BBC told to free up kids' radio content

Commercial radio trade body Radio Centre has called on the BBC to open up its huge archive of children's programming for broadcast on digital radio.

Radio Centre wants the corporation to make classic programmes such as Listen With Mother available for broadcast without charge on digital station Fun Kids.

Speaking to The Guardian, Radio Centre chief executive Andrew Harrison said that the BBC was "woefully under-serving younger listeners and failing to deliver public value".

He added: "We believe that the BBC should give greater consideration to children's radio in future, but also we give our full support to Fun Kids' pioneering proposal and urge BBC management to progress discussions without further delay."

The BBC has recently indicated a willingness to better utilise its massive archive of TV and radio content through a variety of partnership deals.

The corporation currently only broadcasts children's radio programmes on BBC Radio 7, after the children's show Go4it was axed from Radio 4 last year.

Last month, the Sound Start campaign group called on the BBC to use the money saved from the proposed closure of the Asian Network digital radio station to launch a new service aimed at children.

However, a partnership with the already successful Fun Kids commercial station could be a more affordable and agreeable option for the corporation.

Fun Kids managing director Gregory Watson said: "Fun Kids and the current CBeebies Radio content on BBC Radio 7 complement each other.

"Partnership would enable the BBC and Fun Kids to provide a wider choice of programming to children of all ages, across the UK, and help encourage more children to make radio part of their everyday lives."