ITV have confirmed that its new children's channel CITV will be launching on 11th March but surprisngly the channel will not be carried on the Sky Digital platform until May.

CITV will be first launching exclusively on Freeview and Homechoice, and will then be carried on Sky in May and all other platforms over time, and will air every day between 6am and 6pm.

This is not the first time ITV and Sky have been in loggerheads about an ITV channel's launch on the Sky platform, previously ITV4's appearance on the Sky platform was delayed by a week after a carriage dispute.

ITV today announced further details about CITV saying: "The CITV channel will bring all the benefits of CITV’s rich and varied schedule to more children, and is designed to deliver what they want to watch, when they want to watch it. Providing UK kids with more UK-produced content than on other commercial children’s channels, our launch schedule will feature predominantly UK produced or commissioned shows.

The channel is targeted at two distinct age groups, a pre-school audience of 2-5 year olds, and a school age audience of 6-9 year olds. Younger and older children will be encouraged to watch on the same channel, either in blocks of programming dedicated to their age-range, or in programmes deliberately scheduled to be watched together. With an extremely low repeat rate of episodes, this is a children’s channel for every child. Its funny, imaginative, sideways look at life encourages children to grow up with laughter, to discover new experiences, to learn without feeling taught, and above all, to be entertained."

Simon Shaps, ITV’s Director of Television says, "ITV has a proud heritage in kids programming and we are delighted to welcome the CITV channel to the ITV family. Quality, UK produced children’s programming has always had an important part to play in defining ITV and as we move into a digital world this channel will play an important part in growing new generations of ITV viewers."

Estelle Hughes, CITV Editor says, “The support from ITV in launching this channel has been phenomenal. From March 11th 2006 kids will have access to new, unique and distinctive entertainment, giving them a whole new relationship with ITV and CITV. I’m proud to be part of this incredibly exciting time in children’s television and would like to thank the many people at ITV and the many supportive and enthusiastic production companies who have helped to make this happen."