BabyFirstTV claims the following "unique programming elements" that aspire to create a "safe and enjoyable experience" for parents and babies, including:
80 percent original content, such as Rainbow Horse, Sandman, I Can Sign. This is less repetition for baby than a single DVD, which features 20-30 minutes of content;
Award-winning content from popular DVD brands (Brainy Baby, First Impressions, So Smart, etc.);
Interactive subtitles to guide parents as they interact with baby;
A color-coded programming guide to demonstrate the educational value of each segment;
Stimulating daytime and soothing night/naptime content;
Multi-layer content that is adaptable to all levels of a baby’s development;
And coming this summer, programming geared toward parents offering tips and advice.
The 24-hour commercial free programming aspect is appealing. Being able to turn to a channel that has something age appropriate always on could be very convenient, from a parental perspective. Although I don't know too many families that have small children up and watching TV at three in the morning - but who am I judge.
Even more than the "always on" appeal, I especially like the fact that it is commercial free. The biggest gripe I have with the cable networks geared to young viewers are the ravenous marketers and advertisers subliminally raping my kids' minds to buy their products. I can't tell you how many times I have said "no" to some product that my children absolutely insist they must have, simply because they saw it on TV.
It's not the programming in my opinion that is inherently evil, but the mind-screwing that kids are bombarded with by the product-hocking devils.
There is a lot to be said for cable that already has networks geared to children. We watch a fair amount of Nickelodeon (and their morning preschool block, Nick Jr.) and we tend to pick and choose: choosing less Romeo and Zoey 101, and more Spongebob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, and Fairly Oddparents. And Noggin offers commercial free programming for young kids throughout the day.
Article comments
1 - sal m
i would expect we'll see a lot of pros and cons with regards to the tv watching/child rearing argument as a result of this channel.
what's bound to happen is that just like with any thing else, too much of a good thing is bad and that the only thing that this channel will do is help kids develop tv watching habits.
2 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Dawn, if I remember right, cable was supposed to be commercial free - that was the big point in paying the fees. Of course, it hasn't happened that way. I never bought cable in the States simply because I refused to pay for the privilege of having some huckster hustle trash at me when I could get the same thing for free...
I can't say anything pro or con to a channel whose product I haven't seen, but there seems something obscene in marketing to infants.
3 - jlotus
Humor is too important to be left to television, Mom!!! I've got five kids and no TV and believe me, they know how to laugh. My experience with TV-toxified kids who are raised on Sponge Bob is the opposite: humorlessness and a jaded attitude that is depressing to witness in children.
If you ever decide to get rid of the television, you can find support at our website: www.whitedot.org
We're an international anti-television campaign.
Thanks for taking comments.
Jean Lotus
4 - Margaret Romao Toigo
My kids act out their favorite scenes in front of the television, which always reminds me of the behavior of full-grown adults at screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Remember when children's television shows were little more than 30 minute commercials for cereal, toys and candy and the only truly educational programs were Sesame Street and Schoolhouse Rock?
Regardless of the 24-hour news cycle and its generous contributions to pessimism and the "culture of fear,” kids have it better today than they ever did in history. Perhaps the next generation -- unlike those of us who grew up on the Big Three and PBS -- will be TV savvy enough to see obvious hyperbole for what it really is.
No television channel or network actually helps kids to develop TV watching habits because children do what their parents do, not what the television -- or even their parents -- tells them to do.
If kids see their parents or parental equivalents as "couch potatoes," they will imitate that behavior, believing that it is "normal" and expected.
5 - Dawn
Margaret, your wisdom always amazes me.
Fortunately we have no viewing habits, we watch two shows, 24, and American Idol sometimes, and our kids seem to have zero interest in either - well, sometimes Lily likes American Idol. For the most part they use the kids show as a backdrop to their playing, a lot of times they pay no attention to the TV, so we just enjoy the "relative" quiet.
6 - Tigue Burgess
We have been subscribers to Baby First TV for over a year now and we love it, of course each parent has to make up their own mind about the amount of TV watched our son has done well with it. My wife has been so passionate about it; it prompted us to start our own website KidsInfoZone.com with a Baby First TV review among other things. We like the fact that there are no ads showing the hot toy of the week etc. and everything has learning involved. Also they recently dropped the price to $4.99 per month.
7 - mary carson
it was trying to find the free baby first tv.. free gift that keep's appearing on my tv screen, [Personal contact info deleted]
8 - nathalie
you can watch babytv for free on the internet, go to the website babytvchannel.com and click 'on demand' choose your region - US
9 - Papa Nick
Free BabyTV's a tempting offer. But even quality stuff raises the BIG issue, one I saw most recently: How can a passive experience in front of a glowing screen compare to the live interaction between devoted parent (or other loving adult) and child?
10 - nathalie
if you have kids and let them watch you'll see its not just a passive experience