A children’s television channel is set to be sponsored by a regional newspaper publisher, it has been announced.

DC Thomson has revealed the new partnership with CITV, which includes broadcast, online, mobile and licensing elements.

From 1 August 10-second sponsorship idents for DC Thomson’s children’s magazine titles will feature on the channel for a 12-month period.

Among the titles to be advertised in the deal is the company’s recently announced ‘Thunderbirds Are Go’ magazine, due to be launched later this year.

Neil O’Brien, DC Thomson’s head of publishing (consumer entertainment), said: “We’re keen to increase awareness of our brands and this campaign will help to showcase a range of our children’s titles.

“We’re hoping that this will not only appeal to our current readers but also assist in attracting new readers and it’s an ideal platform to match our portfolio.”

Andrew Williams, the company’s head of advertising (consumer entertainment), added: “A huge amount of research has gone into this campaign and there’s great potential for retail partnerships. Previous youth insight studies have shown that many of our readers are CITV viewers so we’re delighted to be launching this campaign to help maximise exposure of our brands to the right audiences.”