Unified Perspective Expressed

Unified Perspective Expressed

In a revealing discussion paper, researchers Dr Cythia Carter and Professor Jeanette Steemers have shed light on the factors behind the decline in children's programming by the UK's public service broadcasters (PSBs).

The report highlights the significant impact this decline has on the UK's children's media sector. With fewer original UK-made programmes, there's a loss of industry jobs and a reduction in the reach of PSBs to young viewers who increasingly consume content online.

The decline is attributed to several key factors. Budget cuts by PSBs have led to a reduction in the commissioning of new content, resulting in fewer original children's programmes being made. Audience migration to platforms like YouTube, where 88% of children aged 3-17 use the service, presents a challenge for PSBs struggling to compete with vast, on-demand digital content.

Industry challenges, such as high freelancer job insecurity, small development budgets, and companies folding due to lack of commissions, further exacerbate the situation. Changing viewing habits, with younger audiences and adults spending increasing time on online video, also contribute to the reduction in linear TV viewing and traditional children’s programming exposure.

The implications of this decline are profound. The researchers refer to it as a "perfect storm" leading to creative and financial hardship in the children's content sector, with fewer opportunities for creators and less diversity of UK children’s content. PSBs also risk losing direct contact with younger audiences, undermining their public value mandate.

The report suggests potential solutions to reverse this trend. PSBs could increase their ambition and investment in digital platforms to meet children where they are watching, delivering original UK content online as well as on broadcast. Innovative commissioning models that better support indie producers and freelancers, possibly with funding frameworks that allow risk-taking and development of new IP, could also help.

Cross-sector collaboration between broadcasters, digital platforms, and the UK government could sustain and promote UK-originated children’s programming. Policy or regulatory support to ensure PSBs maintain commitments to children’s content amid changing media consumption habits is also crucial.

The importance of children's public service media in educating, entertaining, and informing a generation of British children from diverse backgrounds, places, and cultures cannot be overstated. The BBC, for instance, has created and nurtured a range of children's programmes, including Blue Peter, Newsround, The Story of Tracy Beaker, and Grange Hill.

However, the rise of international streaming platforms, which produce content with no obligation to be educational or to represent the diverse experiences and backgrounds of UK children, poses a threat to this vital sector. Reversing the decline will likely require PSBs to adapt strategies toward the digital landscape, better funding mechanisms, and policy interventions to preserve high-quality UK children's programming.

1. The decline in children's programming by UK's public service broadcasters (PSBs) has significant implications for the UK's children's media sector, with a loss of industry jobs and a reduction in the reach of PSBs to young viewers.
2. Budget cuts by PSBs, audience migration to platforms like YouTube, and changing viewing habits have contributed to the decline in linear TV viewing and traditional children’s programming exposure.
3. The report suggests potential solutions to reverse this trend, such as increased ambition and investment in digital platforms, innovative commissioning models, and cross-sector collaboration between broadcasters, digital platforms, and the UK government.
4. The importance of children's public service media in education, entertainment, and informing a generation of British children from diverse backgrounds, places, and cultures cannot be overstated, as seen in the BBC's creation of programmes like Blue Peter, Newsround, The Story of Tracy Beaker, and Grange Hill.
5. The rise of international streaming platforms, which produce content with no obligation to be educational or to represent the diverse experiences and backgrounds of UK children, poses a threat to this vital sector.
6. Reversing the decline will likely require PSBs to adapt strategies toward the digital landscape, better funding mechanisms, and policy interventions to preserve high-quality UK children's programming that reflects and educates the diverse cultural experiences of children in the UK.

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