Welsh pubcaster S4C has announced a major expansion of its children’s program offerings.

The move follows a public consultation by the S4C Authority last summer on proposals to develop new Welsh-language television services for children in the run-up to the looming digital switchover.

Starting in June, S4C will be broadcasting preschool-targeted programming weekday mornings 7.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. on digi channel, S4C Digidol. This marks a significant bump from the current one-hour daily preschool slot offered at lunchtime on the mother net.

Welsh-language fair, including live-actioner Meees and Triongl and animated series Holi Hana and Sali Mali, will populate the new service, which will also be available online at s4c.co.uk.

Phase two of S4C’s expanded children’s services will meet the needs of kids age seven to 11, and phase three will focus on the over-12 group. Work on developing these additional services is ongoing.

S4C will fund the new outlets from its current budget. In line with S4C’s policy, tenders for creative opportunities for the new children’s services will be published shortly.