The Children’s Media Foundation – improving media choices for UK kids

Ofcom Review - Results Revealed

Ofcom has announced the findings of its Children's Content Review - with particular reference to the Commercial Public Service Broadcasters (ITV, Channels 4 and 5, and S4C). They identify three main issues which are very much in tune with the CMF submission to their consultation:

• A lack of original, high-quality programmes specifically made for older children across all programme genres
• A limited range of programmes that help children to understand the world around them
• A limited range of original, high quality children’s programmes that allow UK children of all ages and backgrounds to see themselves and their lives reflected on screen

The Report does not contain proposals for new regulations, which Ofcom now has the power to impose. Instead, they have written to the main PSB Channels asking them to make plans to improve provision by the spring of 2019 - which Ofcom will then consider and comment on.

CMF's reaction to the Report findings and recommendations can be seen here.

"What's Next for UK Kids?"

CMF staged the big policy debate at the annual Children's Media Conference in Sheffield on 4th July 2018.  Over 500 delegates crowded in to hear a message from Minister, Margot James MP and debate the future of UK kids' content in the face of Brexit, new funding, re-regulation and more.

What's Next for UK Kids can be seen in full here.

Children's Media Yearbook

The 2018 edition of the children's Media Yearbook is available now.

Published by CMF, this sixth Yearbook is packed with articles on the way children watch, the latest trends in content, research outcomes, policy discussions and news of success and innovation in every field of children's media.

It's available to download (cost: £7.95), or in hard copy which delivers within a few days (cost: £10 + p&p).

Making the Internet Safe

The UK Government has announced the next phase of its Internet Safety Strategy. It outlines their conclusions based on responses to the public consultation on the Internet Safety Green Paper and their plans to move towards a White Paper before the end of 2018. The CMF response to the Green Paper is here.

Baroness Beeban Kidron, founder of 5Rights has published a report on 'persuasive design’ practices that deliberately keep children online to collect their data for commercial gain.

The House of Lords Communications Committee is also conducting an inquiry into potential regulation of the internet.  CMF contributed to this in May 2018.

Contestable Fund - for Children's Content

On 30th December 2017 the DCMS announced that the proposed Contestable Fund for Public Service Content will focus on the children's audience.

This is a major success, following intense lobbying over several years  by the CMF - first, to create awareness in politicians that a fund was needed, and secondly, to ensure that the fund proposed early in 2017 should dedicate the whole of its £60m resources to the children's audience.

Woking hand in hand with the children's television tax incentive and potential new regulation by Ofcom, this is a major step forward for children's media makers in the UK and will be of significant benefit to the children's audience. The CMF response is here.

The DCMS and BFI are now working on detailed planning for the fund and full proposals are expected before the end of 2018, with the Fund scheduled to be in operation from April 2019.

Research

CMF's Research for Parents answers parents' concerns about their kids' media use, with an accessible explanation of the most respected current research.

"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."

Philip Pullman, Author and Founder Patron,