BabyFirst
BabyFirst (stylized in all lowercase since 2019) is an American pay television channel producing and distributing content for babies from 0–3 years[1] and their parents through television, the internet, and mobile applications. The channel is owned by First Media US, Fremantle, Mediacorp and RTL.[2] The content is intended to develop an infant's skills, such as color recognition, counting and vocabulary.
| Country | United States, Singapore |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English, French, German, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | First Media: |
| History | |
| Launched | May 11, 2006 |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Service(s) | DirecTV Stream, Frndly TV, MeWatch |
The network is based in Los Angeles, California and is available in over 120 million homes in 33 countries and in 13 languages.[3][4]
History edit
Origins edit
BabyFirst was announced in 2004[5] by Guy Oranim and Sharon Rechter.[6][7][8] The network was launched on May 11, 2006, on DirecTV and made available through EchoStar's Dish Network in June 2006.[9][10] It is based in Los Angeles and was initially funded by Regency Enterprises, Kardan and Bellco Capital.[11][12] The channel was controversial as the first 24-hour channel for children six months to three years in age,[12][13] but it was popular among parents[14][15][16] and grew quickly.[9]
Distribution expansion edit
In the 2000s, the Federal Trade Commission responded to a complaint by the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood alleging that BabyFirst's advertising that it helped babies develop skills was misleading. The FTC did not impose any sanctions.[9][17]
By 2008, it was broadcasting in ten territories in the Asia Pacific, such as China and Korea.[18] In October 2008, SingTel started distributing the channel to the Singapore audience.[19] It was also being broadcast in Africa and Latin America.[9] In May 2008, it signed a distribution agreement with Time Warner Cable.[9][20][21] In 2009, HBO Asia became the exclusive distributor in Asia.[22]
In 2011, the network obtained agreements to distribute the channel in the United Kingdom through the BSkyB satellite network as well as in Mexico through Sky Mexico and Cablevision.[23] A French version was introduced with CanalSat in 2011.[5] In late 2011, it had arranged broadcasting agreements throughout Europe,[24] the Middle East,[23][24] and Canada.[25]
A bilingual Latin and English channel, BabyFirst Americas, was launched with Comcast in 2012.[26][27] A premium YouTube channel was introduced in June 2013.[6]
Recent history edit
In 2013, former ABC Network President Steven McPherson[6] and Rich Frank, the former chairman of Disney Channel[28] became investors and board members as the company worked to develop new content and improve advertising revenues.[28] In May 2014, BabyFirst and AT&T U-verse released a co-developed second-screen app for mobile devices for children to interact with the television programming through tablets or smartphones.[29]
Programming edit
The television channel provides 24-hour programming for babies.[30] About 90 percent of the 90 shows it produces are original content created at its studios.[12][31] Acquired programs include Mio Mao, Squeak!, Teletubbies, Bob the Builder: Ready, Steady, Build!, The Very Small Creatures and Word Party. The format of the network limits each of the network's presentations to three to five minutes of length that are either live-action or animated.[13][31]
The New York Times described the content as "decidedly unhurried," making extensive use of bright colors and upbeat music.[13] Programming development is said to be guided by child psychology experts and is designed to encourage a child's skills development, such as counting, vocabulary and color recognition.[6][12][24][32] The channel logo in the corner changes colors to indicate the skills a segment is intended to develop. Late-night programming is intended to lull viewers to sleep.[13]
There are also 41 BabyFirst apps for mobile devices.[31] An app available to AT&T U-verse viewers allows children to draw on a mobile device and have the drawing appear on the television screen.[29]
Some experts argue that exposing children to television at such an early age is taking technology too far or that parents are using the channel as a digital babysitter. Parents, in turn, refute that argument, claiming that experts have lost touch with the realities of raising a child.[33] The firm suggests the programming is intended to be watched by parents and their children together in an interactive way.[34]
References edit
- ^ Lopez, Lopez (June 4, 2019). "First Media Renews Content Partnership With China-Based Streamer iQiyi". Yahoo. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "BABYFIRST Now on Verizon Fios". Multichannel. Media Financial Management Association. April 25, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
- ^ . Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ Skilton, Alison (June 11, 2019). "BabyFirst Extends Carriage in Mexico". TVKids. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
- ^ a b Guid, Elizabeth; Leffler, Rebecca (December 21, 2011). "Fox, CanalSat members of a baby boom". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Miller, DiAngelea (June 6, 2013). "BabyFirst, with premium YouTube channel and new investor, expands". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Dunn, Laura (March 16, 2015). "Women in Business: Sharon Rechter, co-founder of BabyFirst". HuffPost. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
- ^ "Sharon Rechter". Israeli American Council. August 21, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Carvaja, Doreen (May 19, 2008). "What can TV do for your baby? 2 channels specialized in child fare are thriving, but critics cite risks of too much viewing". International Herald Tribune.
