Previous campaigns
CMF campaign activity
2023
December
On 12th December, Shadow Minister Stephanie Peacock tabled an Amendment to the Media Bill requiring the government to investigate the special issues related to the children’s audience within six months of the Bill becoming law. This was not passed. But the intervention shows political commitment to new thinking following briefings by CMF.
CMF responded to the Ofcom consultation on the Future of TV Distribution, noting the significant shift in preferences amongst the older children’s and teen audiences to online on-demand viewing, but also posing the question “how many children will it be OK to leave behind when conventional television is “switched off”. Our response proposes intervention to ensure even the most disadvantaged can access broadband internet before switch off takes place.
November
With the support of the consultative group of broadcasters and industry associations, CMF met senior officials at Ofcom to present the Analysis of the Issues related to children’s changed viewing and its effects on the industry.
CMF briefed Baroness Benjamin in the House of Lords and the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Thangam Debbonnaire with our views on the crisis and how the Media Bill fails to address the key issues with the young audience. In the debate on the Media Bill on 21st November Thangam Debbonnaire spoke at length about the failure of the Bill to address the “lost” children’s audience.
October
The consultative group met 3 times in the Autumn of 2023 and discussed a range of options which could be taken to a Summit meeting and presented to Ofcom as part of its children’s review, and to politicians and government.
August
Industry concerns at the CMC resulted in the Children’s Media Foundation proposing a gathering of all interested parties in the children’s media industry – including broadcasters, industry associations, audience advocacy bodies, producers, distributors and writers. The Children’s Industry Summit process started with a consultative group of broadcasters and industry associations that met on 12th September.
July
CMF staged both the Question Time and the Debate sessions at the Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield. These and conversations amongst industry delegates revealed a high level of concern that the feared “collapse in commissioning” had arrived, as PSBs backed away from the positions they took when supported by the Young Audiences Content Fund and the BBC prioritised budget cuts and animation, while even the streaming services were cutting back. At the same time there was major concern about the significant loss of the 7+ audience from the traditional broadcast channels to streaming services and video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.
June
In late June the response from the DCMS to CMF and broadcasting minister John Whittingdale to Baroness Benjamin indicated that the concerns outlined below were not the intention of the draft Bill. It was clarified that the PSBs would still be assessed across the board, but that Ofcom would retain the power to insist upon each individual broadcaster achieving quotas for commissioning new content.
Baroness Benjamin wrote to the Secretary of State, after a briefing from CMF, to seek clarification of elements in the draft Media Bill which suggested that regulation of the Public Service Broadcasters will revert to the situation created by the 2003 Broadcasting Act which allowed Ofcom to demand greater commitment to children’s programmes by the Public Service Broadcasters only when commissioning of new programmes fell below “sufficient” levels when all were “taken together”. This had severely tied the hands of the regulator. However in 2017 the “Benjamin Amendment to the Digital Economy Act had empowered Ofcom to assess PSBs individually and require each of them to create more content when levels were deemed too low. This had worked well hand-in-hand with the Young Audiences Content Fund financial incentive. But, as admitted by the broadcasters commissioning will diminish without the Fund. CMF also sought clarification from civil servants responsible for the Bill
April
CMF is a member of the Children’s Coalition pursuing child-focused amendments to the Online Safety Bill. The coalition has recently tabled a series of amendments in the House of Lords where the Bill is in its committee stage. 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.
February
A meeting of the APPG for Children’s Media and the Arts on the topic of “What’s Happening in Kids” welcomed Patricia Hidalgo, Director of Children’s and education to Parliament to discuss her commissioning priorities. She outlined a three point plan to support the children’s media industry in the UK which included an enhanced tax incentive, with potential further enhancements for UK-focused content, and the need for prominence for public service broadcaster content on the streaming platforms. Industry representatives at the meeting expressed concern that the plan ignored the need for a Fund to replace the YAC Fund. Subsequently increased tax incentives for animation and children’s content were announced in the Budget and prominence on streamers is included in the draft Media Bill.
