Campaigns

The CMF campaigns for:

• Recognition of the uniquely important role media plays in the lives of young people.
• Greater range and diversity in children’s media, through regulation, funding initiatives or other means - emphasising the need for UK-produced content.
• The right for children and young people to access media without harm.

Latest campaign action

2023

February

The Children's Media Foundation reacted to the publication of the final evaluation report for the Young Audiences Content Fund. CMF Chair, Anna Home said:  “The Report testifies to the resounding success of the Young Audiences Content Fund pilot. It's a powerful argument for continuing the funding of children’s media content that reflects UK children’s lives and their culture. The fund fulfilled its remit to address the deficit in production of high quality public service content for children and young people in this country, to work for the growth of UK production companies in all their diversity and to enhance the children’s broadcasting landscape. It will - and already is being - be sorely missed"

2022

November

As a member of the Children's Coalition pursuing child-focused amendments to the Online Safety Bill, CMF co-signs a letter to Secretary of State Michelle Donelan MP urging her to bring the stalled Bill before Parliament right away as otherwise it may fail to pass into law during this Parliamentary session

September

CMF has joined the Broadcast 2040 Campaign and has written to Ofcom in advance of the regulator's participation in the World Radiocommunications Conference 2023 pointing out the need to retain TV through an aerial for less well-off households, many of which will have children whose only viewing of TV services takes place on Digital Terrestrial TV.

CMF has responded to Ofcom's consultation on their plans to "Modernise the BBC's Operating Licence". Essentially the plans would take BBC children's content out of regulation and there would cease to be quotas requiring a certain number of orginal programmes.  CMF objected on a number of grounds.

August

CMF responded to a BBC Public Interest Test consultation on the future development of the iPlayer. We made strong representation that the BBC should give serious consideration to child-oriented design, marketing and additional content budget for the iPlayer if they had any hope of capturing the attention of their future licence fee payers.

April

CMF met DCMS Media and Creative Industries Minister Julia Lopez in April and there's some evidence that the government may take some action on the representations they received about the YAC Fund.

CMF responded to the Ofcom consultation about BBC Children's request to alter the quota for original productions on the CBBC channel from 72% of the total hours to 66% in 22-23, rising to 68% subsequently. This is to accommodate more acquired content on the channel which is needed as part of their strategy to include more animated series in their mix. CMF opposed this plan as it represents the second erosion of hours in recent years, and will adversely affect CBBC's distinctiveness and undermine its public service purposes.  Ofcom's final decision essentially gave the BBC what they asked for....

Members of the CMF Academic Advisory Board Prof. Jeanette Steemers and Dr Cynthia Carter also submitted a response, as did the Voice of the Listener and Viewer.

CMF Academic Advisory Board Members Dr Cynthia Carter and Dr Ashley Woodfall responded on our behalf to the IMPRESS consultation on their updated code of journalism standards, with particular reference to proposals in the code which focus on news and children. Read their response here.

March

The Young Audiences Content Fund Campaign Group open letter to Nadine Dorries reached 1000+ signatures and was sent by CMF to the Secretary of State with a request to rescind the decision on YAC Fund closure.

CMF responded to the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee's Inquiry into the future of funding for the BBC.

February

CMF co-ordinates the work of the Young Audiences Content Fund Campaign Group which organised an Open Letter to the Secretary of State expressing the concerns of individuals and organisations at the closure of the Fund.

January

The Young Audiences Content Fund closed by DCMS Secretary of State Nadine Dorries. CMF convened a campaign group of industry bodies, children's media professionals, academics and creatives to send an Open Letter to Nadine Dorries.

The campaign generated significant political support including questions in both Houses of Parliament and at Select Committee hearings.

2021

November

House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee publishes their report on the proposed privatisation of Channel 4.

October

CMF response to the government consultation on regulating audience standards on VOD services. This important consultation by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport considers the question of whether and how on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime should be brought into line with the standards applied by regulation to broadcast channels.

CMF responded to the BFI 'Next Up' consultation on its future 10-year strategy and priorities for the funding it receives from the National Lottery.  CMF broadly supported  the BFI aspiration to concern itself with television and interactive media (as well as film), pointed out that it already does so in relation to its operation of the Young Audiences Content Fund, and proposed that the BFI apply Lottery funding as part of a mixed financing option to continue the YACF beyond its three-year pilot. CMF encouraged BFI to bid for enhanced Lottery Funding to support this expanded role.

September

CMF response to the DCMS consultation on  the possible privatisation of Channel 4 and in similar vein our submission to the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee Inquiry on the Future of Channel 4.

August

CMF response to the Ofcom consultation on the Future of Media Plurality, with special reference to children, teens and news.

July

Ofcom makes its recommendations to government about the future for public service media, as initially explored in its Small Screen: Big Debate Report.

CMF publishes its 160-page Report on the future of public service media for children and young people: Our Children's Future: Does Public Service Media Matter?

April

CMF response to The BBC Public Interest Consultation on BBC Three / CBBC.

March

BBC issues Public Interest Consultation on its plans to re-launch BBC Three as a broadcast channel, This in part entails CBBC Channel handing back 2 hours of airtime (7 - 9pm) nightly. BBC Three plans to serve the 13-15 year-old audience in this time slot.

CMF responds to Ofcom's consultation on its Report: Small Screen: Big Debate - which will form the basis of Ofcom's recommendations to government on the future of public service media in the UK.

Previous campaign activity >>

The Children's Media Foundation is at the forefront of fighting for the best in children's content and ensuring that it is fully diverse and representative. The children of today will shape our world and I'm pleased that the CMF is helping to give them the widest possible range of opportunities to do so.
Sir Lenny Henry C.B.E.