Blue Peter cut to one new episode a week
Blue Peter has been cut to one episode a week after its move to Salford’s MediaCityUK.
According to the Radio Times, the long-running children’s magazine series will air just one new episode each week, premiering on CBBC, and then being repeated on BBC1 the following day.
This will begin from 12 January.
Claire Rainford, head of communications at BBC Children’s and Learning, explained: “We’re changing the way Blue Peter is scheduled so that it now runs all year round. We felt that we were missing out on covering important events for children, such as the forthcoming Olympic Games, by breaking over the school holidays.
“In addition, we are introducing a series of specials, such as a nine-part series following Helen Skelton’s polar challenge, which launches in late January, to give more in-depth coverage to events and activities of interest to children and give us greater flexibility. We’ll also be doing a Stargazing Live special and, later in the year, a series following the torch relay around the UK.
“We will premiere the show on CBBC at 5:45pm, which is where the vast majority of children in the UK now watch our output and where all our big shows premiere. By moving it into peak time, we hope it will reach the widest possible number of children. The airtime and budget for Blue Peter remains the same," she added.