KiKa

This article is about the German children's television channel. For the Dutch foundation for child cancer, see Foundation KiKa. For the 1993 Pedro Almodóvar film, see Kika (1993 film). For other uses, see Kika (disambiguation).

KiKA
200px
Launched	6 October 1995 (as Clubhouse) 1 January 1997 (as Der Kinderkanal) 2 February 2000 (as KI.KA) 14 February 2012 (as KiKA)
Owned by	ARD (BR, HR, MDR, NDR, Radio Bremen, RBB, Saarländischer Rundfunk, SWR and WDR) and ZDF
Picture format	576i 16:9 SDTV 720p HDTV
Language	German
Headquarters	Erfurt, Germany
Website	www.kika.de
Availability
Satellite
Astra 1H (19.2°E)	11953.50 H 77 27500 3/4 (DVB-S)
Astra 1L (19.2°E)	11347.00 H 10 22000 2/3 (HDTV DVB-S2)
Cable
Kabel Deutschland (Germany)	Yes (part of the basic package)
Streaming media
FilmOn	Watch live

KiKA (Der KinderKAnal von ARD und ZDF  [The Children's Channel of ARD and ZDF]) is a free, public, non-commercial television channel based in Erfurt, Germany. Its channel designation was formerly KI.KA.

KiKA is a joint venture of the national public television channels of ARD and of ARD's constituent broadcasters: BR, HR, MDR, NDR, Radio Bremen, RBB, Saarländischer Rundfunk, SWR, WDR, and ZDF. Each day KiKA broadcasts a mixture of live-action and animated features from 6:00 a.m. CET until 9:00 p.m. CET. Its intended audience is children and youth, and it is generally watched by children 3 to 13.

The channel also repeats shows, such as Tabaluga tivi from ZDF's main service.

Mascot

Bernd das Brot and puppeteer Jörg Teichgraeber during an autograph session.

KiKA's mascot is the puppet character Bernd das Brot, a chronically depressed loaf of bread.

Announcers

The channel uses live continuity announcers. Four of the most popular announcers were Juri Tetzlaff (1997–2010), Karsten Blumenthal (1997–2004), Singa Gätgens (1997–2010), and Lukas Koch (2003-2009).

History

Early years

In the channel’s early years, the program consisted mostly of series and shows that were already being broadcast on ARD and ZDF. Whole programs were being broadcast simultaneously on the mother channels and the children’s channel, for example the afternoon program of ZDF. KiKa showed German as well as international series, like cartoon classics from the 1970s and 80s (Heidi, Biene Maja, Wickie or Nils Holgersson). Classics of children’s TV like film versions of Astrid Lindgren books or the Augsburger Puppenkiste were also regularly being broadcast.

After a time, more original broadcasts started appearing in KiKa’s program, like Schloss Einstein, The Tribe, and Teletubbies.

Recent developments

The all-girl popular music band Saphir was formed of the 2007-2010 winners of the talent show KI.KA LIVE — Beste Stimme gesucht! (Best Voice Wanted).

There have been some changes in the programming in recent years. Although it had been one of the channel's original aims to broadcast both animated and live-action series, the former now predominate (85%). Apart from the numerous animated series, the afternoon soap opera Schloss Einstein is currently almost the sole live-action series in KiKA's lineup during the day. There are only two other live-action shows, one of which is aired in the afternoon and the other in the evening.

The channel sometimes offers continuous rebroadcasts of series that have come to an end. Similar to the procedure of private commercial stations, these series are broadcast as double features. But most of the older series, which had been repeatedly broadcast from 1997 to 2004, are currently excluded from the lineup. The fact that ARD and ZDF no longer own the appropriate broadcasting rights partly accounts for this.

The difference between the weekday and the weekend programming keeps vanishing steadily, since many series are aired daily. Thus some series, such as Pet Alien, Hier ist Ian, and Au Schwarte!, are almost continually part of the programme.

Augsburger Puppenkiste, a rather old German television programme which had always been on the air on Saturday and Sunday mornings, ceased being broadcast on KiKA for four years but returned to the channel's lineup in April 2008. Many programmes, especially older series, such as Pan Tau, Pippi Langstrumpf, and Es war einmal, can be seen only on the ZDF and regional channels.

Two children's movies are aired on KiKA, on Fridays and Sundays; these are more often animated films rather than live-action films.

Logos

• KI.KA.jpg

  Old logo (2005 to 2008)

• KI.KA Logo seit dem 23.06.2008.gif

  Old logo (2008 to 2012)

• Kika 2012.svg

  Their current logo since 14 February 2012

Programs

• Bernd das Brot
• Berndivent
• Chili TV
• Die Sendung mit der Maus
• Fortsetzung folgt
• KiKA Kummerkasten
• KiKA Live
• Krimi.de
• logo!
• Löwenzahn
• Schloss Einstein
• Odd Squad (TV series)
• Sonntagsmärchen
• Willi wills wissen
• Wissen macht Ah!

See also

• List of German language television channels
• Schloss Einstein

External links

• KiKA's website (German)
• Tabaluga tivi's website (German)