As part of RTÉ’s public service commitments to their youngest audiences, RTÉjr, a new dedicated digital children’s channel on TV, radio, online and mobile will launch on April 15th. This new service is a demonstration of RTÉ’s commitment to the 0-7 age group in particular and is part of a phased three-year strategy in the development of services for young people by RTÉ. This dedicated cross-platform offering is being delivered from existing resources and, as an entirely non-commercial channel, is a demonstration of RTÉ’s commitment to serve this important audience.
Created specifically for children aged 0–7 years, RTÉjr will allow children to watch, listen and play with brand new channels on television (on Sky, UPC and SAORVIEW) and digital radio from around 7am-7pm daily, as well as online and mobile services, allowing children to access original, entertaining and educational content that reflects their lives and is made especially for them. The launch will see RTÉ increasing its daily children’s content on television and radio to around 34 hours per day in addition to online and mobile content.
On the newly-launched RTÉjr Television 14 newly commissioned programme strands will join the much-loved RTÉjr brands in a totally new schedule designed to reflect the shape of a young child’s day. The new programmes include dance, science, educational, outdoors and adventure series, as well as animation and art programmes. The new multi-platform ‘Tell Me A Story’ is a series of 70 programmes featuring a range of RTÉ presenters performing stories specially commissioned from emerging writers, all of which are available on TV, Radio, online and the RTÉjr app. Other new RTÉjr television programmes include the bi-lingual Spraoi (Irish/English), The Why Guy featuring 9 year old puppet boy Albie and the new dance show Move It! The new channel also has its own specially commissioned song, What’s Your Thing? from Octonauts composer Darren Hendley.
RTÉjr Radio will have a brand new schedule from 7am – 7pm for 0-7 year olds featuring stories, music, learning, fun, games and lullabies. The day starts off with music and fun on Early Birds, then stories and reports on Happy Days, followed by lullabies, classical music and wild life observation. At 7pm, TRTÉ Radio kicks off with a host of programming designed to keep 7–11 year olds interested and entertained with interactive magazine programme Radioactive followed by a variety of shows featuring history, books, sports and news.
Complementing the RTÉjr TV and radio channels, RTÉ will also launch a new and refreshed suite of digital platforms. Children will be able to watch, listen and play on the RTÉjr website or the new RTÉjr app, as well as catching up with over 40 hours of children’s content on RTÉ Player every day.
RTÉ’s Cross-Divisional Head of Children’s Content Sheila De Courcy said, “As Ireland’s public service broadcaster, RTÉ aims to explore and reflect the diversity of the lives of youngsters in Ireland. Young people are our most exciting and challenging audience and, as one of Ireland’s biggest cultural and media organisations, RTÉ recognises their importance and their right to see their lives reflected across all our services. We have worked hard to provide services that not only reflect their lives but provide opportunities to engage, participate in and interact with media. The launch of RTÉjr is the latest demonstration of our commitment to this important group and while it has been a challenge to provide it out of existing resources, I am pleased that we have been able to deliver this important service for our youngest audience.”
The launch of RTÉjr will mark the start of RTÉ’s Tots, Tweens And Teens Week, a weeklong event highlighting the variety and breadth of RTÉ’s services for under-18’s. Throughout the week children and young people will feature across the television and radio schedules and there will be special events including a unique Sleepover Safari in the Natural History Museum for ten lucky children on Wednesday 17th April and an opportunity to hear young people’s voices in the primetime TV and Radio schedules. During the week young people will deliver television continuity announcements and RTÉ Weather bulletins and they will present RTÉ Ten News and Two Tube. On Friday 19th RTÉ Radio 1 programmes throughout the day will feature young people and RTÉ 2fm’s Rick O’Shea will co-present his show with a young competition winner. Young people will also feature on the RTÉ lyric fm and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta schedules and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and RTÉ Concert Orchestra will engage with schools through workshops and collaboration.
RTÉjr launches on television, radio, online and mobile on Monday April 15th. RTE’s Tots, Tweens & Teens Week runs from April 15th to 19th inclusive.
For more information please contact:
TV: Karen Fitzpatrick, Communications Manager, RTÉ Television: 01 208 2667, 086 814 9290, [email protected]
Digital: Caroline Stephens, Communications Manager, RTÉ Digital: 086 8422 151
[email protected]
Radio: Maureen Catterson, Communications Manager, RTÉ Radio: [email protected]
