Calgary-based startup Kidoodle.TV, part of A Parent Media Co. Inc., is set to launch its brand new steaming service made exclusively for kids aged 12 and under, this fall.
The new television service is meant to give families the ability to customize and influence the shape and content of television from the start.
“We know and appreciate that every family’s values are different. What may be acceptable content for one family may not match the values of another,” said APMC President and cofounder of the new service, Mike Lowe. “Kidoodle.TV allows you to vet the content, giving you the ability to cancel out titles and allowing you to tailor viewing within Kid Profiles to match family values or to restrict content access based on age.”
Kidoodle.TV was created due to what the founders saw as a gap in children’s streaming offerings. It features robust parenting controls and programming for a younger audience, ensuring appropriate content for young minds. The service will cost $4.99 per month and includes unlimited streaming for up to five users
As of last week, the children’s subscription video on-demand service is offering its North American beta test for early access to Canada and the US, to anyone interested. Initially it’s only available on Mac and PC, but it will be expanding to iPhone and iPad in a few weeks. Additional content and features will be rolled out and tested as well, along with access through the different devices.
Parental feedback and ideas will be an integral part of the evolution of Kidoodle.TV. Select parents from across North America will also be asked to review the service and their advice will shape the next round of development and content acquisition for Kidoodle.TV.
It feels that children are particularly vulnerable to the messages conveyed through television today, and so the service is appropriate and free of advertising within its Kid Profiles. APMC wants to deliver a service that provides a positive growth experience for kids, “combining educational and enriched content components with popular entertainment.”
Kidioodle.TV was designed specifically for the use and navigation of kids, ensuring an age-appropriate viewing experience. Featuring a brightly coloured, easy-to-use user interface, customizable Kid Profiles for up to 5 kids, and great entertainment and educational content from a variety of sources, the service is child oriented and convenient, with no adult content and robust controls for parents. Once logged into Kidoodle.TV, parents simply select a Kid Profile and hand off the navigation to the child.
According to Lowe, consumers want a different format for television and video entertainment. “They demand the freedom and diversity offered by Internet access – watching what they want, when they want, but with parameters built in to assist with child safety,” he said.