How many of us, when told of a channel with hardly any dialogue, a higher-than-usual repeat rate, and babies as target audience – would take such a channel seriously? For the management team at BabyTV, the initial struggle was to convince affiliates that there was a market for pre-preschool content to begin with.

“At first we had a difficult time letting platforms know they were missing this niche,” says Maya Talit, Global Marketing, BabyTV at FIC, and one of three co-founders of the channel. “Some of these platforms internationally have easily 15 – 25 kids channels and they say ‘why do I need another one?’ but I think BabyTV speaks for itself because in a matter of just a few years, we went from our first four launches in October 2005 to today where we have 500 carriage deals for the channel. There really isn’t a major affiliate who doesn’t have BabyTV.”

For the BabyTV team of Liran (MD) and Maya Talit, and Ron Isaak (programming and creative head), the concept for the world’s first 24/7 commercial free channel for infants, toddlers and their parents was borne out of an unserved need.

“Liran, I and Ron originally launched BabyTV in 2003,” explains Maya Talit. “We looked at the kids environment and we felt that (while) there were a lot of kids channels targeting preschool, there wasn’t anything specifically addressed to the age group three and under. Then we put together BabyTV and I guess we could’ve invented a niche in pay TV channels.”

A major milestone occurred in 2007 when FOX International Channels (FIC) took an interest and acquired a majority stake in the channel. The Talits and Ron Isaak remained in management roles to “babysit” the channel within the FOX umbrella; managing business decisions and creative, while tapping on the local FIC offices then carry out localised marketing efforts.

Due to the lack of natural competitors and complementary content providers, the team had little choice but to generate their own content, from scratch. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“On BabyTV, all the content is 100% original. We invested in our library to have creative control on what we put on the channel. This also means we have access to all rights to the entire library, which makes it very easy for us to give platform rights like VOD, mobile and broadband rights to support the ‘TV Everywhere’ proposition that is very appealing to the platforms. Our consumers are demanding it and our affiliates want it. Linear is always our top priority, but when you get BabyTV you can get all the additional rights,” says Maya Talit.

Maya also says that the channel performs very well on-thego and that the channel’s On-Demand service – featuring re-versioned BabyTV content categorised into themes like ‘My favourite pets’, ‘Learning shapes’, ‘Colours’ – is a top performer. Next stop, Maya says, is licensing and merchandising.

“Our DVDs have also been selling very well on iTunes. They’re on the top ten since they’ve launched. We’re also doing mobile-subscription apps which is a natural extension for us. We also have BabyTV toys in Latin America and books in Europe. The Licensing and Merchandising business is something that takes a longer time to set up but it’s something that we’ve already initiated and have a focus on.”

For all the multi-screen possibilities, Maya insists that content is king, no matter the age group of the audience.

“In the beginning we spent a lot of time researching and working with our development experts to fine-tune the way we created content for this age group because we wanted it to be something that is beneficial; that the child can understand, can enjoy, and can respond to. It’s always been our priority to invest in the content. For the parents, they always want the best for their babies and that’s why BabyTV has done so well because parents see their kids’ reactions to it and they’re happy, so parents identify that it’s good quality and that’s why the channel is being picked up so widely. We see parents as our target audience. It’s designed as a support tool for them when they’re parenting. We feel like we’re parents programming for parents really.”

On the issue of repeat rates, which is usually a point of contention with affiliates, Maya assures us there is no issue. “There is a factor of repeat, obviously, because children need it. They enjoy it; they like it; and that’s how they learn. But what’s important is we’ve managed to add new content on a monthly basis and somehow create a dynamic that’s well balanced so parents feel there’s always something new and the child is always happy because his favourite shows are still there so that’s something I feel we’ve done well in terms of our programming. Last year we launched 450 episodes on the channel and that’s quite a fair number for a kids’ channel.”

So how does Maya know the parents like BabyTV? Well, they tell her, or rather, show her.

“Most of my days I start my day by reading parents’ comments online and on social media. That’s who we do it for. We do it for the parents to be happy and they tell us that their kids love it, and they watch it together, and that it helps them in some way.”

For a channel that has garnered positive endorsements from kids and parents alike, Maya says the team is determined to safeguard the channel from excessive commercial interests.

“There are NO commercials,” Maya Talit reinforces. “It’s very, very important for us to be commercial-free for the sake of the children. It’s also an important selling point for the affiliates to their consumers. Our main revenue is subscription, and since we own all rights to the library we’re able to do home video, licensing and merchandising, and parents ask us about books and stuff so we know the demand is out there. What we do with the interest is to work with commercial partners OFF the screen. We’ve already done partnerships with various milk formulas and baby gear companies.”

As a result of the channel’s integrity, Maya feels the efforts have paid off.

“BabyTV is a channel with high loyalty. When you do something nice to someone’s child; the parents stay loyal. That adds value to the affiliates. Also, we’re very dynamic. We’re always adding new content and new products (On- Demand, broadband) and service.”

An example of this service is seen in Singapore, where in September 2012, BabyTV began a Mandarin language option for viewers there, borrowing from the Taiwanexclusive feed which is already in Mandarin.

“The platforms always appreciate that BabyTV is a partner.” Maya also shares that the channel ranks well ratings wise and that the channel (naturally) attracts women, especially those in the 25 – 49 age range.

“I think BabyTV is ahead of the competition. It’s just been performing very well. It’s really about the quality of the content. Parents are so interested in investing in their child at a young age, and parents want the best quality and BabyTV is way ahead of them in terms of amount of content, the quality of content, the level of marketing, the quality for service, the global presence; TV everywhere. Hopefully we’ll keep on that way.”