefully curated selection of programmes across the �鶹Լ��, while still being able to find out what is most popular on C�鶹Լ�� and CBeebies so they don’t miss out.

In some weeks around a third of the total views across �鶹Լ�� iPlayer come from CBeebies and C�鶹Լ�� programmes. We want build on this success by giving our audience more what they love, and more box sets so that children can see programmes they may have missed out on first time round, or watch again and again at their leisure.

We have already changed the way we schedule our TV channels, showing back to back dramas in the daytime while children are at School so the full series is made available on iPlayer.

Our iPlayer pages should also reflect the lives of audience. This means highlighting topical content, for example a playlist for children starting school for the first time, getting excited about the World Cup or special collections for cultural events such as Christmas, Bonfire Night, Halloween, Diwali, and Eid.

Attention-grabbing images are important to highlight children’s content on iPlayer, in particular for CBeebies where we know some of the audience aren’t able to read yet and will be led by a compelling picture. They must give some idea of what the programme is about, but retain intrigue and stand out on a mobile device as well as a 4K TV screen.

Similarly, there are stronger titles for content - Episode 1 doesn’t really sell a programme as much as New House [Topsy & Tim], or Mean Twirls [The Next Step]!

We might also use the recommendations that appear for all iPlayer users to previews of a new show, or a story-so-far clip to explain the narrative of a long-running series.

Ultimately, as well as making the iPlayer easier to use for children, and keeping in mind that our remit is to educate as well as entertain, we’re taking on the challenge laid down by Tony Hall last year for all of the �鶹Լ�� to help change iPlayer from a catch-up destination into the UK’s best online TV service.

�鶹Լ�� winners at the RTS Awards 2018

2018-03-21T12:00:00+00:00

Last night (Tuesday 20 March) the ceremony for the Royal Television Society Programmes Awards 2018 were held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London. The awards celebrate TV programmes which, have made a material and positive contribution to their genre, either because their originality in form or content has in some way moved the genre on, or perhaps created a new genre, or because their quality has set standards which other programme-makers can learn from and emulate.

Below is a list of �鶹Լ�� wins at the event:

Scripted Comedy/Comedy Performance/Writer - Comedy

Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper in This Country, �鶹Լ�� Three, the show received three awards

Mini-Series/Writer - Drama

'Three Girls', �鶹Լ�� One won in the Mini-Series category, and Nicole Taylor won the Writer - Drama awards

Single Documentary

'Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad' �鶹Լ�� One

Arts

'Paula Rego: Secrets and Stories', �鶹Լ�� Two

Single Drama

'Murdered for Being Different' the �鶹Լ�� Three dramatisation of the tragic story of Sophie Lancaster

Formatted Popular Factual

'Muslims Like Us', �鶹Լ�� Two

Science & Natural History

'Planet Earth II', �鶹Լ�� One

Live Event

'World War One Remembered: Passchendaele – For The Fallen', �鶹Լ�� Two's coverage of the commemorations to mark the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele from Flanders in Belgium

Documentary Series

'Hospital', �鶹Լ�� Two

Children’s Programme

'Inside My Head: Newsround Special' C�鶹Լ��

History

'Elizabeth I's Secret Agents', �鶹Լ�� Two

Presenter

Anita Rani presenting 'My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947'

Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit

Michael Johnson, presenter 'World Athletics Championships', �鶹Լ�� One & �鶹Լ�� Two

Daytime Programme

'Moving On - Eighteen', �鶹Լ�� One

RTS Channel Of The Year

Read the full list of winners on the Royal Television Society website

Making The Worst Witch for C�鶹Լ��

2017-01-12T13:00:00+00:00

Marcus Wilson, executive producer of The Worst Witch, which is based on a series of books and starts this week on C�鶹Լ��, shares the programme's story from page to screen.

Tell us who you are and what you do

I’m Marcus Wilson, executive producer of The Worst Witch. My job is to work on the editorial development and execution of the show, working with the fantastic production team, led by producer Lucy Martin, to develop scripts, cast the show and be involved in the post production.

What do you love about the books?

The books were written 40 years ago, yet you pick them up now and they are still as exciting to read as they were then. They’re timeless tales for children to read, focussing around friendship, school life and growing up, things that kids will always be able to relate to.

What resonated for you?

Jill [Murphy, author of the original series of books] draws the character of Mildred Hubble, the eponymous Worst Witch, so well that it instantly transports you back to ‘Big School’. She is skillful at uncovering buried emotions that took me back to those touchstones of childhood. When you present that to a new audience they read it and realise they can identify with it.

When you’re dramatizing something you love for television, how you do make sure you’re not making a programme which is your version of the book?

Good question! It’s a very personal book for Jill because she is basically telling the story of her school life (through the prism of Mildred Hubble’s adventures at Cackle’s Academy for Witches). What you have to do as a programme maker is take your response to it as a reader then distill the spirit of that experience. What did I love about reading these books? How can I share that with viewers? And how do I that in such a way that it suits a visual rather than a print medium? You’re having to identify the universal themes in the book and then find a way of bringing the story up to date. It’s about catching the heart and the spirit of it.

Are you seeking a consensus or is there a kind of alchemy going on?

I think it’s a bit of both. The books are the starting point. You never want to do anything that would run against the spirit of the book. But in the series for example we made a decision to take the viewer from the real world into the witching world – that’s why we start the series in the home of the central character, somewhere before the books begin. We thought that was really important that everyone understood how the two worlds sat side by side. That was a big change we made early on in order to maintain the accessibility for the audience. But there’s a reason these books have been a success for 40 years and, as a producer, you have to remember that you mess with that at your peril.

It’s billed as a family show. Why is that important?

We didn’t want to make a show that was aimed at a narrow audience, we want the programmes to be enjoyed by as many people as possible. But harking back to my own childhood, I think that if you’ve got a show which appeals to as many different people as possible then lots of people can take different things away from it. We want to create a show that can be enjoyed by this audience in years to come. So, there are storylines for the kids, there’s physical humour, there’s also a great adult cast playing their own storylines in response to the kids.

I think it’s really important we don’t lose sight of the primary audience – the kids. The moment you start talking down to the most intelligent part of the audience you’ve lost. Douglas Adams – writer of Hitchhiker’s Guide and script editor on Doctor Who at one point – once said, “You’ve got to make it simple enough for the adults and complicated enough for the kids.” I think that’s still the case now. My experience of things I’ve loved as a kid is the stuff I’ve revisited as an adult. We want to make a show that the family can share and enjoy together, that works on many levels to appeal to a wide audience, and stand up to repeat viewings as our audience grows up with the show.

