CBeebies is a British free-to-air television channel owned and operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It is aimed at young children, and was launched on 11 February 2002. It manages an international network supported by subscription services.

The CBeebies channel launched on 11 February 2002, with the first show to air being Teletubbies.^[2] The domestic CBeebies channel broadcasts from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 pm each day^[3]– a result of the channel sharing bandwidth with the channel BBC Four on the Freeview platform. The station was joined in March 2007^[4] by an audio CBeebies Radio, which broadcast for three hours each day on the radio station BBC Radio 7, however since the station was rebranded as BBC Radio 4 Extra in April 2011, this obligation has ceased. CBeebies Radio, however, has continued as a feature on the channel's website since 2013. A magazine called CBeebies Weekly (now called CBeebies Magazine) was first published in 2006.

Since 27 March 2013, CBeebies has been carried by the British Forces Broadcasting Service, sharing a channel with BFBS Extra.^[5] The UK channel is also available in the Republic of Ireland.

BBC Studios owns and operates the international CBeebies feeds, with most of them operating on a 24-hour schedule.

The first international launch for the CBeebies channel was in India in May 2007, although the channel was withdrawn at the end of November 2012 due to "commercial considerations".^[6]. The Polish CBeebies channel was launched in December 2007, while feeds in Latin America, Asia, South Africa and Australia were launched in 2008. In March 2011, the on demand version of the network was launched in the US and is available on Xfinity.

On 13 May 2011, CBeebies was launched as a programme block on the channel BBC Kids in Canada, available on weekdays between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. It is serving a similar schedule to the main channel. The block ceased alongside its main channel on 31 December 2018, with some programmes moving to Knowledge Network.

In April 2015, BBC Worldwide signed with South Korean broadcaster KBS and Japanese broadcaster Kids Station to launch CBeebies blocks on both channels.^[7]

In April 2016, a channel for the MENA region was launched.

On 10 March 2017, CBeebies Asia was launched in Taiwan, replacing BBC Entertainment. CBeebies Asia has already launched in Hong Kong, South Korea, Myanmar, the Philippines, Mongolia, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. On 13 April 2017, the localised CBeebies feed for Latin America ceased transmissions along with BBC Earth and BBC Entertainment.

On April 5, 2018, a Turkish feed was launched on Digiturk in Turkey.

In September 2018 as part of a branding strategy, the unbranded 2 hour children's block on BBC Alba was split into CBeebies Alba and CBBC Alba, with the former airing during the first hour and the latter airing during the second hour. This block features its own presentation, presenters and shows all dubbed into Scottish Gaelic.

In the UK, CBeebies is operated by the BBC Children's division and part of BBC North. The division is also responsible for CBBC and overall strategic responsibility for all of the BBC's domestic services for children rests with the Director of Children's, Alice Webb (since 2015).^[8] The direction of the domestic CBeebies channel itself rested with Kay Benbow, the last Controller of the channel commissioning all CBeebies content across BBC television, online, interactive TV, and radio.^[9] She took over from the first controller Michael Carrington in 2010.^[10] In 2017 it was announced that the CBeebies controller post will close in December 2017 and all content for the CBeebies brand would be commissioned by a new, pan BBC Children's role entitled Head of Content.^[11]

Internationally, CBeebies is owned by BBC Studios, who operate the brand.

The links between programmes on CBeebies are primarily achieved through the use of in-vision continuity, using presenters to interact with the children. In the UK, links are pre-recorded rather than broadcast live, as is the case on sister channel CBBC. They were originally pre recorded from studio TC0 at BBC Television Centre in London, however, moved out in 2008 to Teddington Studios, and returned briefly in 2010. From September 2011, the links have been based at the BBC's Northern base at dock10, MediaCityUK, following the move of the BBC Children's department there. International variants feature broadcast links produced either in the corresponding country or from a central base.

