BBC plans iPlayer for kids to keep Peppa Pig away from Newsnight

BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer

Kids love all of that on-demand video streaming stuff - just try putting a toddler in front of YouTube - and the BBC has announced that it's looking to create a specially tailored version of iPlayer for its younger viewers.

Called iPlay, it's part of the corporation's 10-year plan to streamline its services and offer more value for the license fee payer. As well as television shows it will include games, podcasts and other educational material.

The new service is going to create "a single front-door for children to the wealth of the whole BBC and our trusted partners beyond - giving more content to children that matures with them, across more platforms, in a safe and trusted way" says the Beeb.

Think of the children

Another proposal is to open up the iPlayer platform to "showcase content from others", so in the near future you might find programmes made by rival channels in there as well, or at least some carefully chosen partners.

This is a 10-year proposal, so we don't know when iPlay might appear - or even if the powers-that-be at the BBC will decide to go ahead with the idea. But it's definitely on the cards.

"These proposals are about creating an open, more distinctive BBC," said the Director-General, Tony Hall. "An open BBC that works in partnership for the good of Britain at home and abroad."

The idea has worked for Netflix, which allows you to set up specific user accounts for the kids in your family - it means they're kept away from any unwholesome content and ensures your movie recommendations don't get messed up by many hours of Peppa Pig watching.

Via Pocket-lint

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.