The BBC appears to have bowed to mounting pressure from parents to keep its children's channels on air by indicating the future of the CBeebies is safe.
More than 130,000 have signed a petition calling for the channel, which is home to family favourites Bob The Builder and Mr Tumble, to be saved.
It was launched after BBC director general Lord Hall warned that budget cuts mean it is inevitable services will be reduced or closed.
But addressing MPs at the Culture, Media and Sport select committee, Lord Hall said: "We don't have proposals to take CBeebies and CBBC, as channels, out of the environment."
His comments come after parents worried that the channel faced being axed from televisions launched a petition to save it.
The petition states: "The BBC are considering axing the CBeebies channel as a cost-saving measure.
"CBeebies plays a significant role in the lives of most patents with little ones, providing both education and entertainment, and affords parents time to do something else (cooking dinner for example!) while their little one is relaxing watching CBeebies.
"Please sign this petition so the BBC know the value of this channel, and #savecbeebies."
There had been fears the children's channels could be made online-only as part of plans outlined by Lord Hall to create iPlay, an interactive service putting children's programmes and content on the internet.
The Netmums website had joined the chorus of voices urging for the channel to stay on television.
In an article on its website, Netmums said: "Life without CBeebies? That's just not even worth thinking about - is it?"
It said the channel is loved by children, but also plays an important educational role.
"Education is at the heart of the channel and it really does help our little ones in their early learning", the article said.
Anne Marie O'Leary, editor in chief of the Netmums website, said: "Parents will be delighted that CBeebies and CBBC are to stay on air.
"In a world where children are bombarded with advertising messages, the channels provide a safe and non-commercial environment where children can enjoy gentle programmes which aid their education.
"Families will be pleased they still have the choice of the BBC channels as well as more commercial ones."
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