BabyFirst explained

BabyFirst
Picture Format:1080i HDTV
Language:English, French, German, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish
Owner:First Media
Country:United States
Headquarters:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Online Serv 1:Service(s)
Online Chan 1:DirecTV Stream, Frndly TV

BabyFirst (stylized in all lowercase since 2019) is an American pay television channel producing and distributing content for babies and toddlers from 0–3 years[1] and their parents through television, the internet, and mobile applications. The channel is owned by First Media US. [2] The content is intended to develop an infant's skills, such as color recognition, counting and vocabulary.

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

Origins

BabyFirst was announced in 2004 by Guy Oranim and Sharon Rechter.[5] [6] The network was launched on May 11, 2006, on DirecTV and made available through EchoStar's Dish Network in June 2006.[7] It is based in Los Angeles and was initially funded by Regency Enterprises, Kardan and Bellco Capital.[8] [9] The channel was controversial as the first 24-hour channel for children six months to three years in age,[9] [10] but it was popular among parents[11] [12] [13] and grew quickly.

Distribution expansion

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.[14]

By 2008, it was broadcasting in ten territories in the Asia Pacific, such as China and Korea.[15] In October 2008, SingTel started distributing the channel to the Singapore audience.[16] It was also being broadcast in Africa and Latin America.[17] In May 2008, it signed a distribution agreement with Time Warner Cable.[17] [18] [19] In 2009, HBO Asia became the exclusive distributor in Asia.[20]

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.[21] A French version was introduced with CanalSat in 2011.[22] In late 2011, it had arranged broadcasting agreements throughout Europe,[23] the Middle East,[21] [23] and Canada.[24]

A bilingual Latin and English channel, BabyFirst Americas, was launched with Comcast in 2012.[25] [26] A premium YouTube channel was introduced in June 2013.[27]

Recent history

In 2013, former ABC Network President Steven McPherson[27] 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. 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

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.[9] 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.[10]

The New York Times described the content as "decidedly unhurried," making extensive use of bright colors and upbeat music.[10] 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.[27] [9] [31] 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.

There are also 41 BabyFirst apps for mobile devices.[32] 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.

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, argue against 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]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lopez . Lopez . First Media Renews Content Partnership With China-Based Streamer iQiyi . . June 4, 2019 . June 4, 2019.
  2. News: BABYFIRST Now on Verizon Fios . September 15, 2018 . Multichannel . Media Financial Management Association . April 25, 2017 . en-us.
  3. Web site: First Media — About . April 22, 2019 . May 31, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190531083753/https://first.media/about-us/ . dead .
  4. Web site: Skilton . Alison . BabyFirst Extends Carriage in Mexico . TVKids . June 11, 2019 . June 11, 2019.
  5. Web site: Dunn . Laura . Women in Business: Sharon Rechter, co-founder of BabyFirst . . March 16, 2015 . March 16, 2015.
  6. Web site: Sharon Rechter . Israeli American Council. August 21, 2017 .
  7. News: The New York Post. May 12, 2006 . 'Screen Test' Toddler - Kid & Folks Rate Baby TV . 8 . Robinson .
  8. Web site: Round-the-Clock Channel for Infants Debuts on DirecTV. March 25, 2015. Associated Press. en-US. March 21, 2019.
  9. News: EchoStar to offer BabyFirst channel. Rocky Mountain News. June 14, 2006. Joyzelle. Davis. https://web.archive.org/web/20140921200728/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-146996029.html. dead. September 21, 2014. May 22, 2014.
  10. News: Itzkoff. Dave. TV Moves A Step Closer To the Womb. The New York Times. 1. May 21, 2006.
  11. News: Diaper Demographic; TV, Video Programming for the Under-2 Market Grows Despite Lack of Clear Educational Benefit. The Washington Post. February 24, 2007. Annys. Shin.
  12. 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.
  13. News: Clemetson. Lynette. Parents Making Use of TV Despite Risks. The New York Times. 16. May 25, 2006.
  14. News: Lafayette. Hayes. McPherson Seeks More Carriage for Kid-TV Net. Broadcasting & Cable . September 2, 2013.
  15. News: Television Asia. 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. November 1, 2008 . Wong. Christine.
  16. News: Television Asia. BabyFirstTV on SingTel's mio TV. October 1, 2008.
  17. News: 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. May 19, 2008 . Doreen. Carvaja.
  18. News: Time Warner to carry BabyFirst. Michael. Schneider. May 9, 2008. May 23, 2014.
  19. News: Flint . Joe . It's Really Here: TV for Babies . . March 29, 2015 . March 29, 2015.
  20. News: HBO Asia strikes agreement to represent BabyFirst, WarnerTV across Asia. Television Asia. December 1, 2009.
  21. News: BabyFirstTV crawls its way to U.S.. March 20, 2007. Steve. Brennan. The Hollywood Reporter. May 23, 2014.
  22. News: Fox, CanalSat members of a baby boom . December 21, 2011 . Elizabeth . Guid . Rebecca . Leffler. Hollywood Reporter. June 17, 2014.
  23. News: 24-hour TV for kids under 3 is on the air. Winnipeg Free Press. July 27, 2012. Shannon. Proudfoot.
  24. News: BabyFirst crawling onto Canadian TV. July 26, 2012. Etan. Vlessing. The Hollywood Reporter.
  25. News: Comcast to start new minority-owned cable channels. Associated Press. February 21, 2012 . Frazier. Moore.
  26. News: Comcast Outlines Plan to Carry 4 Minority-Owned Channels. The New York Times. 2. August 28, 2014.
  27. News: June 6, 2013. BabyFirst, with premium YouTube channel and new investor, expands. Los Angeles Times. DiAngelea . Miller .
  28. News: With Rich Frank on-board, BabyFirst kicks into ad mode. December 9, 2013. Wendy. Getzler. Kidscreen. June 3, 2014.
  29. News: AT&T, BabyFirst Team On U-verse App. May 8, 2014. Jeff. Baumgartner. Multichannel News. August 31, 2014. March 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310050233/http://www.multichannel.com/news/tv-apps/att-babyfirst-team-u-verse-app/374423. dead.
  30. News: Ok, I admit it: Treehouse is a parent's dream . Kate . Taylor . Globe and Mail. August 8, 2007. May 22, 2014.
  31. News: The Star Phoenix . July 27, 2007 . New network for the newly born; Commercial-free, 24-hour station for babies to launch in Canada . Shannon . Proudfoot . B8 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140809190507/http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=da6d6cd3-43a5-4da1-8a9f-7b97ae147f73 . August 9, 2014 .
  32. News: Baby Boom: Profile: BabyFirst. Spring 2014.
  33. Book: Karen Brooks. Consuming Innocence: Popular Culture and Our Children. 2008. Univ. of Queensland Press. 978-0-7022-3645-7. 129.
  34. News: BabyFirst develops baby's first apps. Nicole. Villalpando. August 24, 2012. May 23, 2014. The Statesman. July 22, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150722154939/http://www.statesman.com/news/lifestyles/parenting/babyfirst-develops-babys-first-apps-1/nRNjW/. dead.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "BabyFirst".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.