“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
December
CMF organised a meeting of the Children’s Media and the Arts APPG to hear from the commercial public service broadcasters their plans for content commissioning for young people after the loss of support from the Young Audiences Content Fund. The prospects were not good with ITV, and Channel 4 admitting they would reduce commissioning and Channel 5 committing to do its best to maintain, but there could be no guarantees.
CMF supported 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…
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.
2020
September
CMF has responded to Ofcom’s call for evidence related to the government’s plan for it to regulate Video Sharing Platforms (VSP) based in the UK.
July
Ofcom decides to allow the BBC to decrease the number of Newsround bulletins, and reduces quota for news hours and all originations on the CBBC Channel. The CMF registers its disagreement.
April
DCMS consultation on decriminalising the Television Licence fee. CMF Response.
January
Baroness Howe brings a Private Members Bill in the Lords to force the government to enact Part 3 of the 2017 Digital Economy Act which had been dropped. Part 3 implements age-verification for legal porn websites, with the regulator given powers to block sites which fail to comply. CMF supports.
2019
December
CMF’s response to the Ofcom Newsround and BBC Children’s Originations consultation. Plus an independent response by three members of the CMF Academic Advisory Board, Professors Jeanette Steemers (Kings College London) and Máire Messenger Davies (Ulster University), and Dr Cynthia Carter (Cardiff University).
November
Ofcom launches their consultation into a BBC proposal to reduce the number of Newsround Bulletins on the CBBC Channel and use the resources to offer more Newsround content online, with the consequent requirement to change the quota hours for children’s news in their Operating Licence, and reduce the quota of originations in total, by 50 hours. The BBC also proposed that content made for online-only distribution be considered in future as part of their overall quota hours.
July
CMF response to the government Online Harms White Paper.
June
CMF response to the government consultation on further advertising restrictions for products high in fat, salt and sugar.
April
The government launched their Online Harms White Paper – following the extensive Green Paper consultation in December 2017.
The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued a draft guideline on age appropriate design with the aim of creating a code of practice for online services. CMF’s consultation response is here.
March
The House of Lords Communications Select Committee launched an Inquiry into Public Service Broadcasting in the Age of Video on Demand. The CMF response is here.
The government announced a consultation on further advertising restrictions for products high in fat, salt and sugar. Their aim is to reduce children’s exposure to HFSS advertising, to reduce children’s overconsumption of these products, to tackle childhood obesity.
February
The BFI shared their draft criteria for producers applying to the Young Audiences Content Fund (formerly the Contestable Fund).
CMF responded with a number of questions, and expressed concern that the way the criteria were formulated could allow organisations providing platforms for the proposed content to avoid co-financing. Some of CMF’s practical suggestions were incorporated into the final version of the guidelines.
Subsequently in private and at a meeting of the Children’s Media and the Arts APPG, the BFI has reassured that, as a pilot, the Fund will remain flexible and responsive to uptake and any difficulties being experienced by producers in accessing it. They have also clarified that they will not fund projects for platforms that do not come up with at least some of the match funding.
2018
December
Ofcom consulted on new guidelines on how to handle age verification around “specially restricted material” as defined in the BBFC film certification process, when the restricted material appears on Video on Demand services. The CMF response makes it clear we consider the new guideline too limited, as it appears to avoid considering harms other than those associated with pornography.
October
The DCMS has handed over the plans for their newly announced Young Audiences Content Fund to the British Film Institute, which will fine-tune the criteria and operation of the Fund prior to launch in April 2019.
A DCMS policy paper revealed the detailed plans for the Contestable Fund – including £57m over tree years for a Young Audiences Content Fund to be fine tuned and operated by the BFI. The Fund will provide up to 50% of finance for projects that will be shown on a platform that is free at the point of use (which suggests ITV, Channel 4 or Channel 5). Content proposals will have to meet criteria around diversity, nations and regions representation, quality and innovation. Content for indigenous UK languages will make up 5% of the output. There will also be a development element to the Fund.