Marcus Wilson is executive producer for C�鶹Լ��'s The Worst Witch

The Worst Witch starts on C�鶹Լ�� on Wednesday 11 January and is available to view on-demand on iPlayer

CBeebies named Channel of the Year at the Children's BAFTAs 2016

2016-11-21T10:20:00+00:00

CBeebies Controller Kay Benbow with the Children's Channel of the Year BAFTA

Last night (Sunday 20 November 2016) the Children’s BAFTAs were held at a ceremony in London. CBeebies took home the Channel of the Year award and �鶹Լ�� programmes were awarded in more than half of the categories.

Other CBeebies wins included Hey Duggee which was named Pre-School Animation of the year, and Topsy and Tim selected in the Pre-School Live Action category.

�鶹Լ�� Learning's Ten Pieces II took home the prize for Learning - Secondary in 2016; star of Hank Zipzer, Nick James, was named performer of the Year; and Presenter of the Year was Iain Stirling for C�鶹Լ��’s The Dog Ate My �鶹Լ��work.

CBeebies Hey Duggee

All the �鶹Լ�� winners are listed below:

Channel of the Year in 2016: CBeebies
BAFTA Kids' Vote - Television in 2016: C�鶹Լ��’s The Next Step
Comedy in 2016: C�鶹Լ��’s Horrible Histories Special: Sensational Shakespeare
Entertainment in 2016: C�鶹Լ��’s Sam & Mark's Big Friday Wind-Up
Factual in 2016: C�鶹Լ��’s The Boy on the Bicycle (My Life)
Interactive: Adapted in 2016: CBeebies’ Get Well Soon Hospital App
Interactive: Original in 2016: C�鶹Լ��’s Secret Life of Boys
Learning - Primary in 2016: �鶹Լ�� Learning’s I Can't Go to School Today
Learning - Secondary in 2016: �鶹Լ�� Learning's Ten Pieces II
Performer in 2016: Nick James (star of Hank Zipzer)
Pre-School Animation in 2016: CBeebies’ Hey Duggee
Pre-School Live Action in 2016: CBeebies' Topsy and Tim
Presenter in 2016: Iain Stirling for C�鶹Լ��’s The Dog Ate My �鶹Լ��work

Congratulations to all the winners, a full list can be seen on the BAFTA website.

Scream Street Bites - Short animations for C�鶹Լ�� from students' ideas

2016-06-17T09:00:00+00:00

Last October, students from the North of England were invited to take part in the creative development opportunity, to generate ideas for a short animation to go with Scream Street on C�鶹Լ��. For the uninitiated, Scream Street is based on the best selling books by Tommy Donbavand and follows the story of Luke Watson: a regular teen apart from the werewolf gene.

When the Government Housing of Unusual Lifeforms (G.H.O.U.L.) gets wind of Luke’s hairy habit, they transfer him and his parents to Scream Street – where surfer-dude zombies, sarcastic vampires, martial arts mummies, glamorous witches and just plain-bad monsters put a whole new spin on community spirit.

The students used a storyboard process to come up with ideas for two characters from the stop-motion animated series. Five students (from four universities) were selected to spent a week at animation production company Factory to bring their storyboard/animatic to life under the guidance of Scream Street Bites' director Jo Chalkley, with music composed by Gareth Davies.

The five winning animations are embedded below:

Ball by Hannah Potter – BA (Hons) Animation and Games Art at University of Sunderland

This external content is available at its source: Scream Street Bites | Ball | C�鶹Լ��

Chicken by Kira Adams – BA (Hons) Stop-Motion Animation at Edge Hill University

This external content is available at its source: https://youtu.be/r_4dr33RTY8?list=PLk2uTpq_0-GWbvoJMAOPuYGtDHbZQXGVI

Snake by Liam Springthorpe – BA (Hons) Animation at University of Central Lancashire

This external content is available at its source: Scream Street Bites | Snake | C�鶹Լ��

Spider by Declan Holgate – BA (Hons) Animation at University of Central Lancashire

This external content is available at its source: Scream Street Bites | Spider | C�鶹Լ��

Tail by Nicola Markham – PG Diploma Media Production: Children’s Television at University of Salford

This external content is available at its source: Scream Street Bites | Tail | C�鶹Լ��

C�鶹Լ��’s Scream Street Bites have been produced in partnership with animation production company Factory and international media group and rights holders Coolabi.

Elmo, Phoebe and Danger Mouse visit Broadcasting House to help launch �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids App

2016-04-12T10:25:41+00:00

Earlier this morning, Elmo and Phoebe joined Danger Mouse at Broadcasting House in London for the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids App launch. Us and our colleagues at �鶹Լ�� North followed them on their journey.

Phoebe and Elmo set out on their journey to London for the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids App launch

Elmo and Phoebe set foot on the tube at Baker Street.

Elmo and Phoebe stop for a bit of a sit down.

A stickler for time, Danger Mouse waits for Elmo and Phoebe to arrive.

Our intrepid travellers made out they understood the map, but the truth is that they did need a little assistance.

Phoebe and Elmo en route to meet up with Danger Mouse at Oxford Circus.

Crossing the road requires teamwork.

Elmo, Danger Mouse and Phoebe arrive at Broadcasting House in London in time for the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer App launch this morning.

Download the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids app
Read Director of �鶹Լ�� Children's Alice Webb's blog post about �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids App
Find out more about the app on the �鶹Լ�� Media Centre website
Dan Taylor Watt has written about the app on the �鶹Լ�� Internet Blog

�鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids: the kids are in control

2016-04-11T16:50:40+00:00

Launching the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids app is a really exciting moment for us – and we can’t wait to see millions of children get excited about it too. You can download it here.

Children have always been a priority for the �鶹Լ�� - they always will be. And the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids app is an important milestone because it’s a sign of our continued commitment to young audiences.

It’s the first product delivered as a result of our Big Digital Plan for Children –which recognises just how differently kids consume media in today’s digital age. Children’s programmes are currently the largest single genre on �鶹Լ�� iPlayer and were requested almost a billion times in 2015! So our audience has already shown us just how important on demand viewing is to them.

The �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids app builds on what we know about young audiences and media consumption and meets needs we know are deal breakers for kids and parents. We’re offering, choice and control, wrapped up in a child-friendly design and home-grown content on a platform parents can trust.
In a nutshell, the app is C�鶹Լ�� and CBeebies in their hands – a �鶹Լ�� iPlayer re-designed for a new, digitally-savvy generation. A place where children of all ages can watch and download content created just for them whether they’re fans of Danger Mouse, Topsy and Tim, Go Jetters, Blue Peter or anything else we show on our popular TV channels.

It’s free of charge, free from commercial influence and brand new today. But to help us get it right, we’ve already tested it with our imaginative, funny young audience – and I’m delighted to say they’re impressed! Have a look below

Kids in the driving seat

More than anything else, kids’ viewing habits today can be characterised by choice and control. Rocketing figures for mobile device ownership means that, today more than ever, kids are controlling their own viewing and playing, with millions of choices in the palm of their hand.

They still love the big screen in the corner too of course – two-thirds of all CBeebies and C�鶹Լ�� viewing still happens on our channels at the time we schedule it. But things are changing. TV is now one of a range of options – a choice they make about how to spend their screen time.

As well as the long form TV shows they’ve always loved and continue to watch in their millions, children love social media, short-form content, creative online tools and games.

All this choice is exciting, empowering and entertaining. And when kids choose C�鶹Լ�� or CBeebies, it’s educational, informative and inspirational too. We’re delighted UK kids are still choosing the �鶹Լ�� in their millions - we reach 44% of 0-12s - and we really want to keep them with us – watching our two channels or the mainstream �鶹Լ�� iPlayer, browsing our websites and now using our bespoke app.

As the only Public Service Broadcaster for kids in the UK and the only large investor in British content for children, broadcasting more than 8000 hours of content a year, we have a duty to make this content accessible and deliver it how and when kids want it. As long as kids and parents continue to watch our output on our TV channels, we’ll continue to put our programmes there, but we need to meet their on-demand needs too.

Child-friendly design and content

For all their sophistication, it’s important to remember that our audience aren’t grown up yet. They approach finding content in different ways to adults - and as valuable as �鶹Լ�� iPlayer has always been to them, it hasn’t been designed for their specific needs.

Research tells us that for kids, ease of access is absolutely paramount – and if something is too hard to find or open, they’re quick to find an alternative. �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids is designed to deliver what kids want from a digital platform, so they can explore it with ease.

An on-demand service parents can trust

Of course, parents are one of our most important audiences and we’ve developed this app with their safety expectations in mind. We’re proud to be the media organization that children and families trust more than any other and, in this digital age, we know how important that is.

With a simple online set up that uses just the child’s age (and doesn’t capture any personal data) we’ve filtered content to be age appropriate. So, whether it’s in the back of the car on a long journey with a tablet, or on the bus to school on a mobile, parents can be confident their children are only watching content that is appropriate for them. And with features that show the availability of subtitles, audio described and signed versions of shows, we’ve made the app accessible to all of our audience.

Inform, entertain, educate…inspire

Last year, I spoke about what an exciting time it is to be a member of our audience. The digital changes happening now are far reaching and allow kids to connect with us in more ways than ever before.

In his speech setting out the future vision for the �鶹Լ�� last year, Tony Hall made clear that children are front and centre of it and we remain absolutely committed to that vision.

This is just the start of what we’ll be offering them in the future, as we keep on providing the home-grown content children need in a way that continues to inform, educate, entertain and inspire.

Alice Webb is Director, �鶹Լ�� Children's

Download the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids app
Read a press release about the launch of the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Kids app on the �鶹Լ�� Media Centre website

Making Blue Peter: The Walk that Changed The World

2016-03-31T14:10:25+00:00

Radzi Chinyanganya and Reverend Fredrick Reese in 'The Walk that Changed the World'

In a special edition of Blue Peter broadcast on Thursday 31 March presenter Radzi Chinyanganya has retraced the path of the 50 mile walk, meeting the survivors of the 1965 march between Selma and Montgomery in Alabama, led by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. We spoke to Radzi and assistant producer Andy Hassall about the project they worked on together.

What are we going to see in this special edition of Blue Peter? How did it come about Radzi?

The idea for this programme was something I pitched to the Blue Peter editor because it was really important to me. For those that don’t know, it’s the fifty first anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery this year. Last year I’d just seen the movie about the march (Selma) and remember thinking when I came out of the cinema that I couldn’t recall a single thing taught to me about black history other than my own endeavour and personal research.

When did you first hear about the march, Radzi?

I was aware of Martin Luther King around 10 or 11 years old when I started renting video documentaries about him from the library. I remember that, at the time, there was something about him which really resonated with me. But I didn’t know about the march until I saw the feature film about it last year. Until I saw that film I didn’t know about the challenges the participants faced on it.

What impact did Martin Luther King have on you as a kid and how did that change when you’d seen the film and made this episode?

Being from a mixed race background – my Dad is from Scotland, my Mum is from Zimbabwe – I’ve always felt viscerally aware of my identity. Am I white? Am I black? Where does that put me? Those questions about identity have always been an important part of my life? Some people care greatly, some people care to a lesser extent.

To find out about somebody who essentially dedicated his life to, more than just helping others, but making a sacrifice which would implement change so that people like him were equal – that was a really powerful discovery as a kid. Long before the waters of morality and complexity in society get muddied, kids get a real understanding of what’s right and what’s wrong. Martin Luther King was standing up to people who were wrong. I recognised that as a kid in the documentaries I was watching. I remember thinking ‘I like that man – that man is a hero’.

Then, when I saw the movie last year, I cried. It occurred to me that there were details about the march that I didn’t know. And if I didn’t know then there were lots of other people who didn’t know.

I said to the Editor that I wanted to do something to commemorate the march and my hero, Martin Luther King. The Editor agreed to it. I’d the idea of doing the walk myself, but that was pretty much it.

What happened next, Andy?

After we’d got the green light to make the programme, it was a case of lining up guests to speak to in the States. Next we had to draw up a script which explained quite a complicated issue to an audience of 6 to 12 years olds in such a way that they didn’t feel like they were at school. It had to be informative and entertaining. We didn’t want them to feel like they were watching a lesson.

Andy, what were the challenges you faced taking Radzi’s idea and turn it into something suitable for Blue Peter?

