CBeebies building blocks in Japan, Korea

BBC Worldwide has sealed deals with KBS in Korea and Kids Station in Japan and will launch CBeebies blocks on both channels.

The agreement with KBS N, the commercial arm of Korean free-to-air broadcaster KBS, means an hour of CBeebies content will air on the KBS Kids cable channel through the week at 10am and be repeated at 2pm.

The branded block will launch on May 5, Children’s Day in the country.

In Japan, cable channel Kids Station has acquired 100 episodes of CBeebies fare, including Wibbly Pig, Dinopaws and Hey Duggee (pictured). The shows will air in a 20-minute weekday block, starting at 10.30am each day.

Soojin Chung, vice president and general manager, north east Asia, BBC Worldwide, said: “In Korea and Japan, parents and carers of pre-schoolers trust the brand and its programmes for its ‘learning through fun’ proposition in a safe environment. This partnership with KBS Kids and Kids Station, will enable us to extend our brand further, reaching millions more homes in South Korea and Japan.”