Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the U.K. communications industries, today published the U.K.'s first comprehensive review of the children's television market. The review assesses the current state of children's programming and the prospects for the future delivery of a wide range of high-quality and original content for children.
Ofcom's study reveals significant changes in the children's media market, including:
* Children have an increasing range of media available to them -- nearly two thirds of 12-15 year olds have access to the Internet and mobile phone; also, 'media stacking' is becoming increasingly common -- over 80% of this age group regularly watch TV while engaging with other media devices.
* Between 1998 and 2007 the number of dedicated children's channels in the U.K. increased from six to 25.
* Children still strongly prefer programming made in the U.K., the majority of which is commissioned by the Public Service Broadcasters. While U.K. children's programs accounted for 17% of total children's hours, they delivered a 38% share of viewing.
* Increased competition has brought about a declining share of viewing for public service broadcasters (including the BBC children's channels), falling from 50% of children's viewing of children's programs in 2002 to 38% in 2006.
* However, children's viewing of children's programming has remained relatively stable, and has increased as a proportion of total viewing of all programs.
* Children are watching more children's television and less programming aimed at adults -- viewing of children's airtime has increased from 27% to 30% of total viewing since 2002.
There is increasing pressure on the funding models for the traditional commercial public service broadcasters to provide original programming for children. This fragmentation reflects the broader trend, which will be considered in Ofcom's Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) review.
Key findings from the review include:
* Parents value highly the role that children's television plays in society, and believe that public service programming is particularly important. However, fewer than half of parents think that the purposes and characteristics of public service programming are currently being delivered satisfactorily, especially in reflecting a range of cultures and opinions from around the U.K.
* While parents are relatively content with provision for preschool and younger children, they have clearly indicated that they want more drama and factual programming for older children and young teenagers.
* Against this, the future provision of new U.K.-originated programming for children, particularly drama and factual, looks increasingly uncertain, other than the BBC's output. Investment in first-run original programming by the commercial Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) -- ITV1, GMTV, Channel 4 and Five -- has been halved in real terms since 1998. And while the commercial children's channels (e.g., Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network) commission some UK programming, this represents 10% of total U.K. investment in new programs.
* BBC spending has increased over the period, but its long-term commitments to children's programming, as set out in its service licenses, are not sufficient to guarantee current levels of output and spending.
* The BBC's programming is highly valued by parents, but the decline in commercial programming provision raises questions about whether it is in the audience's long-term interest for the BBC to continue to strengthen its position as the largest commissioner of U.K. children's programming overall. Parents value programming from a range of different voices.
* Children's media consumption continues to change rapidly, with older children, and especially young teenagers, using the Internet and mobile phones more than ever before, and watching less television.
In response to the report, many high-profile figures and organizations are commenting. Author Philip Pullman has voiced his concern over the decline in quality children's television revealed in the Ofcom report. Pullman joined Save Kids' TV as its patron earlier this year to support the campaign for a well-funded range of programs made in the U.K. for U.K. kids. Today's Ofcom report brings the immediate nature of the crisis into sharp focus.
Pullman said, "I welcome the Ofcom report, which makes very clear the dangers facing children's television. Like many other examples of decay and neglect in our common life, this is the result of a dogmatic insistence that the market always knows best, and must have the final decision about the way we live; and as with other such things, the problem can only be cured by telling the market who's boss. In this case, the boss is whatever children need from this wonderful and extraordinary medium, which could serve their interests and their needs so well -- including the needs they don't know they have. We can't go back to a primal state of televisual innocence, but we could go forward to a state of richness and delight and information and curiosity, if we had the will. I hope the government will take heed of this report and take urgent steps to safeguard the provision of imaginative, intelligent, witty and beautiful television for children. Why should they have to make do with anything less?"
"Leaving the BBC as the sole commissioner of kids' TV is simply not an option," said Anna Home, former Head of BBC Children's Programs and now Chair of the Save Kids' TV campaign. "Their budgets are being cut and already we are seeing that as competition for daytime adult viewers increases, so pressure grows to drop the commitment to children's shows on BBC ONE. Ofcom has identified market failure and a 60-year tradition of public service content for kids is about to collapse. The BBC cannot hold the fort alone -- it needs healthy competition and a vibrant production industry to continue the fantastic British tradition of innovative, challenging, wide-ranging programs for our children.
"The children who loved MUFFIN THE MULE are now grandparents. Three generations have happy memories of how television enriched and empowered their childhoods with stories and games, reflections of their own lives and voices, and a window on the wider world. Let's not deny the next generation the same opportunities."
In September 2007, Ofcom published the terms of reference for its second statutory review of the whole of public service broadcasting. The second PSB review was brought forward as a result of the rapidly changing nature of U.K. broadcasting, which the evidence in this report reinforces. Ofcom stated its intention to publish stakeholders' responses to this report alongside the publication of the first phase of the PSB review, along with their proposed approach to children's television in the wider context of PSB.
In setting out these findings, Ofcom also recognized that many issues raised within this review will ultimately be for the government and, where appropriate, the BBC Trust to consider. Ofcom will be working with them to assess the options.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
