‘It provides compelling content that improves children’s lives – and keeps them happy while doing it’

CBBC has been at the forefront of the BBC’s response to Covid-19 for the past two years or more and its achievements have been outstanding. Delivering more than 350 hours in the last year, across almost every conceivable genre, CBBC wowed the judges by “helping children make sense of the world and keeping them thoroughly entertained at the same time”.

It’s long-running brands play a key part. Newsround has never been more important in its 50-year history, and an amazing 64% of primary school teachers said they show the programme in class at least once a term, with over a third of them using it on a weekly basis.

Meanwhile, Blue Peter was at the vanguard of the COP 26 conference, which opened with an animation from a competition winner, and Operation Ouch has raked up 10 years of making medical topics accessible to young children.

As well as the importance of the Bitesize Daily education strand during the pandemic, CBBC has provided outstanding scripted content via the well-established Jamie Johnson and The Dumping Ground, and new launches Dodger and Sivlerpoint, while new comedies Lagging and Nova Jones have been excellent additions to returners Andy and the Band and Still So Awkward.

CBBC attracted a total of 356 million requests on iPlayer during the judging period (effectively 7 million a week) and the judges couldn’t have been more impressed: “It provides compelling content that improves children’s lives – and keeps them happy while doing it.”

SHORTLISTED

BBC3

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A wide range of programmes helped BBC Three have another strong year, with particular success in celebrity led, single documentaries. Leigh-Anne Pinnock: Race, Pop and Power, Zara McDermott: Uncovering Rape Culture, Cherry Valentine: Gypsy Queen and Proud, and Joey Essex: Grief were among its highlights and the latter has genreated 1.3m iPlayer requests to date.

Dave

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You only need to list Dave’s fresh stock of original commissions to know this is a channel on the up. The likes of Big Zuu’s Big Eats, Outsiders, Meet the Richardsons, Question Time and Late Night Mash make for a potent mix and it only narrowly missed out the top accolade for the second year in a row.

E4

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E4 is going gangbusters on social media thanks to its compelling non-scripted slate. In the judging period it generated 4bn Facebook views, 82m YouTube views and 5m Twitter views., thanks to highlights such as Nikita walking out on her date in Celebs Go Dating and Adam confusing the bridesmaid for his new wife in MAFSUK

Sky News

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It was an outstanding year for Sky News, with scoops, in-depth analysis and clear explanation of the major stories of the period, ranging from the invasion of Ukraine, climate change in the year of COP; the fall of Kabul; the enduring impact of Covid-19; the killing of Sir David Amess MP; and the death of The Duke of Edinburgh.