See you CITV.

TV PM are reporting (I’m just listening to it now) that ITV have confirmed their decision to close Granada Kids which means they will no longer be producing new ITV children’s programmes, and have cancelled all commissioned shows from independents which includes My Parents are Aliens.

This means that any children’s programmes appearing on ITV1 and the CITV channel will be repeats or imports. ITV are apparently refusing interviews about the decision although the assumption is that it’s in reaction to the denial of their petition to Ofcom to remove the programming from their main channel and the new regulations regarding fast food advertising during such programmes.

One of the fundamental decision I had to make as a child was whether I was a BBC kid or ITV - Blue Peter or Magpie?Swap Shop or Tiswas? Think of a Number or How? This was one of the life choices I think we all made so that we could find out what kind of people we are. Obviously this has disolved in the multi-channel world, and no wonder most kids look so confused and restless. But it also used to be that this brand loyalty would continue into adulthood – if ITV aren’t grabbing people when they’re young, who will be watching in a decade’s time?