FOR generations of children, it was must-see after-school TV, their introduction to news and the main way in which they learned of world events, but the BBC is to drop its teatime episode of Newsround after more than 40 years.

Why is it being dropped?

The BBC say young people now prefer to get news online and that it is simply responding to demand, with the TV audience for the bulletin among six to 12-year-olds halving since 2012. Figures show the evening bulletin now has 34,000 viewers, while the weekly online reach is 900,000.  

Newsround will still air, though?

Under proposals submitted to Ofcom - that have been provisionally accepted and are now open for consultation - CBBC will now air just once a day, keeping its morning slot.

It began on BBC1?

Until it moved to the children’s channel, CBBC, in 2002.

But the corporation says it now wants to reduce the amount of news on the channel from 85 to 35 hours per year and redirect money to the Newsround website, saying this “is where more and more children are getting their news”.

It was John Craven’s show?

The bulletin was originally known as John Craven's Newsround and was predominantly hosted by him from 1972 until he left in 1989 and it became Newsround. It was one of the world's first news programmes aimed specifically at children, traditionally airing in a teatime slot.

He hosted in a jumper?

Jumpers became his trademark and wearing them was a deliberate move so as to ensure children would not “think a boring grown-up bulletin had popped up in the middle of their favourite shows”. He continued to wear them, despite older viewers firing off “angry letters to the newspapers about falling standards”.

Adults tuned in?

An estimated 40% of the audience was made up of adults in Craven’s era.

Promoting his new book, Headlines and Hedgrerows while at the Henley Literary Festival earlier this year, Craven said: "A lot of those adults really appreciated the fact that Newsround started at square one and gave some background to the news.”

He believes it still has a role to play?

He said: "It's probably more important now because there's so much fake news, and children have such access to things that maybe they shouldn't have.”

But online has a role?

As the original host, Craven said he believes the Newsround website is good to have around as children can log on “and get the real truth” adding this is “probably more important than the actual broadcast side of it all now”.

But Ofcom have concerns?

Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, has expressed reservations about how much children would engage with more online news and actively seek it out.

Others agree?

Former Newsround editor, Sinead Rocks, criticised the move: “In these times, Newsround needs more prominence – not less. The ability to watch with parents/families is also important. Relying mainly on a child’s ability and interest to seek it out online is short-sighted and sad.”