It was an unusual challenge. Quite often there’s a physical activity which is central to a film. Those things are naturally really entertaining. With this piece, the actual act wasn’t especially exciting – it was walking. The challenge was telling the story clearly, but doing so in an entertaining way.

Was there anything off-limits in terms of the detail?

Yes, there were three marches in total. One march got stopped in quite violent circumstances. The footage from that which was broadcast at the time, was really quite violent. One of the big decisions we had to make was just how much of that footage we would include. It’s a really fine line. It was violent. It was hard. That’s a huge part fo of the story. At the same time, you don’t want to show kids violent scenes – you can’t do that. Those scenes were off-limits. But we still had to describe it without showing the detail.

Our audience today – at any moment when they’re watching C�鶹Լ��, there are demands made on their attention.

What do you think were the important elements in telling the story?

Radzi

I’ll tell you what Andy did really well in that respect was in selecting the contributors for the programme. We spoke to one lady, for example – Sheyann Webb. She was 7 years old on the first of the three marches when it first happened. When she spoke in the film about her experiences as a child, that was really powerful. I remember thinking that Sheyann was the same age now that my Mum is, for example. That really resonated for me – it was as though my Mum could have been there. We spoke, as well, to local children in the area to find out what the march meant to them now. These contributors and the extract from a speech given by President Obama which we used in the opening sequence shows how we were always trying to link it back to what it is relevant for our audience. That’s what’s important when you’re telling this kind of story for a younger audience.

Andy

There were still elements to the story that were very Blue Peter. It was a 54 mile walk – that’s a physical challenge. There was camping along the way. It was the ideal challenge – the ideal moment to explain the civil rights movement. It was showing people doing a physical thing to help explain something that they believe passionately about. It was a physical challenge which went on to change the course of history.

What was different about this to other things, was that if we’re going to talk about something in a factual way we might try and insert light moments but, at the same time, we still had to treat it with great care. There might be nuances for specific audiences, but when you’re telling great stories it doesn’t matter how old you are.

We met a lady called Louisa Miles. She cooked for the protestors as they were marching. In the film, she was cooking grits as she did on the march. All I was going to be doing was asking her questions, but during the interview she suddenly broke into song. When she did that I suddenly started crying. Even the cameraman apologised to me afterwards – he really didn’t have to. He said to me, “I’m sorry. I’m not sure I got all of that in focus. My tears were dropping onto the viewfinder.” It’s those powerful moments – unexpected and unplanned moments – which tell the story in a universal way.

How has making this programme changed you?

Radzi

It made me lighter, that’s for sure - I sweated a lot on the walk.

Seriously though, from my perspective, it’s the work I feel most proud of to date. It’s the work I know I’ll never forget making. I won’t need to be reminded that we made this. Every single thing about it I couldn’t be more proud of. It reinforced the narrative I already knew, of course, but it also reminded me about one of the most important things about making documentaries: that if you back a story and the story is strong enough it will make great TV.

Andy

It inspired me in many ways. Having the chance to speak to people recalling their memories from 50 years ago as though it happened yesterday was an amazing thing to experience. Those people are still willing to come out onto the road and speak to you about what happened. They’re people who are still working towards making things equal around the world. Congressman John Lewis - the last remaining leader of the civil rights movement – who led the march that day, he was brilliant. He was saying that the world has to keep changing, that the march was just the start of it and how us as individuals need to be more human with one another. I remember reflecting on that after filming and thinking ‘these are all still messages we need to apply today and, if we do, people can achieve some great things’.

Radzi

Hearing what Andy said reminds me of someone else who really had a big impact on me during the filming. I spoke to Reverend Reese – the reverend of the church at the epicentre of the struggle at that time. That was where they met before and after the marches, where the prayer happened and where the songs were sung. Speaking to him and looking into his eyes and thinking, ‘at one stage, the light going into their eyes was the light of history and it was their actions that changed history’. Those people are no different from me or you, other than the fact that at one stage they decided to take a stand. That’s what I will remember. That’s what I will take with me.

This blog post is a transcription of a conversation between Radzi Chinyanganya, Andy Hassall and Jon Jacob on Wednesday 23 March 2016.

Blue Peter: The Walk That Changed The World is on Thursday 31 March 2016 on C�鶹Լ��

A big day for C�鶹Լ��

2016-03-14T07:00:00+00:00

It’s a big day for C�鶹Լ�� today.

Today we wave goodbye to our very hard worked green and black logo (it's been a sturdy companion for almost a decade) and say hello to a colourful and versatile identity that is box fresh and fit for purpose in a mercurial and constantly shifting media landscape.

The old C�鶹Լ�� logo (left) gets a colourful new look

Back in 2007 we could never have imagined just how emphatically the C�鶹Լ�� audience (6-12 year olds) were going to lead the on-demand revolution and embrace so many different types of content on a mind-expanding array of devices. Our job is to keep one step ahead of this agile age group – celebrating their immersion in all things digital whilst maintaining all the C�鶹Լ�� qualities that we know our viewers love. We've worked hard to ensure that our content does just that – reflects our audience on all our platforms and is ready for action when and how they want it. Our old logo just wasn't devised to perform in a variety of digital spaces which means that it doesn't work in the way that we want it to today.

We are now the proud owners of a versatile and dynamic logo which works in every space and is designed to appeal to both ends of our broad age spectrum. Whether on large-screen TVs or hand-held devices our new brand identity is bright, mischievous and sophisticated – just like the C�鶹Լ�� audience who helped us to choose it and have told us they love it! Take a look below...

Our new look has an important job to do in removing barriers and helping us connect to the widest possible audience. It offers a badge of quality that our older viewers can appreciate as much as younger ones. Though many watch our more mature shows well into adolescence, we know that as children grow up they feel compromised by overtly childish associations. Our new logo is not overt, it doesn't scream ‘Children's TV’ but its various iterations are fun and unpredictable and have broad appeal.

Everyone in �鶹Լ�� Children's is well versed in responding to new creative opportunities. We know how important it is that we change with our audience and nowhere is this more apparent than in Presentation – or what our viewers currently know as the ‘C�鶹Լ�� Office’.

Presentation is the beating heart of the Channel and it's where we foster fabulous engagement with children of all ages. We asked hundreds of kids how they'd like to rename the Office as we wanted them to own and feel part of our rebrand moment. They loved being trusted with this task and their clear preference was ‘C�鶹Լ�� HQ’.

For over 30 years Presentation has been the place where children can get the latest Channel news, join in games and chat to Hacker and their favourite stars – so why not call it HQ, it makes perfect sense!

