A new inquiry is to investigate the provision of children’s TV and video content in the UK.
MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport committee want to know what can be done to ensure future generations continue to have access to high-quality British-made programming.
Research from Ofcom shows a structural shift in the viewing habits of young people, with television viewing by children dropping and YouTube now the most used app or site by children of all ages, with 88% of 3 to 17-year-olds using it last year. The BBC runs two linear children’s channels and there is also content on the BBC iPlayer and to a lesser extent on ITVX. Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Pop still run linear services, though streaming is clearly the name of the game for younger audiences.
Chair of the CMS Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, said: “Changes to the media landscape, particularly the shift in viewing to YouTube, pose huge challenges for the future of children’s programming and the continued production of original content by our public service broadcasters. We want to know what prominence means for programmes made for children in the future world of smart TVs, streaming, video sharing platforms and endless choice.”
The committee intends to explore issues relating to parental control of online content, the potential positive and negative effects of how children watch TV and video content on their health and development, and wider issues relating to the sector’s contribution to the economy and its importance to the UK’s cultural identity.