As well as hosting some of the shows, a number of presenters fill the gaps between the CBeebies shows, speaking directly to the child, leading activities based on a topic from the CBeebies website, showing viewers' birthday cards, and introducing the shows. Many of the presenters have histories as characters on other services or on children's programmes.

In the UK, presenters seen on the channel and the stranded service are:

Former presenters:

The longest serving member is Andy Day who has introduced the programmes, along with most of the other presenters, for just over a decade (12 years).

The international variants feature different personalities per broadcast region.

In the UK, the CBeebies channel uses stranded segments throughout the day.

On 10 March 2003^[19] a segment called the Bedtime Hour was aired.

From 3 April^[20] to 19 December 2004, each weekend afternoon was divided into five segments, which were presented by one of the then-current presenters, namely Chris Jarvis, Nicole Davis, Pui Fan Lee, Sidney Sloane and Sue Monroe. Each was given a core theme (for instance Sid's segment included "building and making" programmes such as Bob the Builder, Sue's included arts and crafts theme programmes and so on). The five segments aired from 1:00 pm until 6:00 pm; the segmentation was later dispensed in December 2004. For many months after, though, the presenters still wore their respective colours. They also cropped up in props used in links, such as coloured plates.

The five coloured room sections ran from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm and included the following:

A new strand entitled the Carrot Club was introduced in 2003, which had a female voiceover presenting where we are shown to toddlers running around and playing with toys. A new strand entitled Pick and Play was shown for the first time in June 2004,^[26] in which viewers contacted CBeebies via the website and other means to suggest programmes they would like to see. Also, in September 2005,^[27] a new strand called Bear and Butterfly launched, showing on weekend mornings. Presented by a cartoon bear (voiced by Chris Jarvis) and butterfly (voiced by Sue Monroe), and with an occasional appearance from a caterpillar, the characters interacted in an animated environment. They also showed pictures that had been sent in on their Message Tree.

New strands were introduced on 3 April 2006; Get Set Go from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, Explorers from 9:00 am to 10:00 am and 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, Busy Beebies from 10:00 am to 11:45 am and 2:00 pm to 3:45 pm, Story Corner from 11:45 am to 12:00 pm and 3:45 pm to 4:00 pm and Little Lunchers from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. The Bedtime Hour was retained.^[28]

On 19 March 2007,^[29] these segments were dropped (apart from Get Set Go and Bedtime Hour) and modified to denote the time of day and the levels of activity, including:

When these segments were initially introduced, each segment featured its own presenting team and set, with Chris Jarvis and Pui Fan Lee (Alex Winters and Cerrie Burnell after they left in January 2009) presenting Discover and Do in the CBeebies "living room"; Lunch Time in the "kitchen"; Bedtime Hour in the "bedroom"; Sidney Sloane (plus Andy Day when he joined the channel later in 2007) presenting Get, Set, Go! in the "living room" and Big Fun Time in the "garage". However, since moving production to Manchester this is no longer the case, with the exception of Bedtime Hour which is presented from the area nearest the house's bed.

While the lunchtime story is usually read by one of the regular presenters, the final show of each day, the Bedtime Story (known as Stòiridh in Gaelic) is read by a guest storyteller, including well known actors, comedians, and past presenters of BBC children's television. Some notable storytellers in this slot have included James McAvoy, Simon Pegg, David Hasselhoff, Lulu, Damian Lewis, Rosamund Pike, Toby Stephens, David Tennant, Ben Faulks, Michael Rosen, Floella Benjamin, Shayne Ward, Chris Evans, Big Bird, Tom Hardy, Dolly Parton and Sir Elton John.

In an unusual move, James Bolam appeared on "Bedtime Story" in costume and in character as Grandpa from Grandpa in My Pocket, not as himself.

Lesser-known storytellers James Blishen and Elliot King have appeared in and taken inspiration from CBeebies' storytime slot, with a programme for James in pre-planning called 'Storytime with James'.

