Carlton Kids

{{short description|Former British television channel}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox television channel

| name = Carlton Kids

| logo = Carltonkids.jpg

| logo_size = 150px

| logo_caption =

| logo_alt =

| launch_date = {{start date and age|1998|11|15|df=yes}}

| closed_date = {{end date and age|2000|1|31|df=yes}}

| replaced_by = Discovery Kids

| sister_channels = {{hlist|Carlton World|Carlton Select|Carlton Food Network|Carlton Cinema}}

| owner = Carlton Television, a subdivision of Carlton Communications plc

| availability_note = (At time of closure)

| terr_serv_1 = ONdigital

| terr_chan_1 = Channel 34

}}

Carlton Kids was a British digital terrestrial pay television kids channel, provided by Carlton Television, which started broadcasting on 15th November 1998 and closed on 31st January 2000. Its sister channels were Carlton Food Network, Carlton World, Carlton Cinema and Carlton Select.{{cite web|url=https://tmt.knect365.com/content-innovation-awards/speakers/laurent-dumeau|title=Laurent Dumeau - TRACE - Content Innovation Awards Speaker|website=Tmt.knect365.com}} It broadcast exclusively on ONdigital,{{cite web|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/media-ondigital-plays-choice-card/51331|title=MEDIA: ONdigital plays the choice card|website=Campaignlive.co.}} the digital terrestrial pay-TV platform backed by Carlton and Granada, where it timeshared on channel 34 with Carlton World.

The channel had limited coverage, reaching only 69% of the population via the lowest-powered terrestrial multiplex D,{{cite web|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/41127191.pdf|title=DIGITAL TV POLICIES IN THE UK, US, AUSTRALIA AND ITALY|website=Core.ac.uk|accessdate=24 February 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://edz.bib.uni-mannheim.de/daten/edz-bo/gdi/00/Eurorep99uk.pdf|title=Development of Digital TV in Europe|website=Edz.bib.uni-mannheim.de|accessdate=24 February 2019}} and newspapers and listings magazines were slow to feature the channel's programming.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j4epsNvGT7cC&q=%22carlton+kids%22+%22ondigital%22&pg=PA135|page=135|title=Cross-media Promotion|first=Jonathan|last=Hardy|date=24 February 2019|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=9781433101373|via=Google Books}} In the face of competition from several other dedicated children's channels in the UK market{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/cmcumeds/25/9113010.htm|title=House of Commons - Culture, Media and Sport - Minutes of Evidence|website=Publications.parliament.}} the channel ceased broadcasting at the end of January 2000 after 14 months, (1 year, 2 months) partly due to the limited uptake of the ONdigital platform where it was exclusively available. It was replaced by Discovery Kids.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/1999/dec/22/9|title=Carlton makes unhappy Discovery|date=22 December 1999|newspaper=The Guardian}}{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/discovery-channels-boost-ondigital-1134114.html|title=Discovery channels boost ONdigital|date=22 December 1999|newspaper=The Independent}} The other Carlton channels closed over the next few years.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/dec/04/broadcasting.digitaltv|title=Carlton finally drops digital channel|first=Jason|last=Deans|date=4 December 2002|website=Theguardian.com}}

Carlton Television later merged with Granada in 2004 to form ITV plc, which went on to launch another children's channel CITV, in 2006.