CMF at CMC
The Children's Media Foundation produced two key policy discussions as sessions at the annual Children's Media Conference in Sheffield.
Media Advocacy for UK Children and Young People
Sleepwalking Over The Edge
The Media Bill does little to support content for children. But public service media is vital for young people's well-being and the future of society.
Public Service Media Report
Explore the CMF multi-authored Report: "Our Children's Future: Does Public Service Media Matter?"
CMF QuizNite
28 September, 7-9.30pm, Lee and Tompson offices, 80 Charlotte Street in London's West End.
Tickets £20 per person. Buy singly or register a team of 5.
Drinks and buffet included.
CMF QuizNite is a great opportunity to meet up with old friends in the children’s media business or make new ones. Hosted by comedian Tiernan Douieb, with questions set by Mastermind quizzer Tom Jordan, it's a fun test of your knowledge of children’s media past and present, with amazing prizes courtesy of Ginger Fox.
Children's Media Yearbook
The Children's Media Yearbook 2023
is packed with articles and research reflecting on the past year in children's media and the future of kids' and youth content. You can order a print copy for £15.00 or download a digital version for £12
Take a look at the contents. And CMF's annual review of political and regulatory issues: "Sleepwalking into the Future".
Previous Yearbooks, including 2020, 2021 and 2022 are also now available as print or digital copies.
Media Bill
The Media Bill is likely to be put before Parliament in the King's Speech in the Autumn. Recently CMF received clarification from DCMS - the ministry responsible - that references in the draft Bill to regulation of the Public Service Broadcasters to provide children's and youth content will not counteract the "Benjamin Amendment" which ensured that each PSB would be individually assessed as to whether they were providing sufficient children's or youth content. The amendment brought about stronger regulation, and we have been assured this will not be diluted in the new Bill.
Sleepwalking Over the Edge
This CMF event on 17th May explored the consequences of the "lost audience". As kids in ever greater numbers desert public service media channels for YouTube, TikTok and the streamers, what are the implications as they reach adulthood - for them as engaged citizens, and for society, if a generation of young people grow up with no concept of public service media, its value and purposes.
Latest Campaigning
CMF is a member of the Children's Coalition pursuing child-focused amendments to the Online Safety Bill. The coalition's series of amendments in the House of Lords committee stage have now been agreed by government. They are intended to protect children more effectively than the Bill currently provides for - particularly in relation to age-verification on pornography websites and the powers Ofcom will have to enforce good practice that will enhance child-well-being.
CMF is supporting an initiative to develop an ambitious new plan for a comprehensive strategy for children's media in the UK. This response to the loss of the Young Audiences Content Fund grew out of a meeting of minds at the CMF-produced debate at the Children's Media Conference on the future of public service funding for kids' content. Read about the UK Children's Media Plan...
CMF has joined the Broadcast 2040 Campaign to support the continuation of broadcast TV services until at least 2040.
All CMF campaign activity is listed here.
CMF - Listening to Kids
The Children's Media Foundation's Public Service Media Campaign is Listening to Kids.
Listening to Kids - Young Voices on Media Choices was the first of a series of events in which the voices of young people informed the debate on how public service media might be funded and delivered in the future. Kids Know Best talked to young people about their media choices and contributors to the CMF Public Service Media Report discussed the ideas.
Previously Dubit partnered with CMF on their State of the Nation's Kids research, exploring children's attitudes, preoccupations and concerns in their non-media lives.
"Children, and the media they use, are frequent topics of public concern and debate. The Children's Media Foundation will stimulate and participate in this debate - across the entire range of media that children experience."
Sir Philip Pullman, Author and Lifetime Patron,
"Children, and the media they use, are frequent topics of public concern and debate. The Children's Media Foundation will stimulate and participate in this debate - across the entire range of media that children experience."