We work hard to inspire and enable children with our broad range of TV programmes and digital experiences, and we love to portray as many of our audience onscreen as we possibly can. Our new Channel idents therefore marry the well-known grooves of everyday life – like walking to school with your friends or enjoying a sleepover – but with an added sprinkle of special C�鶹Լ�� ‘Just Imagine' stardust. Have a look at the link below to view a couple of our new idents...

But of course, shiny new look aside, it's business as usual on the Channel. For those that don't know, C�鶹Լ�� is the home of fun, laugh-yourself-smart content and dynamic digital experiences. The �鶹Լ�� in miniature for kids, we offer everything from comedy and entertainment to factual and drama, with lots more in-between. I wonder what my good friend Hacker T. Dog has to say about our new look.

I can only liken the rebrand process to making the decision to embrace a long overdue personal makeover and then feeling self-conscious and nervous about how people you really care about are going to react to your new look! It's only when your nearest and dearest look you in the eye and say they love the new you that you can really relax and enjoy the attention. So we made sure that we asked lots of our trusted audience members along the way – they've guided the process from the start. Here's what some of our young friends in Manchester had to say about the finished product...

A big thumbs up it seems – if the kids love their new look C�鶹Լ�� that's job done as far as I'm concerned.

Cheryl Taylor is Controller, C�鶹Լ��

C�鶹Լ��'s My Life: "How show jumping helped my ADHD"

2016-02-16T13:00:00+00:00

C�鶹Լ��’s My Life documentary series returns on 17 February at 5.15pm. The first episode follows 14-year-old Kai as he works at stables and learns how to show-jump. Kai has ADHD. We asked Kai and his mother Jeani some questions after their appearances on Breakfast and Five Live.

Tell us who you are and what you've been doing today
I’m Kai, I’m 14 and I’ve spent the morning promoting a programme about my life called Never Give Up.

Tell us more about Never Give Up
The show follows me around showing my day-to-day life and what I would like to do as a career and my interests.

And what's interesting you at the moment?
Show jumping – just a set of hurdles and obstacles in a course and sets of poles at different heights; riding the horse around the course and trying not to knock down any poles.

What is challenging about show jumping?
Working at the stables can be hard. I help out five or six days a week as work experience and I ride every Thursday and I train for show jumping or dressage with my instructor.

How were you introduced to show jumping?
I was watching a TV show on horses which I thought was a documentary and it ended up actually being a show jumping championship. Right then I decided that’s what I wanted to do. My other big inspiration was a man called Brynley Powell, who is a former Olympic show jumper.

What was your experience riding a horse for the first time like?
I’m calmer when I’m around horses. I’m not as hyperactive as I would be when I’m around my friends or out with my mates. When I’m at the stables I’m calm, I’m quiet, I’m always alert and ready for anything.

Can you describe what it is like when you are hyperactive?
Because I have ADHD my attention is not as good as it would be for other people, I get distracted very easily and I mess about more. I’m moving or bobbing about, just like I’m doing now!

Can you remember the first time you felt the sense of calmness around the horses?
When I pass through the stables it’s like a vortex. When I get out of my Mum’s car and pass through the threshold my mind automatically changes because I know these horses are not going to judge me or think anything bad about me. That’s when I can just be who I am. But I’ve also got to be calm when I’m around them.

What actually goes into working at the stables? Is working at the stables harder work than what you may have to do in school?
When I ride I put my things in a locker room and go out into the yard and see what needs doing for the day, either mucking out or help getting a horse ready for ride, brushing or grooming.

For me it doesn't feel like any work, but for my friends it would probably feel like a whole years’ worth of work! When I was in a classroom I wasn't paying attention very much, I was always messing about because of my ADHD.

What do your friends say about what you achieved?
They tease me, but in a nice way. Because we've known each other since nursery we all support each other in what we want to do. We’re brothers from another mother sort of thing. Also my Mum has done a lot for me. I couldn’t ask for a better Mum.

What do your friends think about you filming a programme?
They love it, it’s brought them so much attention at school, they brag about it, especially Malaki.

What is your ambition?
I would love to become an international Olympic show jumper in the 2020 Olympics.

Jeani, was the pairing up of Kai and horses a magical find for you?
It was, because in some ways it was just another activity to burn up some energy from my point of view. He was doing it then with other children and he was learning alongside the riding, so that’s all it was from my point of view. But the minute he got there you knew something special was happening you were seeing something special, something different. I think people who have seen him ride, they are amazed.

When he was assessed at the stables he had only been riding for 20 minutes every other week for about nine months - not a lot of time at all. But, when they saw him they thought he had been riding for a lot longer because there is a lot of natural talent there and a natural affinity with horses.

How does Kai change when he is around horses?
He becomes a lot calmer, especially when he is riding. There’s a lot of geometry involved in negotiating the jumps and a lot of mathematical calculations too of the kind I didn't even appreciate. Watching Kai, knowing that in school he struggled, particularly in maths, is an amazing experience. When I watch him on horseback, in motion, I see him working out what are quite difficult calculations in order to work the angle and speed of the horse in order to make jumps.

Is there something about ADHD that makes this kind of thinking ideal for this kind of activity?
Yes, it’s a fact that children with ADHD learn better when in motion. If they are moving about they learn better. When I watched him on a horse I thought, ‘Why is this working when teaching maths whilst sat in a chair doesn't?’ Kai processes things very quickly in his head and has very good spacial awareness the two things you need to be a show jumper.

How did you feel when you saw Kai on a horse for the first time?
I was crying, because I just couldn’t believe it, watching him after all the upset after he was excluded from school. I saw Kai go from being very hurt and damaged - there is still a long way to go with him - but seeing him on the horse and seeing him listening and learning so quickly and the confidence of his physique was just a magical moment. I welled up.

Why do you think it’s important that C�鶹Լ�� have made this programme?
For Kai it has proved to him that he is good and turns around any nasty labels he has been given. For other children and particularly other children with ADHD, I know how their parents will struggle. Each child will have their own skill and their own talent, it’s about finding it. It is about going out there and trying to find what your child is good at and then supporting them and generally to inspire other children.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Yes, I would like to add Kai’s position as working class and black, we don’t have a field for a garden, we don’t have a pony, but Kai is committed and determined enough to try and get into the equine world, where there are no black role models, there are black people involved but not competition, so Kai has got a long way to go. However, up to now the equine world has been so welcoming and so encouraging, they are not letting what they see as somebody who maybe shouldn’t fit in their world, stop them from encouraging Kai and I just applaud those people. I am incredibly thankful because this has been his saving grace, they have turned him around.