On 16 July 2013, the BBC announced that a high-definition (HD) simulcast of CBeebies would be launched by early 2014.^[30] The channel launched on 10 December 2013, though was rolled-out nationwide up to June 2014 (as did BBC News HD and BBC Four HD).^[31] The channel broadcasts on the BBC's new HD multiplex on Freeview and shares its stream with BBC Four HD as they air at different times. Prior to launch, the majority of CBeebies' HD output was broadcast on BBC HD before its closure on 26 March 2013.

The CBeebies website coincided with the launch of the UK channel in February 2002 and showcases a child friendly site with activities themed to all CBeebies programmes, past and present, with games, songs and print-outs featuring for nearly all shows. The UK version also features links to CBeebies iPlayer, a child friendly version of the BBC iPlayer featuring CBeebies programmes only, to CBeebies radio player and a dedicated micro site containing advice for raising children and toddlers called CBeebies Grown-ups, which was relaunched in 2011.^[32][33][34]

The international channels and associated websites are run by BBC Studios. As a result, not all of them are the same and some channels have less extensive websites than other services. CBeebies channels in Asia, Australia, Poland, South Africa and the USA all have their own international variant.

BBC Video (and later 2Entertain) have released several VHS/DVD compilations featuring shows airing on CBeebies at the time. As of 2014, Abbey Home Media releases the compilations.

Five CBeebies-branded CDs have been released, 'CBeebies: The Official Album' in 2002, 'My CBeebies Album' in 2006, 'My CBeebies Album (Christmas Edition)' in 2007, 'CBeebies: Song Time' in 2010, and 'CBeebies: The Album' in 2012.

CBeebies Land opened in May 2014. Designed as a retheme of the previous Storybook Land and Old McDonald's Farmyard areas of the Alton Towers Resort theme park, it contains a range of themed rides, attractions and live entertainment based around various popular CBeebies programmes. It offers various indoor and outdoor activities aimed at making an immersive and interactive world for children and young families.

The site based within Alton Towers Resort in Staffordshire includes some of the more popular characters from the original channel for guests to meet. Described as a 'fun environment for pre-schoolers to play and learn' by critics.^[35]

At the start of the year, the theme park sporadically released information on the characters involved in the development via their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Stephen Gould, commercial director at DHX Media who licence In the Night Garden... commented, "We are extremely excited to be working in partnership with BBC Worldwide, Merlin Entertainments and Alton Towers Resort on this new venture. In The Night Garden is the ideal draw brand to provide a fun, nurturing, inspiring and immersive environment for CBeebies Land and its visitors."^[38]

The fourth reveal on 7 January was that of Nina and the Neurons^[39] Based around the popular show which sees Nina, with the help of her animated sense Neurons, explain how and why the world around us works as it does. Nina's Science Lab will bring together the Neurons to show how they control your five senses. In a hands-on scientific attraction, children will learn how their bodies work and what they do.^[40]

The UK channel and the programmes it has broadcast have received a number of awards throughout the years. In 2002, the Cbeebies Interactive TV Services was nominated in the Best Interactive Service category and CBeebies Online was nominated in the same category in 2005 at the BAFTA Children's Awards. The channel was awarded Best Children's Channel and Highly Commended at the Broadcast Digital Channel Awards 2006,^[41] however only achieved a nomination in 2007^[42] and 2008.^[43] The channel was also named Children's Channel of the Year at the BAFTA Children's awards in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007,^[44] 2009, 2010,^[45] 2011,^[46] 2013, 2014 and 2016^[47] and was nominated for Channel of the Year in 2008^[48]

The CBeebies UK website was nominated Best Interactive Site at the 2007 BAFTA Children's awards,^[44] and the brand as a whole also won the Best Design and Innovation award by the Royal Television Society, whose awarding panel said "Its website is an integral part of the brand, with its TV production and online teams working together to create innovative game play and immersive web experiences."^[49]