Amendment victory for children’s TV producers
Last week, Baroness Floella Benjamin secured an amendment to the Digital Economy Bill which gives Ofcom powers to encourage commercial PSBs to commission more children’s content.
The amendment follows a concerted effort by Pact and children’s media campaigners under the Save Kids’ Content UK banner initiated by Teletubbies creator Anne Wood CBE (Ragdoll Foundation), and promises to provide a vital lifeline to the children’s production sector.
The number of new British-made children’s programmes has been in sharp decline since legislative changes in the early 2000s. But although children are consuming more and more content online, television viewing remains strong with 87% of 4 – 15 year olds still watching live broadcast.
Baroness Benjamin spoke passionately about the amendment, asserting: “Only a change to primary legislation that gives Ofcom the necessary tools to require commercial PSBs to provide children’s programming will secure the long-term future and sustainability of the UK children’s content production sector.”
What does the amendment do?
The amendment gives Ofcom the powers to consider producing criteria for the provision of programming for under 16s, to clarify the public service remit requirement. Ofcom will carry out a public consultation later this year before setting (and subsequently reviewing) any guidelines, allowing Pact and its members to help inform the criteria.
Once established, the criteria will become a condition of the PSB licence. However, broadcasters will be able to satisfy the requirement by providing programmes via their on demand programme services and/or their family of free to air secondary channels, not just their main broadcast channel.
The amendment will now progress to the House of Commons - where it will hopefully be signed off - and then on for Royal Assent for the Bill.
The campaign continues
Although this is really positive news, the campaign for kids’ content goes on, and Pact will continue its efforts as part of the Save Kids’ Content campaign to ensure that this piece of legislation is used to maximum material effect and creates long-term revitalisation of the genre.
Key content and contacts
The amendment text can be viewed here (after Clause 82).
Watch the historic moment in the House of Lords (Baroness Floella Benjamin speaks at 17:38).
For further information, please call the Save Kids’ Content campaign on 0203 267 0074 or contact James Hargrave at james.hargrave@jbp.co.uk or Connie Long at connie.long@jbp.co.uk.
For more information and updates on the campaign, visit www.savekidscontent.org.uk.
Pact's Head of Children's is Rosina Robson - rosina@pact.co.uk.