ETB 3

ETB 3, also known as ETB Hiru, was a Basque-language television channel operated by Euskal Irrati Telebista (EiTB), the public broadcasting group of the Basque Autonomous Community. It was created as EiTB's third in-house television channel and launched on 10 October 2008, replacing Canal Vasco on digital terrestrial television in the Basque Country. Its service area also encompassed Navarre and the French Basque Country through the wider reach of Basque-language broadcasting and distribution. The channel was designed primarily for children and young people. Its schedule centered on animated series, youth fiction and other programming intended to bring younger viewers into the EiTB television portfolio and encourage continued use of Basque in everyday media. A significant portion of the offer was associated with Betizu, an EiTB children's programming concept that had already developed recognition among Basque-speaking audiences. Alongside acquired animation and fiction, ETB 3 carried cultural programming, documentaries, informational material and selected original productions. Some programming also addressed teenagers and combined entertainment with educational or cultural themes. ETB 3 occupied a distinctive position within Spain's regional public-television landscape. It was one of the few regional channels dedicated primarily to children and was presented as a Basque-language counterpart to services such as Catalonia's Super3, later known as SX3. Its strategic purpose was not only to provide age-specific entertainment but also to help EiTB retain younger audiences within the public broadcaster and strengthen the visibility of Euskara in television. According to the cited reference material, EiTB announced in March 2026 that the service would be renamed ETB1 On from 18 March 2026. The proposed successor would combine material formerly associated with ETB 3 with programming from ETB1, including news, and would operate as a Basque-language service across television, streaming and internet platforms. The planned change prompted an online petition launched on 17 March 2026, whose organizers argued that the reorganization could reduce children's universal public access to a dedicated Basque-language channel. On that basis, ETB 3 is treated here as a discontinued or rebranded channel rather than an active standalone television service.

ETB 3 was established by Euskal Irrati Telebista as its third owned television channel and began broadcasting on 10 October 2008. Its launch followed the replacement of Canal Vasco on Basque Country digital terrestrial television. The new service extended EiTB's existing television portfolio with a channel directed specifically at children and young people and broadcasting entirely in Basque. The channel's creation reflected two linked public-service objectives. First, it provided age-specific television for children in the Basque-speaking media environment. Second, it sought to retain younger viewers within EiTB's wider group by offering content suited to their interests instead of leaving them dependent on Spanish-language or nonregional commercial channels. In this respect, ETB 3 formed part of EiTB's language and cultural mission as well as its audience strategy. Its schedule was built largely around cartoons, animated series and youth fiction. Much of the children's offer was connected with Betizu, an established EiTB programming initiative. The channel also carried cultural spaces, information, documentaries and productions made for or by the broadcaster. Although children were the principal audience, some entertainment and cultural material was aimed at teenagers, giving the service a broader youth orientation than a narrowly preschool channel. ETB 3 was notable within Spain as a regional public channel with a primarily children's remit. Reference material compares its role with Catalonia's Super3, later known as SX3. The comparison highlights the channel's combination of regional-language broadcasting, public ownership and youth-focused programming. In March 2026, EiTB announced a major reorganization. From 18 March, ETB 3 was scheduled to become ETB1 On, a service combining content from the former children's channel with programs from ETB1, including news. The proposed successor was also described as the fully Basque-language version of the service on streaming platforms and the internet. The change generated opposition: an online petition launched on 17 March argued that removing a dedicated children's channel could limit universal public access to children's content in Euskara. The rebrand marks the end of ETB 3 as a standalone brand, subject to the implementation and ongoing status of the announced change.

• 2026

  Rebrand to ETB1 On announced

  [1]ETB 3en.wikipedia.org

  EiTB announces that ETB 3 will be replaced by ETB1 On from 18 March, with a broader Basque-language schedule combining children's, general-interest and news programming.

• 2026

  Public petition launched

  [1]ETB 3en.wikipedia.org

  An online petition begins on 17 March opposing the planned change and calling attention to the value of dedicated public children's programming in Basque.

• 2008

  ETB 3 launches

  [1]ETB 3en.wikipedia.org

  EiTB launches ETB 3 on 10 October as its third owned television channel, replacing Canal Vasco on Basque Country digital terrestrial television.

A public-service, Basque-language children's and youth television channel intended to attract younger viewers to EiTB and support the use of Euskara in entertainment, culture and information.

• Television channel · 2008

  Children's and youth television service

  ETB 3's core offering was a Basque-language linear television service for children and young people. Its schedule combined animation, youth fiction, cultural programming, documentaries, information and EiTB-produced material. The service was intended to provide accessible public broadcasting for younger Basque-speaking audiences and to keep them connected to EiTB's wider television ecosystem.

• Children's programming

  Betizu programming

  Programming associated with Betizu formed an important part of ETB 3's children's offer. The strand helped provide animated, entertainment and youth-oriented content in Basque and linked ETB 3 to an existing EiTB identity aimed at younger viewers.

• 2026Petition to preserve a dedicated Basque-language children's channel

  Basque Country · Navarre · French Basque Country

  An online petition was launched in opposition to the announced replacement of ETB 3 by ETB1 On. The campaign argued that the reorganization could deprive children of universal public access to a dedicated channel in Basque.

  Outcome. The available reference material does not establish whether the petition changed EiTB's decision.

  Source

• 2026

  Reorganization as ETB1 OnStrategy

  Background

  EiTB announced a change to its channel structure and digital Basque-language offer.

  Action taken

  The broadcaster announced that ETB 3 would become ETB1 On, combining former ETB 3 content with ETB1 programming, including news, and extending the service across streaming and internet platforms.

  Aftermath

  The decision prompted an online petition expressing concern about the loss of a dedicated public children's channel in Basque. The available sources do not confirm any subsequent reversal.

  Source

• 2008

  Creation of a dedicated children's channelStrategy

  Background

  EiTB sought to retain younger audiences within its public television group and provide age-specific programming in Basque.

  Action taken

  The broadcaster launched ETB 3 as a Basque-language channel focused on children and young people, replacing Canal Vasco on digital terrestrial television.

  Aftermath

  ETB 3 became EiTB's dedicated youth-oriented television service and carried animation, fiction, cultural material and original programming.

  Source

1. 1ETB 3en.wikipedia.org
2. 2EiTB Hiru3 / children's serviceseitb.eus