- ^ Robinson (May 12, 2006). "'Screen Test' Toddler - Kid & Folks Rate Baby TV". The New York Post. p. 8.
- ^ "Round-the-Clock Channel for Infants Debuts on DirecTV". Associated Press. March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Davis, Joyzelle (June 14, 2006). . Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on September 21, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Itzkoff, Dave (May 21, 2006). "TV Moves A Step Closer To the Womb". The New York Times. p. 1.
- ^ Shin, Annys (February 24, 2007). "Diaper Demographic; TV, Video Programming for the Under-2 Market Grows Despite Lack of Clear Educational Benefit". The Washington Post.
- ^ Karen B. TV for tots a turnoff. Courier Mail, The (Brisbane) [serial online]. October 14, 2009;:33. Available from: Newspaper Source Plus, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 22, 2014.
- ^ Clemetson, Lynette (May 25, 2006). "Parents Making Use of TV Despite Risks". The New York Times. p. 16.
- ^ Lafayette, Hayes (September 2, 2013). "McPherson Seeks More Carriage for Kid-TV Net". Broadcasting & Cable.
- ^ Wong, Christine (November 1, 2008). "Crossing the channels: despite the economic crisis, this year has seen a slew of new channels roll out in the region, with some still set to launch". Television Asia.
- ^ "BabyFirstTV on SingTel's mio TV". Television Asia. October 1, 2008.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (May 9, 2008). "Time Warner to carry BabyFirst". Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ^ Flint, Joe (March 29, 2015). "It's Really Here: TV for Babies". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
- ^ "HBO Asia strikes agreement to represent BabyFirst, WarnerTV across Asia". Television Asia. December 1, 2009.
- ^ a b Brennan, Steve (March 20, 2007). "BabyFirstTV crawls its way to U.S." The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ^ a b c Proudfoot, Shannon (July 27, 2012). "24-hour TV for kids under 3 is on the air". Winnipeg Free Press.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (July 26, 2012). "BabyFirst crawling onto Canadian TV". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Moore, Frazier (February 21, 2012). "Comcast to start new minority-owned cable channels". Associated Press.
- ^ "Comcast Outlines Plan to Carry 4 Minority-Owned Channels". The New York Times. p. 2. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ a b Getzler, Wendy (December 9, 2013). "With Rich Frank on-board, BabyFirst kicks into ad mode". Kidscreen. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
- ^ a b Baumgartner, Jeff (May 8, 2014). . Multichannel News. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ^ Taylor, Kate (August 8, 2007). "Ok, I admit it: Treehouse is a parent's dream". Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Baby Boom: Profile: BabyFirst". Spring 2014.
- ^ Proudfoot, Shannon (July 27, 2007). . The Star Phoenix. pp. B8. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014.
- ^ Karen Brooks (2008). Consuming Innocence: Popular Culture and Our Children. Univ. of Queensland Press. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-7022-3645-7.
- ^ Villalpando, Nicole (August 24, 2012). . The Statesman. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
External links edit
- www
.babyfirsttv .com, official website - first
.media, First Media company website