BabyFirst

BabyFirst was announced in 2004 by Guy Oranim and Sharon Rechter.{{cite web |last1=Dunn |first1=Laura |title=Women in Business: Sharon Rechter, co-founder of BabyFirst |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/women-in-business-sharon_b_6875942 |website=HuffPost |date=March 16, 2015 |access-date=March 16, 2015}}{{cite web |title=Sharon Rechter |url=https://www.israeliamerican.org/iac-national-conference/team-member/sharon-rechter |website=Israeli American Council|date=August 21, 2017 }} The network was launched on May 11, 2006, on DirecTV and made available through EchoStar's Dish Network in June 2006.{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Post|date=May 12, 2006 |title='Screen Test' Toddler - Kid & Folks Rate Baby TV |pages=8 |last=Robinson |url=https://nypost.com/2006/05/12/screen-test-toddler-kid-folks-rate-baby-tv/}} It is based in Los Angeles and was initially funded by Regency Enterprises, Kardan and Bellco Capital.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/round-the-clock-channel-for-infants-debuts-on-directv|title=Round-the-Clock Channel for Infants Debuts on DirecTV|date=March 25, 2015|website=Associated Press|language=en-US|access-date=March 21, 2019}}{{cite news|title=EchoStar to offer BabyFirst channel|newspaper=Rocky Mountain News|date=June 14, 2006|first=Joyzelle|last=Davis|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-146996029.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921200728/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-146996029.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 21, 2014|access-date=May 22, 2014}} The channel was controversial as the first 24-hour channel for children six months to three years in age,{{cite news|last=Itzkoff|first=Dave|title=TV Moves A Step Closer To the Womb|work=The New York Times|page=1|date=May 21, 2006|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/arts/21itzk.html}} but it was popular among parents{{cite news|title=Diaper Demographic; TV, Video Programming for the Under-2 Market Grows Despite Lack of Clear Educational Benefit|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 24, 2007|first=Annys|last=Shin}}Karen B. TV for tots a turnoff. Courier Mail, The (Brisbane) [serial online]. October 14, 2009;:33. Available from: Newspaper Source Plus, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 22, 2014.{{cite news|last=Clemetson|first=Lynette|title=Parents Making Use of TV Despite Risks|work=The New York Times|page=16|date=May 25, 2006|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/25/us/25crib.html}} and grew quickly.

In the 2000s, the Federal Trade Commission responded to a complaint by the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood alleging that BabyFirst's advertising that it helped babies develop skills was misleading. The FTC did not impose any sanctions.{{cite news|last=Lafayette|first=Hayes|title=McPherson Seeks More Carriage for Kid-TV Net|newspaper=Broadcasting & Cable |date=September 2, 2013}}

By 2008, it was broadcasting in ten territories in the Asia Pacific, such as China and Korea.{{cite news|newspaper=Television Asia|title=Crossing the channels: despite the economic crisis, this year has seen a slew of new channels roll out in the region, with some still set to launch|date=November 1, 2008 | last=Wong|first=Christine}} In October 2008, SingTel started distributing the channel to the Singapore audience.{{cite news|publisher=Television Asia|title=BabyFirstTV on SingTel's mio TV|date=October 1, 2008}} It was also being broadcast in Africa and Latin America.{{cite news|title=What can TV do for your baby? 2 channels specialized in child fare are thriving, but critics cite risks of too much viewing|newspaper=International Herald Tribune|date=May 19, 2008 | first=Doreen|last=Carvaja}} In May 2008, it signed a distribution agreement with Time Warner Cable.{{cite news|title=Time Warner to carry BabyFirst|first=Michael|last=Schneider|url=https://variety.com/2008/more/news/time-warner-to-carry-babyfirst-1117985425/|date=May 9, 2008|access-date=May 23, 2014}}{{cite news |last1=Flint |first1=Joe |title=It's Really Here: TV for Babies |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/tv-for-babies-born-of-a-reality-1427671277 |website=The Wall Street Journal |date=March 29, 2015 |access-date=March 29, 2015}} In 2009, HBO Asia became the exclusive distributor in Asia.{{cite news|title=HBO Asia strikes agreement to represent BabyFirst, WarnerTV across Asia|publisher=Television Asia|date=December 1, 2009}}

In 2011, the network obtained agreements to distribute the channel in the United Kingdom through the BSkyB satellite network as well as in Mexico through Sky Mexico and Cablevision.{{cite news|title=BabyFirstTV crawls its way to U.S.|date=March 20, 2007|first=Steve|last=Brennan|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=May 23, 2014|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/babyfirsttv-crawls-way-us-132343}} A French version was introduced with CanalSat in 2011.{{cite news|title=Fox, CanalSat members of a baby boom |date=December 21, 2011 |first1=Elizabeth |last1=Guid |first2=Rebecca |last2=Leffler|publisher=Hollywood Reporter|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fox-canalsat-members-a-baby-152187|access-date=June 17, 2014}} In late 2011, it had arranged broadcasting agreements throughout Europe,{{cite news|title=24-hour TV for kids under 3 is on the air|publisher=Winnipeg Free Press|date=July 27, 2012|first=Shannon|last=Proudfoot}} the Middle East, and Canada.{{cite news|title=BabyFirst crawling onto Canadian TV|date=July 26, 2012|first=Etan|last=Vlessing|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter}}