Kai and Jeani were speaking to Lucy McKinstry and Jon Jacob

Watch C�鶹Լ��’s My Life on Wednesday 17 February at 5.15pm
Read Natasha Dack's blog post featuring contributors from a previous My Life programme, 'Mr Alzheimer's and Me'

Our School 2

2015-12-31T10:00:00+00:00

Staff and pupils from Greenwood Academy, Birmingham

Ahead of the second series of C�鶹Լ��'s fly-on-the-wall documentary series Our School, we find out a little bit more about the trials and tribulations of filming the pupils in a secondary school for a year and how the hard work paid off.

So – where do you start when it comes to making a fixed rig series in a secondary school?

We’ve all seen One Born Every Minute, 24 Hours in A&E, and various other fly-on-the-wall documentaries where fixed rigs are used to capture the majority of the content.

For the epic 15-part production that is Our School 2 we had 24 remote control cameras fixed in place around the school.

Luckily TwoFour Productions come with a huge amount of expertise from making the successful Educating... brand for Channel 4. We don’t have big budgets at C�鶹Լ�� and we are telling a rather different story.

We make this programme in order to show Year 6 students that everything will be OK when they make the move to ‘big school’.

We also wanted to empower the Year 7s that we worked with – they’re the little ones in their new school, and through their involvement in Our School, they grew in confidence. It’s the students who are at the centre of this series, not the teachers.

For this series we worked with a school in the Castle Vale area of Birmingham. We immediately fell in love with Greenwood Academy and the head teacher, Mr French, was hugely supportive of the project.

Headteacher Mr French (centre)

It’s a smaller school than Conyers which featured in the first series, which was an advantage in terms of filming and there is a real sense of community across the school from the moment you step inside. For the first series, we filmed the Conyers pupils from September through to December so this time we thought we’d do something different.

We ‘embedded’ two producers in with the Year 7s for the first term with no fixed cameras. The producer/directors did some shooting but were primarily there to get to know everyone and to work out which storylines to follow. Just as importantly they were also there for the parents, teachers and students alike to ask any questions or air any misgivings. There were a few, there always are, but as everyone came to understand our aim for the series, they soon came on board.

The fixed rig was installed in the winter half term. We set up 24 cameras in three classrooms, two canteens, a ‘pastoral’ space, and various corridors and exterior entrance areas.Despite making 15 episodes, we used the rig for just three weeks – it’s the most expensive part of the process. A very tall order!

The entire team was really prepared. They knew who they were following and why. Four streams were recorded at any one time during a day’s filming and they were being logged as they went along. We also had roaming cameras to pick up certain events where we knew there were no fixed rigs.

There were people from the production team all over the school swapping mics from one student to another at a moment’s notice, all working off an enormously complex schedule.

Across those three weeks there were 30 people involved from TwoFour Productions – all working flat out. The ‘gallery’ was a porta-cabin hidden out of sight and the children’s interviews were done in a small room in the school building.

Those three weeks were the most intense of the entire production as 25% of the series needed to be shot using the fixed rig. During this time the story meetings went on well into the night.
Filming continued until July, culminating in the end of term talent show – which forms most of episode 15 and is a viewing must; but do have a hanky handy!

All of the staff and key children that featured in each episode watched the footage with their families and the students really enjoyed their Our School 2 experience.

They’re a feisty, eloquent and very funny bunch who ooze enthusiasm and get up to some great stuff across the series so please do make the time to get to know them.

Kez Margrie is Executive Producer of C�鶹Լ�� independents

Our School 2 launches on C�鶹Լ�� at 5pm on 5 January 2016.

A Blue Peter Badge opens doors

2015-09-14T14:53:00+00:00

Hello. My name is Harriet and I’m nine years old. I like ballet, swimming and, like a lot of people, my favourite TV programme is Blue Peter. I have been watching it for three years and look forward to watching it every Thursday.

My favourite moment ever on Blue Peter has to have been when Lindsey announced her challenge to perform a ballet – La Fille mal gardée – at the Royal Opera House in London. She was the flute boy.

There are many reasons why I love Blue Peter: the challenges are difficult; the presenters are funny and entertaining; and the things they make are things people would want to make, not things that people would get bored of easily.

A couple of months ago, my best friend and I sent in a drawing of the presenters and a letter in hope that we might get a Blue Peter badge. A couple of weeks later an envelope came in the post with my name on it. I was over the moon when I realized that it was from Blue Peter and I HAD WON A BLUE PETER BADGE! As well as the badge I received a letter that said that they had our drawing and had read our letter.

When my family and I went to visit my grandma and grandad in the school holidays, they took me to MediaCityUK as a surprise on the last day. I was soooooooooooooooo excited when mummy told me that we were going on the C�鶹Լ�� tour! As I had a Blue Peter badge I could get in for free.

As soon as we got there, we parked up and followed the signs to the Blue Peter garden. It was amazing! I saw the statue of Petra, Blue Peter’s very first dog, and the hand prints of Radzi, Barney, Lindsey, Iggy and Shelly.

We were met by our tour guides at the studios. First, we went to the C�鶹Լ�� office. There, we sat behind the desk and some people had a go at reading from an autocue. The adults and the children also did a quiz. Then we went to a radio studio and learnt some interesting facts about how they make the sound effects. After that, we went into a room with spiked foam blocks covering the walls and the ceiling, they were to 'deaden' the sound.

That part of the tour was extremely exiting, but my favourite bit of the tour by far was when we went into the Blue Peter studio. I learnt a lot and had tons of fun! I also got to walk through the entrance doors for guests while they called my name, stand behind the table where they make/cook, and I got my photo taken by the stage.

After we left the Blue Peter studio we went to the Newsround practice room. We sat on the judge panel for A Question of Sport, had a go at presenting the weather forecast, admired some Strictly Come Dancing dresses, and saw some pretty gory Horrible History props! Sadly that was the last bit of the tour.

It was a day I will never forget.

Harriet is a Blue Peter fan, aged nine.

