A new inquiry will
explore the provision of children's TV and video content in the
UK and what can be done to ensure future generations continue to
have access to high-quality British-made programming.
Research from Ofcom shows a structural shift in the viewing
habits of young people, with television viewing by children
dropping and YouTube now the most used app or site by children of
all ages, with 88% of 3 to 17-year-olds using it last year. The
changing ways in which audience consume TV and video, has made it
more challenging for public service broadcasters to make original
TV content for children and for it to be found. This has a
knock-on effect for those in our creative industries who want to
make quality UK TV and video for children.
The Culture, Media and Sport Committee inquiry
will therefore examine how to ensure those making original
high-quality content can continue and how it can be made easier
to find it online.
It will also explore issues relating to parental control of
online content, the potential positive and negative effects of
how children watch TV and video content on their health and
development, and wider issues relating to the sector's
contribution to the economy and its importance to the UK's
cultural identity.
Chair of the CMS Committee, Dame MP, said:
“Children's viewing habits have come a long way, but whether they
watch through a smart TV or a tablet, there is still demand for
good quality TV and video for children. We all want young people
to have access to a range of programming, so in addition to
cartoons, they also see drama and factual programmes. We want
them to be able to be educated and inspired, as well as
entertained.
Changes to the media landscape, particularly the shift in viewing
to YouTube, pose huge challenges for the future of children's
programming and the continued production of original content by
our public service broadcasters. We want to know what prominence
means for programmes made for children in the future world of
smart TVs, streaming, video sharing platforms and endless
choice.
We have a proud history of high-quality children's television in
the UK. Our inquiry will be showcasing the contribution the
sector makes to both our culture and economy and how we can best
ensure that content designed for children in all its forms
continues to both educate and entertain.”
Terms of reference
The Committee is inviting written submissions in
response to the following questions:
Children's TV and video content in the UK
- Who is commissioning and making
original, high-quality, TV and video content for children and
young audiences in the UK?
- How can they be best supported to
continue to make more?
- How does the range of content and
genres for children vary between that provided by public service
media, subscription channels, and both short- and long-form video
sharing platforms?
- Which audiences, by age or other
characteristic, are currently being underserved?
- How can we increase the amount of
news and factual programming made for children on TV and online?
Finding children's TV and video content online
- How can it be made easier to find
original, high-quality, TV and video content for children online?
- How can the attribution of public
service children's content on video sharing platforms be
improved?
- How effective are the tools
available for parents to control what children are watching on
public service media, subscription channels, video sharing
platforms?
Health and child development
- What evidence is there that the TV
and video content that children watch, and how they watch it, can
contribute:
- Positively to their health,
learning and development?
- Negatively to their health,
learning and development?
Wider benefits of children's TV
- How does children's TV made in the
UK contribute to:
- The UK's culture and identity?
- Our cultural and economic exports?