A bilingual Spanish and English channel, BabyFirst Americas, was launched with Comcast in 2012.{{cite news|title=Comcast to start new minority-owned cable channels|agency=Associated Press|date=February 21, 2012 |first=Frazier|last=Moore}}{{cite news|title= Comcast Outlines Plan to Carry 4 Minority-Owned Channels|work=The New York Times|page=2|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html|access-date=August 28, 2014}} A premium YouTube channel was introduced in June 2013.{{cite news|date=June 6, 2013|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-fi-ct-babyfirst-youtube-channel-new-investor-20130606-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|first=DiAngelea |last=Miller |title=BabyFirst, with premium YouTube channel and new investor, expands}}

In 2013, former ABC Network President Steven McPherson and Rich Frank, the former chairman of Disney Channel{{cite news|title=With Rich Frank on-board, BabyFirst kicks into ad mode|date=December 9, 2013|first=Wendy|last=Getzler|url=http://kidscreen.com/2013/12/09/with-rich-frank-on-board-babyfirst-kicks-into-ad-mode/#ixzz2n0AqVT8H|publisher=Kidscreen|access-date=June 3, 2014}} became investors and board members as the company worked to develop new content and improve advertising revenues. In May 2014, BabyFirst and AT&T U-verse released a co-developed second-screen app for mobile devices for children to interact with the television programming through tablets or smartphones.{{cite news|title=AT&T, BabyFirst Team On U-verse App|date=May 8, 2014|first=Jeff|last=Baumgartner|url=http://www.multichannel.com/news/tv-apps/att-babyfirst-team-u-verse-app/374423|newspaper=Multichannel News|access-date=August 31, 2014|archive-date=March 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310050233/http://www.multichannel.com/news/tv-apps/att-babyfirst-team-u-verse-app/374423|url-status=dead}}

The television channel provides 24-hour programming for babies.{{cite news |title=Ok, I admit it: Treehouse is a parent's dream |first=Kate |last=Taylor |newspaper=Globe and Mail|date=August 8, 2007|access-date=May 22, 2014|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/ok-i-admit-it-treehouse-is-a-parents-dream/article18142827/}} About 90 percent of the 90 shows it produces are original content created at its studios. Acquired programs include Mio Mao, Squeak!, Teletubbies, Bob the Builder, Timmy Time and Word Party. The format of the network limits each of the network's presentations to three to five minutes of length that are either live-action or animated.

The New York Times described the content as "decidedly unhurried", making extensive use of bright colors and upbeat music. Programming development is said to be guided by child psychology experts and is designed to encourage a child's skills development, such as counting, vocabulary and color recognition.{{cite news|newspaper=The Star Phoenix |date=July 27, 2007 |title=New network for the newly born; Commercial-free, 24-hour station for babies to launch in Canada |first=Shannon |last=Proudfoot |pages=B8 |url=http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=da6d6cd3-43a5-4da1-8a9f-7b97ae147f73 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809190507/http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=da6d6cd3-43a5-4da1-8a9f-7b97ae147f73 |archive-date=August 9, 2014 }} The channel logo in the corner changes colors to indicate the skills a segment is intended to develop: red for language skills, orange for socio-emotional skills, yellow for cognitive thinking, green for exposure to the world around them, blue for numbers, and pink for imagination, music and art skills. Late-night programming utilizes the main rainbow-colored logo, and is intended to lull viewers to sleep.

There are also 41 BabyFirst apps for mobile devices.{{cite news|title=Baby Boom: Profile: BabyFirst|date=Spring 2014}} An app available to AT&T U-verse viewers allows children to draw on a mobile device and have the drawing appear on the television screen.

Some experts{{Who|date=December 2024}} argue that exposing children to television at such an early age is taking technology too far or that parents are using the channel as a digital babysitter. Parents, in turn, argue against that argument, claiming that experts have lost touch with the realities of raising a child.{{cite book|author=Karen Brooks|title=Consuming Innocence: Popular Culture and Our Children|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7mmFBXf-m7YC&pg=PA129|year=2008|publisher=Univ. of Queensland Press|isbn=978-0-7022-3645-7|page=129}} The firm{{non sequitur|date=December 2024}} suggests the programming is intended to be watched by parents and their children together in an interactive way.{{cite news|title=BabyFirst develops baby's first apps|first=Nicole|last=Villalpando|url=http://www.statesman.com/news/lifestyles/parenting/babyfirst-develops-babys-first-apps-1/nRNjW/|date=August 24, 2012|access-date=May 23, 2014|publisher=The Statesman|archive-date=July 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722154939/http://www.statesman.com/news/lifestyles/parenting/babyfirst-develops-babys-first-apps-1/nRNjW/|url-status=dead}}

{{reflist}}

• {{URL|www.babyfirsttv.com/}}, official website
• {{URL|first.media}}, First Media company website

{{U.S. premium television services (variety)}}

{{U.S. family-oriented television channels}}

{{Children's Television Channels in Portugal}}

{{Children's channels in UK & Ireland}}

{{Authority control}}

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Category:Television networks in the United States

Category:Preschool education television networks

Category:Children's television networks in the United States

Category:Children's television networks in Canada

Category:Television channels and stations established in 2006

Category:Early childhood education

Category:Early childhood education in the United States

Category:Articles containing video clips