BabyTV limits playlists to one hour for under-fives in line with UK government recommendations (and calls for guidelines on programme content)

Toddler channel BabyTV has limited playlists to one hour in a new category of programming called ‘Safe Small World’ which is designed to help parents manage how long toddlers spend watching screens, moving in line with the UK government’s new guidance on screen time for young children.

Within the new category ‘Safe Small World’, all playlists on BabyTV’s YouTube channel - featuring popular characters such as Billy Bam Bam, Charlie and the Numbers, Oliver and The Cuddlies - are capped at one hour, making it easy for parents to ensure their child remains within the recommended daily screen-time guidance.

‘Parents are being told to limit screen time, but they’re rarely given practical tools to help manage it,’ says Tamar Eldar, Global Content Manager at BabyTV, ‘Safe Small World’ is a simple way to make that guidance easier to follow.’

BabyTV believes that while the debate around toddlers and screens has focused heavily on time limits, the quality of content has been largely ignored.

‘The screen-time conversation has focused heavily on minutes,’ says Tamar Eldar, ‘which is obviously very important, but what nobody seems to be talking about is the quality of the programmes children are watching. That one hour of viewing should be age-appropriate, developmentally structured and designed for active engagement.’

BabyTV’s original programming has been designed around its proprietary child-development framework developed in collaboration with child psychologists and inspired by the UK’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

The framework structures BabyTV content into nine developmental areas:

• First Concepts
• Activities
• Bedtime
• Building Friendships
• Art & Music
• Songs & Rhymes
• Imagination & Creativity
• Nature & Animals
• Guessing Games

This structure allows parents to select content aligned to their child’s developmental stage or the rhythm of the day — whether calming bedtime viewing or more interactive musical play.

BabyTV programming is developed under a set of editorial principles designed specifically for very young audiences. These include strict safety standards, clear storytelling structures, and learning mechanisms that demonstrate cause and effect so toddlers can easily follow and understand what they are seeing.

Content is carefully curated rather than algorithmically recommended, ensuring that tone, behaviour and narrative structure remain appropriate for young viewers — even when programmes are watched alongside slightly older siblings.

BabyTV also maintains an ongoing dialogue with parents, who can contact the channel directly with feedback, questions or requests.

Together, these editorial standards aim to create a viewing environment that is developmentally appropriate, emotionally engaging and safe for toddlers.

‘Safe Small World’ can be found on BabyTV’s UK YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/babytv

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About BabyTV

Established in 2003, BabyTV is a global, commercial-free TV network for toddlers and their parents, offering calm, short-form content designed to support healthy viewing habits in a world increasingly concerned about screen time.

Ownership

BabyTV is owned and operated internationally by The Walt Disney Company.

Press Contact

Ross Furlong
Furlong Marketing

ross@rossfurlong.com

+44 7540 722 817