“We’ve listened to the audience feedback”: ABC backflips on kids programming time
Ending ABC KIds programming at 6:30pm has not gone down well with parents, prompting a move back to 7:30pm.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News, Top Stories
ABC has reversed a 2023 programming move to switch from ABC Kids to ABC TV Plus programming at 6:30pm.
The shared channel had long moved from Kid’s viewing to Spicks & Specks, seen as the ideal transition to adult viewing at 7:30pm each night.
It moved everything back an hour, with Spicks & Specks screening from 6:30pm.
But it hadn’t factored for frustrated parents suddenly faced with the challenge of trying to get kids to bed, which had long been synced with the end of Kids’ programmes. Time for bed after Bluey!
“We acknowledge the ABC plays a unique role in helping parents through the particularly challenging time at the end of the day,” ABC said in a statement.
“We’ve listened to the audience feedback about ABC Kids’ broadcast hours and as a result we’re returning to the original finish time of 7.30pm.
“This year’s change in scheduling was based on audience research which shows our co-viewing family audience with older children grows around that time of day hence the decision to bring ABC TV Plus programs such as Spicks and Specks forward in the schedule.
“However, we consider the disruption to families significant enough to revert to 7.30pm, effective from Monday February 13.
“We’d like to thank everyone who has provided feedback.
“The easiest way to watch ABC Kids programs at any time that best suits your family is on ABC iview and in the ABC Kids app.”
At least there are still TV channels that take programming feedback on board!
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- Tagged with Bluey
3 Responses
I’ve heard first-hand that the reversal is entirely to do with viewer backlash – especially as it began during school holidays!
When ABC2 was comedy kids finished at 6:30pm. They extended kids to 7:30pm with Shaun at 7:20pm and parents complained loudly that it made it more difficult to get kids fed, bathed and in bed on time. They didn’t listen to those complaints for years until 2023 when they returned to 6:30pm. Now they are claiming that kids watching an extra hours TV makes it easier to fed, bath and get them to bed on time. How does that work now when it didn’t before? It would suit parents who want to plonk their kids in front of the TV while the get dinner ready to eat in front of MAFS. The TV guides list Spicks and Specs for 7pm next week, so they must have been planning a transition and changed their mind, but not before the deadline.
Or is it simply that Spicks And Specks tanked in the 630 ratings –
they don’t want a ratings black hole between 630 and 730 –
so they’ve gone back to what they know works (complete with bs excuse)