Blue Peter is broadcast at 5pm every Thursday, and repeated at 9am every Sunday, find out more about the show on the Blue Peter website.
Read also A filming day in the life of Blue Peter
Blue Peter editor Ewan Vinnicombe wrote Blue Peter Project Petra: Making history
Read Jon Jacob's post Restored Blue Peter mural to form part of park entrance to Television Centre

I was Gordon the Gopher

2015-09-09T14:31:28+00:00

Going Live hosts Sarah Greene, Phillip Schofield and Gordon The Gopher

My name is Paul, and I was Gordon the Gopher.

It does feel a little like a confession every time I say it. Of course, the truth is that these days I am really Head of Editorial Standards and Independents for �鶹Լ�� Network Radio, and then, I was really the producer of the Broom Cupboard with Phillip Schofield on �鶹Լ�� One. I was neither the first Broom Cupboard producer, nor even the first person to operate that puppet, but I did look after Gordon right through to the end of Going Live in 1993.

‘Waggling’ Gordon was just one of the jobs the producer had to do in the small room - normally used by the �鶹Լ�� one announcer - that became the iconic base for children’s programmes on the �鶹Լ��. None of us were puppeteers, and to be fair, no one had any idea how popular Phillip and Gordon would become. And we could be rubbish! So it came as quite a shock when mainstream entertainment shows in peak time, like Brain Conley’s ITV show, started to parody us. It was also incredibly exciting to get invitations from Spitting Image, Noel’s House Party and Graham Norton to appear. We even switched on some Christmas lights once, but I can’t remember where... wherever it was, we had arrived.

What made all of this particularly odd was that Phillip and I would work in a tiny office in TV Centre with a secretary to help with the (mountains) of post and no one would really have much to do with us. We’d run down to �鶹Լ�� One continuity every day with a pile of letters, props and a rough idea of what we were going to do, chuck out the announcer, switch on the lights and camera, and off we went. Live on �鶹Լ�� One. Unscripted, all made up. We played the graphics off a �鶹Լ�� Micro, and recorded the output on a series of 5 VHS tapes labelled Monday to Friday which got reused every week. (This is why all the tapes of the broom cupboard are owned by fans... there are none in the �鶹Լ�� archives).

I would chat to my line managers a little, and sometimes have a routine with the Deputy Head of �鶹Լ�� Children’s, to go through future plans, but I can’t honestly remember having any creative conversations beyond: ‘promote the programmes… don’t waste time on anything else'. I’m very proud of the part we played in putting Children’s �鶹Լ�� at the heart of daily life for children in the UK. It was like a club, and you could be a member just by watching.

It was innovative, even Gordon wasn’t a conventional children’s character with his tendency to get bored and yawn during interviews with pop stars like Bros, but as the 30th anniversary of the Broom Cupboard approaches, I know all of this was ‘of its time’.

Even in 2002 it was obvious how things had changed, and how hard making an impact had become. I was a big part of launching the new C�鶹Լ�� and CBeebies channels. Now, in the digital age, the solutions are even harder to find, but I have noticed something: the Vloggers on YouTube and Radio 1 look like they are sitting in a broom cupboard… hmm, now that is interesting.

Paul Smith is Head of Editorial Standards

Read all about C�鶹Լ�� 30th anniversary: Hacker’s Birthday Bash

A filming day in the life of Blue Peter

2015-08-26T15:00:00+00:00

Thursdays are sacrosanct in the Blue Peter diary, they’re the day that the live programme is filmed and broadcast each and every week. The About the �鶹Լ�� team were invited by Editor Ewan Vinnicombe to Media City UK in Salford, to take a look around where the show is based, and to document a day in the life of the longest running children's magazine show in the world:

Upon arrival we clock this placard of the unmistakeable iconic Blue Peter logo. Along with bunting and barriers, it helps mark out the performance area in the piazza for the afternoon’s live outdoor show. The logo has stayed the same for the 57 years the show has been on air and is a constant in the lives of many a generation.

Onlookers are left in no doubt what is being filmed here today as a huge screen animates the show's title in front of the Blue Peter Garden. The weather looks a little undecided, but �鶹Լ�� Breakfast weather presenter Carol Kirkwood mentioned the show was outside today and thankfully forecast sunshine for the afternoon.

For the time being however, it's a bit chilly. Having been greeted by our host Ewan, we are then introduced to the show's presenters who are completely charming, explaining that they'll be in their 'proper clothes' after these rehearsals. For now though, it's definitely coats on weather.

Rehearsals with the production crew start at 2pm, but in the meantime a crowd of children start to take an interest in what's going on.

By the time the young audience is on set to film pre-recorded cutaways for the musical performance, the sun is out and everyone’s warmed up and ready to dance, with a little bit of helpful choreography from presenter Lindsey and Floor Manager Carmella and Researcher Portia..

Onlookers are invited to join the audience members, as long as they will still be there when the show goes out live, and their parents are on-site to see their starring role.

Tucked away behind the filming area there is an homage to the Italian sunken garden that stood in Television Centre from 1974-2012. Established by Percy Thrower who was the Blue Peter gardener from 1974-1987, our memory of that garden was of somewhere quite secret, with high walls. The Blue Peter garden in Salford has no such walls and is open to the public, meaning we could get a look at something we remembered, but never thought we'd see...

These hand and foot prints, made by presenters Peter Purves, John Noakes, Simon Groom and a shoeless Lesley Judd in 1978 when the garden was opened, were carefully transferred to the new garden in 2012. The paw prints are from the Blue Peter pets at the time, Shep, Goldie, Jack, Jill and Freda the tortoise. Blue Peter has featured had many pets on the show since 1962.

The current presenters also put their prints in the garden. Barney, Lindsey and Radzi are the 35th, 36th and 37th presenters of Blue Peter respectively. They have a way to go to catch up with the longest serving presenters Konnie Huq (female) and John Noakes (male).

Petra was the first television pet, and this statue was outside TVC until being moved to the Blue Peter garden in 1984, and then on to Salford. Her moniker was recently given to Project Petra, a competition in collaboration with MI5, to search for three ‘C�鶹Լ�� Intelligence Officers’.

The current animals on the show, are Shelley the tortoise and Iggy (pictured) who is continuing a tradition of Blue Peter’s association of working with Guide Dogs UK, a tradition that began with Honey in 1964, whose training was paid for by viewers sending in foil wrappers and milk bottle tops. Iggy is going through her guide dog training at the moment and will graduate in early 2016.

Today, however, is a day off from study and Iggy clearly loves the attention as Lindsey and C�鶹Լ�� presenter Karim (right) make lots of fuss of her.

