Gender balanced TV: CBeebies scraps Bob The Builder and Fireman Sam

CBeebies has announced that it will be cutting Bob The Builder and Fireman Sam from its schedule.

As a result, more room will be made for female-led cartoons and kids' entertainment. The station's controller, Kay Benbow, admitted that gender imbalance in cartoons is often stark. And in the past, CBeebies has been criticised for the amount of male-led shows it broadcasts. The channel will launch new shows including Bitz And Bob, about an engineering-obsessed eight-year-old girl and her brother, reports The Times. "She the problem solver," said Ms Benbow, "We’ve female engineering consultants on board." The CBeebies is 15-years-old and targets the under-six market. It is watched by 2.3million children a week.