Broadcast campaigns for future of kids' TV

[BGonaSTICK]

Broadcast editor Lisa Campbell has launched a campaign to safeguard the future of UK children's programming. The move comes as media regulator Ofcom starts its review of kids' TV following its decision in November to ban junk food ads in programming aimed at children under 16. Ofcom said the ban would remove £39m a year from total broadcasting revenues, but conceded digital channels would be hit hardest.

In a Broadcast blog, Campbell said "investment in new UK children's programming by commercial channels has collapsed during the past year". "ITV stopped commissioning original British kids programming 12 months ago. It slashed its hours to just two per week in January."

Campbell said the contraction of children's programming on commercial terrestrial channels had economic and cultural implications". "ITV is the biggest investor outside the BBC, having ploughed around £22m per year into the sector, while other commercially funded broadcasters, including secondary channels, account for around £10m."

Half of the independent production companies making children's TV would disappear in 18 months unless Ofcom stepped in to protect the genre, independent producers had argued. "Culturally, we cannot afford to rely on digital channels which in turn rely heavily on imports. Britain has long been famous for producing high-quality, original and irreverent kids programming. That's why Broadcast is calling on the industry, parents and viewers to lobby Ofcom to ensure the survival of programming that not only taps into the lives of kids but above all is relevant to them," said Campbell.

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Couldn't agree more. Something has to be done to ensure that our kids aren't brainwashed by ****ty US-centric pap anymore than they already are.