In a welcome change from yet more South Korean soapies, the Kingdom is receiving its first ever foreign educational television channel directed at babies.

Cepco (Cambodia Entertainment Production Co), which is owned by the Royal Group, is distributing BabyFirst to local television enterprises throughout Cambodia.

BabyFirst is a commercial-free satellite TV network, with online and mobile applications, that focuses on skill development tools for the babies, including lessons on vocabulary, math and creativity.

The network was launched in 2003, and is available in the US and across several European countries, as well as Singapore, the Maldives and Jamaica.

Phoeun Sokun, Cepco sales representative, said that BabyFirst is one of two new channels his company is adding to their roster, the other being Warner TV.

“We want to bring this educational TV channel to Cambodia because we haven’t had TV shows like that here. This channel will teach English vocabulary and mathematics. But the channel won’t work alone; parents have to watch it with their children and work with them.”

BabyFirst is available in numerous languages, but in Cambodia it will only be aired in English.

“We don’t expect the children to immediately understand the language, but I hope they will learn a bit of it from one vocabulary lesson to the next. It is a good learning process for children. And besides language lessons, BabyFirst consists of other programs, games and animations that are good tools for education,” said Sokun.