Sustaining citizenship and civil society
The CBBC Channel offers content that both introduces and helps children to learn about issues facing the world in which they live.

The primary focus of this work is Newsround, the only targeted UK news service for children, which has recently been extended through the launch of an online learning module that gives our young viewers the opportunity to acquire basic skills in journalism and share their stories.

Specifically this year:

• The debut of two Newsround Investigates documentaries taking an in-depth look at arson and child poverty.
• A new drama on the London bombings, providing children with a different take on events.
• We will start to reinvigorate the range and impact of our factual programme portfolio.

Promoting education and learning
The CBBC Channel aims to offer opportunities for incidental learning and life skills development through much of its factual and other output. Examples include the new factual programmes Beat the Boss, Level Up and Roar.

Television output is supported and enhanced by our extensive and comprehensive web presence. We will continue to investigate new technologies to ensure that our website offers a safe place on the web where children can discover more about topics relevant to them and also connect with other children in a pre-moderated environment.

This year:

• We will launch a Healthy Eating Active campaign and will take part in the pan-BBC Sport Relief campaign with additional original material.
• We will celebrate the Queen’s 80th Birthday.
• We will broadcast Evacuation, a documentary reality show where a group of city kids experience a mock evacuation from their homes to live in the country and see life on a 1940s farm.

Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence
The CBBC Channel invests significantly in home-grown, original programming to create a mixed-genre schedule with a distinctive UK character throughout the day.

Our UK drama and entertainment, such as The Story of Tracy Beaker and Kerching!, help empower children by feeding their imagination and providing some welcome relief from the pressures of their daily lives.

Our unique live presentation links allow genuine and instant interaction with our audience and we continue to take great care in presenting content that is specifically tailored for them in the most appropriate and engaging ways. We aim to co-produce a high-quality UK animation during this period.

The CBBC Channel will have a similar balance of originated and acquired programmes throughout the day, including peak viewing hours. The service will also deliver a mixed schedule in peak time and maintain a low repeat level on the channel.

This year’s highlights will include:

• New drama and entertainment programmes, such as Young Dracula and Raven Adventure, a spin-off of the successful series Raven.
• The return of Jackanory to CBBC.
• New UK animation with Shaun the Sheep and The Secret Show.

Reflecting the UK’s nations, regions and communities
The CBBC Channel prides itself on the diversity of faces on screen and will continue to portray people from a wide range of backgrounds and of differing abilities.

We will continue to play a role in introducing our audience to community involvement and responsibility through output such as Blue Peter, with its charity appeals and regular, locally based and inspiring featured stories; Newsround, which captures the world we live in; and other pan-BBC campaigns.

BBC Two nations will opt into The CBBC Channel to cater for children whose summer holidays start earlier in the year.

This year’s highlights will include:

• Desperado, a new drama series relating the ups and downs of a wheelchair basketball team.
• A celebration of Grange Hill’s 30th anniversary.

Bringing the world to the UK and the UK to the world
Our focus is on UK-based programming, but we still offer our viewers the chance to see the world and its diversity of peoples and cultures through a range of programming. We will continue to enhance local content by acquiring the best international children’s programmes.

This year:

• The fourth edition of the Serious... strand will take a group of children to the Andes to experience life in the South American mountains.
• Blue Peter will continue its rich tradition of bringing the world to UK children.

Building digital Britain
CBBC is a digital channel. We complement our linear programming with interactive, digital content across the multiple genres, enabling audiences to participate or to deepen their experience of a programme. bbc.co.uk/cbbc is an important connection with this audience age group and continues to drive significant unique users and reach to the service.

Last year, The CBBC Channel once more performed strongly in what is becoming an increasingly competitive marketplace, and reach rose to new levels among digital children. bbc.co.uk/cbbc also saw substantial growth, with a 50% year-on-year increase in page impressions. However, the upcoming launch of new targeted services on Freeview will put the channel under increased pressure and it is anticipated that both share and reach will decline in real terms.

CBBC’s challenge is to ensure that its output remains both suitable and exciting for 6–12 year olds who are at an age when their tastes and fashions are constantly changing.

In the year ahead, we will continue to provide innovative, tailored, high-quality programming with learning and interactive opportunities across our genre mix and throughout the schedule, delivering added impact to our broadcast output. Our key priorities are to:

• Launch new programmes, including a factual magazine and new UK dramas such as I Spy.
• Enhance our interactive and online proposition with new content such as CBBC World and a relaunched gaming site that in part provides services for children with special educational needs.

The following targets are agreed with Ofcom each calendar year:

• 70% of hours to be originations (original productions include all BBC-commissioned programming, including originations and all repeats of programming first shown on any BBC public service channel).
• CBBC will ensure that around 75% of the channel’s output and investment is made in the EU/EEA.

And in conjunction with other BBC network television services:

• To spend at least 30% of relevant programme production budgets, representing 25% of hours of productions by volume, outside the M25.
• To maintain the current broad range of programmes produced outside the M25, and broad range of different production centres used across the UK.