The BFI will be working with industry stakeholders on fine-tuning, Our reaction to the plan is broadly supportive but with concerns about over-emphasis on newcomers producing content. We are calling for a broad mix, from the challenging and innovative to tried and trusted genres such as drama and comedy – to ensure a wide reach.
July
Ofcom reveal the findings of their Children’s Media Review and their plan to persuade ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 to commission more children’s and youth content.
CMF made a statement welcoming Ofcom’s analysis of the issues and their desired outcomes, but disappointed at the failure to regulate.
May
The UK Government announced the next phase of its Internet Safety Strategy
CMF Response to the House of Lords Communications Committee inquiry into regulation of the internet.
January
CMF Response to the Ofcom consultation on the Children’s Content Review, which will inform planning of potential new regulations for children’s content on the Commercial Public Service Broadcasters.
2017
December
CMF Statement welcoming the government decision to dedicate the whole of the £60m Contestable Fund for Public Service Content to children’s content.
CMF response to the DCMS Internet Safety Strategy Green Paper. CMF Board member Professor Jeanette Steemers has submitted a further response on similar lines.
The Children’s Commissioner for England has contributed to the debate on children’s well-being online in two reports: Growing Up Digital in January 2017 and Life in Likes on the use of social media by 8-12 year olds (January 2018).
November
The DCMS launched a consultation on its Green Paper on Internet Safety Strategy. Children and young people feature significantly.
October
The CMF commissioned a Report – Can We Fix It at CMC2017 on the July Children’s Media Conference session that dealt with various concerns around children’s internet use, and polled industry professionals for their views on potential solutions. This was sent to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the opening day of their consultation on the government Green Paper on their Internet Safety Strategy.
July
CMF Response to the Ofcom consultation on Regulating the BBC, with specific reference to quotas for content on children’s services.
February
CMF response to the DCMS consultation on proposals for a Public Service Broadcasting Contestable Fund.
2016
December
CMF supplementary evidence to the House of Lords Inquiry on Children and the Internet.
November
CMF letter to Channel 5 on increasing children’s commissioning budgets.
CMF Press Release on decision to run the CITV Channel without a specialist team.
October
CMF submission to the Parliamentary consultation on the Digital Economy Bill.
CMF’s presentation to the ‘Drawn Together’ Summit in Parliament, on Children’s Arts and Culture.
August
The CMF response to the House of Lords Inquiry on Children and the Internet
May
CMF supported research by Professor Jeanette Steemers (Westminster University) into contestable funds and how they operate in a variety of territories: Policy Solutions and International Perspectives on the Funding of Public Service Media Content for Children: A Report for Stakeholders. Executive summary. Full Report.
CMF Statement in response to the government White Paper on the future of the BBC.
April
CMF Statement on Ofcom’s demand that Channel 4 draw up plans to better serve the 10-14 audience.
CMF Statement on Sky’s decision to commission UK children’s content.
CMF submitted a response response to the House of Lords Committee on Communications Inquiry into the Sustainability of Channel 4.
February
CMF brought together a meeting of the key campaigning bodies focusing on children’s content in the BBC Charter Review process. The meeting was attended by PACT, the VLV, Animation UK and some producers. It issued a Joint statement calling upon the BBC to protect the children’s budget at 8% of overall spending (slightly higher than currently).
Subsequently CMF arranged for members of this group, and children’s content producers, to meet the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, John Whittingdale, at a consultative round-table. The meeting was dedicated to the children’s issues discussed in the DCMS Green Paper and was intended to inform the preparation of the White Paper on BBC Charter Review due to be published in May 2016.
CMF Chair Anna Home’s follow-up lettter to the Secretary of State neatly sums up the position we expressed in the meeting,
January
CMF contributed a children’s audience focused submission to the Goldsmith’s University review: ‘A Future for Public Service Television’, chaired by Lord Puttnam.
