TV is second screen for children, says CBBC controller

Television is a second screen for children, according to CBBC controller Cheryl Taylor.

Speaking to Broadcast, Taylor said that iPlayer figures and other online data show that tablets and mobiles have overtaken TV as the primary platform through which children consume television content.

“We talk about second screen, but within the past few months, the television has become the second screen and, for our audience, tablet and mobiles are the first screen,” she said.

Taylor added that CBBC is looking to merge live video and gaming on a single screen as the children’s platform aims to offer more sophisticated online offerings. However, she said that the technological developments for this are a long way off.

“What we will probably move to with the playalong experiences is doing them as an overlay on one half of the mobile device,” she said. “You might not even need two devices.”