Cyw (Welsh for "Chick") is the name of a new Welsh language Children's television service from S4C (Channel 4 Wales), launched on 23 June, 2008.

Primarily aimed at children in the 3 to 6 age group, Cyw brings together all of the programmes formerly laid across the schedule during the week at 12.30–1.15 p.m. in a slot titled "Planed Plant Bach" (Little Children's Planet) and extends the previous provision by 5¾ hours per weekday.

The service operates from Monday to Friday from 7am to 1.30pm, in the space previously left unused by S4C's digital channel on Sky (Channel 134 outside Wales, 104 Inside Wales) and includes programmes which have been previously broadcast by S4C in the Planed Plant Bach slot, such as Sali Mali, Myffin Y Mul (Muffin the Mule), Meees, Sam Tân (Fireman Sam) and Bob Y Bildar (Bob The Builder) as well as shows being transmitted for the first time in Welsh such as Dafydd a Bitw ac Owain a Henri, Y Blobs (The Blobs), Heini, Yr Brodyr Coala (The Koala Brothers) and Caio (Caillou).

Channel presentation

Idents and graphics

The channel has a logo built of the word Cyw in the Elementary SF Sans font, the C being in red, the y in yellow and the w in blue. The channel also features 6 characters, created as part of the channel's global identity, which are used as short animated bumpers into programmes.

The characters are a lion named Llew, an elephant named Plwmp, a small fuchsia-coloured bird named Deryn, a giraffe named Jangl, a bulldog named Bolgi, and the channel mascot, Cyw, a small female chick.

Cyw is a commercial channel, in the same format as its parent, S4C, and thus also features a break bumper consisting of the word "Cyw" disappearing gradually off the screen. The end of break bumper is the direct reverse, with the word rebuilding itself back onto the screen.

Continuity

Continuity and presentation for the service is provided by the Caernarfon-based production company Cwmni Da with in-vision continuity produced, as previously with Planed Plant Bach, by Boomerang.

Leusa Mererid is the chief announcer for the service, providing voice-over links throughout transmission and appears in-vision on occasions. In-vision continuity is presented during the lunchtime slot by Gareth Delve and Rachael Solomon.

The future

In a press release, S4C announced that the plan would be eventually for Cyw to launch as a standalone channel, separate from S4C, whose airspace it currently shares on Sky Digital. This is likely to occur after the switchover to DVB and DTT occurs in the UK in around 2010.

It is also intended that eventually, the Cyw service will extend to include the programmes in the Planed Plant service, aimed at older children. It is acknowledged that some rebranding would be required for this to be successfully achieved.

See also

• Cúla 4 - Irish-Gaelic language children's channel

External links

• Cyw website (English)
  
• Cyw website (Welsh)
  
• S4C Main website (Bilingual - Language Selectable)

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