While nosing around the Blue Peter garden (and resisting the urge to nab some veg from the blooming Blue Peter allotment) we bumped into set designer Emma busy tending to it all.

On this day, the set she designed was empty (because they were filming outside) but we had a look around anyway. It’s a 360 degree design, something Ewan was keen to experiment with.

On entering the studio - aware we were experiencing something few had the chance to do - we immediately wanted to try our hand at standing in front of the desk and presenting. What also struck us was how much smaller and, well, greyer it appeared than on TV, a testament to the magic of cameras and lights, of which there are many.

The ceiling is an extensive lighting rig that every week is tested by the variety of items featured on the show. Lee the lighting director creates a bespoke lighting arrangement for every programme. Over 100 lights including many energy saving LEDs help to make the Blue Peter set shine. The show is environmentally conscientious and uses the albert+ sustainable production rating system.

We were also shown round the ‘Make Room’, where the ‘here’s one I made earlier’ magic happens – sadly there was no sign of the sticky back plastic box.

Then, in a room, usually only accessible by staff, we were shown some of the props from the show, including Blue Peter helmets from the many risky challenges presenters have done over the years, a huge box of Blue Peter badges (although this may have been empty) and Helen Skelton’s vessel with which she kayaked the entire length of the River Amazon for Sport Relief (that’s it in the red wrapping).

This store room is also home to a bit of Blue Peter treasure: Ewan guided us over bags of costumes and other props, and then pointed to something tucked away on a shelf -'do you know what that is?' We did, but were almost too scared to say, in case our hopes were dashed and it wasn't true.

It was the original Blue Peter time capsule that was buried in 1971, dug up in 2000, along with another capsule buried in 1984. Also in 2000 Katy Hill, Konnie Huq, Simon Thomas and Matt Baker buried another capsule to be dug up in 29 years (2029), the same amount of time as the original was underground for.

Nosing around complete we got back to the show: it’s broadcast live at 5pm and just one hour before that at 4pm, the cast and crew have a ‘dress rehearsal’ run through the episode. Here is a view of the gallery as it begins.

We got an insight into what the presenters hear in their earpieces, how intricate the timing of a live show with VT sections is and just how rhythmical filming a live music performance is as camera cues are called out in time to the song.

Following the dress rehearsal any last minute editorial changes are discussed amongst the team in a whirlwind notes session, including editor (and our host for the day) Ewan Vinnicombe (centre), digital producer Emma (first left), live producer Jamie (second left), series producer Zoe (next to Ewan) director Martin (next to Zoe). We're struck how calm and composed everyone is, even though we are just minutes away from live transmission.

After these last minute tweaks the show goes live at 5pm.

Here, in their 'proper clothes', Barney, Lindsey and Radzi get ready to introduce a section of the show about Seated Volleyball.

Presenters join the GB Seated Volleyball Team to learn how to play the sport.

Musical guest Fuse ODG tweets followers that he is performing live in 10 minutes.

This external content is available at its source: Fuse ODG's Blue Peter Tweet

“Do we get to keep the badges?” Fuse ODG’s backing vocalists proudly display their Blue Peter badges and check on some technical details before they perform.

Then, all too soon it’s 5.30pm, and the end of show is already upon us. The boom camera swoops up as presenters and audience wave to the sky, and like the maritime flag that Blue Peter is named after, we realise 'this vessel is ready to leave'.

The show is over, for another week, the equipment is packed down and put away, Emma has to undress the trees.

Everything is wheeled back inside and the Blue Peter placard makes its way back to the studio. It’s all over … until next week.

Blue Peter is broadcast at 5.30pm every Thursday, and repeated at 9am every Sunday, find out more about the show on the Blue Peter website.

Read also Ewan's blog Blue Peter Project Petra: Making history
And Restored Blue Peter mural to form part of park entrance to Television Centre

C�鶹Լ�� Newsround: How do you tell difficult stories to children?

2015-08-05T09:00:00+00:00

C�鶹Լ�� Newsround Hiroshima video

Thursday 6 August sees the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. It was an event that shaped the world for everyone growing up in its aftermath, including children today. But how do you go about telling such a difficult story for children? It’s a question that I get asked often as Editor of Newsround, and it’s a question that the programme team wrestle with on a daily basis: how do we explain a complex and sometimes troubling world in a safe and appropriate manner for our young audience?

Fortunately, at Newsround we are always building on the experience of our predecessors, stretching back to 1972, when the �鶹Լ�� launched the world’s first ever children’s TV news service. Newsround has never shied away from tackling the difficult stories of the day, whether it was commercial whaling in the Seventies, the Challenger Shuttle Disaster in 1986, the 9/11 attacks or more recently tackling bereavement, natural disasters and the war in Afghanistan through our Newsround specials. What marked out all of these examples is the way that Newsround brought these stories to children in a way that was both comprehensible and understood the special responsibility that comes with reporting for young people.

Today, we follow the same principles. The first question we ask ourselves is whether a story affects children or is important to them. If it is, we look at how we might be able to tell it in a way which minimises any distress. We are particularly careful about distressing footage, as it is the thing most likely to upset children but for some stories the only available footage can be upsetting. One way of dealing with this is by using animation, this is something we have employed in our film about Hiroshima to tell the story of a survivor of the attacks. It is also something we use on breaking stories like the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Animation is not an easy process but it does allow us to give children essential information about what is going on in the world in a way which is right for them.

Context is also extremely important to us. We are aware that in many cases we are telling a story to an audience which is hearing it for the first time, so it is important for us to properly explain the background to events. It is something we have been careful to do in our film on Hiroshima.

We also try to provide reassurance to our young audience, wherever possible. Context can also have an important role to play here. Many children can gain reassurance just from a simple explanation that events like terror attacks and plane crashes are rare and unlikely to affect them directly. For a generation used to finding out information online, our guides to major stories like the Syria conflict aim to answer the questions they might have about issues that are troubling them. We also have an online guide to help children who are upset by the news, wherever they have heard it.

Finally, although we take our role in reporting difficult stories to children very seriously, it’s also important to let children know that the world is not just one filled with difficult and troubling events. It’s also a world filled with inspiration, wonder and downright joy. We aim to reflect all of that in our content on Newsround.

Hiroshima: A Newsround Special is on C�鶹Լ�� at 5.30pm on Thursday 6th August

Lewis James is Editor, Newsround