The CMS Select Committees Report into The Future of the BBC – A statement from The CMF
The Children's Media Foundation read with interest the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee's Report into the Future of the BBC, and is glad that the Report commends the BBC for the provision and content of its children's programming over the last Charter period and recognises the importance of television to children's early learning and cultural identity.
The report maintains that "children's programming must remain a core and priority PSB genre for the BBC beyond 2016" yet to do this will require the continuation of an assured licence fee at a viable level which appears to be questioned by the committee
We are also concerned at the report’s suggestion that a small amount of the licence fee should be allocated to fund external PSB content such as children’s programming. Although contestable funding might be one way of correcting failure in the children’s market it would be counterproductive if it was taken from the licence fee and resulted in the consequent reduction of BBC children’s output and budget. There needs to be more money available for children's PSB content across the whole sector.
The CMF welcomes the committee’s recommendation that the charter review should be thorough open and democratic and hopes that the needs and concerns of the child audience will be taken seriously in the discussions and reflected in the outcome.
Like Buses Westminster Media Forum 21st May 2015 – Statement of CMF Policy