2015
December
Briefed by CMF, Baroness Floella Benjamin asked the DCMS six written Parliamentary questions about the government’s support for children’s media as a social force, their view on market failure, on a contestable fund and whether commercial PSBs can be stimulated to commission children’s content.
November
CMF Response sent to BBC Trust consultation on BBC Management proposals for Charter Review. 
“Tomorrow’s BBC – Creating an Open more Distinctive BBC”.
CMF met the Trust to explain our proposal that the BBC commits to increase budgets for children’s and youth content over the next ten years.
October
CMF Chair, Anna Home met BBC Director General Tony Hall and has since exchanged correspondence on the need for the BBC to make a long-term commitment to more funding for its children’s and youth content.
CMF Response sent to the DCMS Consultation – BBC Charter Review (responding to the government’s Green Paper proposals).
September
CMF Response sent to the BBC Charter Review Consultation, Parliamentary Select Committee on Culture Media and Sport.
CMF Response sent to the What’s the BBC For? Consultation, House of Lords Select Committee on Communications.
CMF Response sent to the BBC Trust Second Consultation on Plans for BBC Three and related extension to CBBC Channel.
CMF Response sent to the BBC Trust Consultation on Tomorrow’s BBC.
June
Contribution to the Broadcast magazine round-table on the state of the children’s TV industry in the UK.
Participation in the “Protect the BBC” event in Parliament convened by Broadcast magazine and the Coalition of Creative Industries trades unions.
April
Briefing meeting with new Director of BBC Children’s.
March
Campaign planning round table on the future of the BBC with former Heads of BBC Children’s.
February
CMF Response to Ofcom consultation: Public Service Content in a Connected Society, Ofcom’s 3rd Review of Public Service Broadcasting.
Associated reports: PSB Annual Report including Children’s Analysis
CMF Response to Ofcom consultation on Channel 4 Corporation’s delivery of its media content duties (2010 – 2013). .
CMF Response to BBC Trust consultation on changing BBC Three to an Online service and related activities including the extension of CBBC Channel airtime to 9pm.
2014
December
Letter to the Chancellor supporting the creation of a children’s television tax incentive on cultural grounds – signed by over 30 figures in the arts, academia and media.
June
Appearance before Parliamentary Select Committee for Culture Media and Sport – perspective on future of the BBC.
January
Written evidence to Parliamentary Select Committee for Culture Media and Sport for their enquiry into the Future of the BBC.
2013
November
CMF Response to the Office of Fair Trading Final Consultation on Online Games and in-app payments.
June
CMF contribution (via the All Party Parliamentary Group) to OFT Review of Free Children’s Web and App-based Games.
May
CMF Response to the BBC Trust Children’s Service Review.
January
CMF Response to the BBC Trust Review of Online and Red Button Services.
2012
November
CMF response to the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee call for evidence by Parliamentary Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport. on “Support for the Creative Economy” Inquiry.
August
Treasury: call for responses to the proposed Tax Relief scheme for the UK animation industry CMF response to the Treasury Consultation on the proposed Tax Relief Scheme for the UK Animation Industry
July
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Children’s Media and the Arts was asked to contribute a media perspective to The All Party Parliamentary Group for Children, on the subject of their Inquiry: “Are children getting the opportunities they want?”. The CMF acts as secretariat for the All Party Group and composed this response.
June
CMF submission to the BFI consultation on the future of UK film Outcome: The BFI “Film Forever” plan
March
CMF response to European Commission/DCMS consultation on proposed new Creative Europe programme.
February
CMF response to Parliamentary Select Committee for Culture Media and Sport consultation on media plurality
2011
December
CMF response to BBC Trust: consultation on BBC Executive’s proposals “Delivering Quality First”.
November
CMF/SKTV response to Ofcom consultation on Measuring Media Plurality CMF response to Ofcom consultation on “Measuring Media Plurality”. Outcome: Ofcom report “Measuring Media Plurality”.
September
CMF response to DCMS: Film Review
CMF responses to DCMS Film review questionnaire