Aussie pubcaster moving educational shows to ABC3

Australia’s pubcaster the ABC has decided to move its educational children’s programming to dedicated kids channel ABC3.

The ABC says mobbing the shows from ABC1 will allow it to double its educational offering by increasing its programming block to two hours. Learning programmes will air on weekdays from 10am to 12pm during school terms from July 21.

This comes four months after the ABC dropped children’s programming from flagship net ABC1, aping a move its UK counterpart, the BBC, made in December 2012.

The new-look education block will be called ABC TV Education, with Behind the News remaining as the flagship ABC educational title.

“The expanded timeslots on ABC3 allow us to offer more content for both primary and secondary students in multiple subject areas,” said Deirdre Brennan, ABC TV’s head of children’s television. “We will provide dynamic, award-winning programming that encourages curiosity, bringing learning into our lives beyond the classroom.”