DirecTV launches BabyFirstTV
 

DirecTV launched its first toddler channel on the 11th of this month and called it the BabyFirstTV, an all-infant programming all the time all, the day. This programming is for children who are 2 yrs old and under. Programs will be from Brainy Baby and First Impressions DVDs, as well as a story time. No other information is available and the network’s website didn’t give much information either.

The creators of BabyFirstTV are getting a lot of abusive criticism from parenting experts who say that their programming gives parents an excuse not to interact with their children. The people at BabyFirstTV say that their programming, for babies who are six months to three years old, is meant to encourage interaction between kid and adult.

The creators of this program say it is educational and interactive, and that it will be available 24/7 on DirecTV.

But Mount Sinai pediatrician Dr. Danielle Laraque argues that watching TV is just too passive. “We know that children learn best through personal interaction,” she says, “both their cognitive and social and emotional health.”

"This is the first channel dedicated to babies and their parents— transforming TV from its original purpose into a way for them to interact," said Sharon Rechter, BabyFirstTV's executive vice president for business development and marketing. "The fact of life is that babies are already watching TV," she said. "That's why having BabyFirstTV is so important — what we want to offer is completely safe, commercial-free and appropriate content."

The debate is still raging and will DirecTV’s new launch be a thumb’s up or will it go down the drain?

BabyFirstTV's advisory board includes Dr. Edward McCabe, a pediatrician who is physician-in-chief at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital. "I was skeptical when I first heard about it," McCabe said. "But I became convinced that this is a major evolution in media for kids."

Rechter said BabyFirstTV will start with 250 hours of content. By the end of 2006, Rechter said, BabyFirstTV will also be available in Spanish.

The three companies behind BabyFirstTV are Regency Enterprises, a film and TV production company that is a partner of Fox Entertainment; Kardan N.V, an investment group based in the Netherlands and Israel; and Bellco Capital, a private Los Angeles-based investment fund.

DirecTV offers this program at a mere a month. It will initially be available by satellite through DirecTV and later through cable TV providers as well.

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