The preschool demo splinters as channels welcome younger and older eyeballs to the programming mix

The steady influx of new preschool specialty channels and blocks over the past few years has started to translate into a serious need to diversify programming for this demo. Whereas preschool was previously defined as kids ages two to five, broadcasters, producers, caregivers and regulators alike are now noticing that toddlers as young as 16 months and kids as old as six or seven are an integral part of this audience, with the older group bridging the gap between the traditional preschool ceiling (five years old) and the general kid demo (six to 12). Because the programming needs of a 16-month-old differ so greatly from those of a seven-year-old, a market demand for programming tailored specifically to each subset (kids up to age three, and kids four to seven) has emerged.