BBC Ups Funding for Kids’ Content

LONDON: The BBC is allocating an additional £25.5 million to its children’s services over the next three years, following a review of the pubcaster’s kids’ output by the BBC Trust.

The BBC Trust, in its review earlier this year, found that the BBC’s kids’ services and content "were performing strongly," according to Jana Bennett, the director of BBC Vision. "They congratulated the BBC for delivering popular children’s content which successfully entertains a wide audience and at the same time makes an important contribution to the BBC’s public purposes. I am incredibly proud of the creative strength of CBeebies and CBBC and the unique value to children they bring. They empower, entertain and reflect the lives of children in this country through consistently high-quality, home-grown programs."

However, Bennett noted, the Trust "did identify some areas for improvement and these initiatives have been developed to meet two key challenges. Firstly, that the children’s industry is facing pressure at this time, particularly financially, and I believe the BBC has a unique role in making sure children receive high quality, British content. And secondly that children are at the vanguard of digital media adoption and consumption and expect to be served in a focused way on digital television as well as by on-demand and internet content."

The additional £25.5 million investment will be used towards bigger-budget shows like The Sarah Jane Adventures, Horrible Histories and My Almost Famous Family. Some of this money is being earmarked to help fund further seasons of Third and Bird and Kerwhizz for CBeebies. This new fund will also go towards other new, original shows for children, in particular drama and comedy.

The initiatives announced today  include a focus on audio content for the Internet. The BBC is also increasing the budget of BBC Children’s website by £1 million, with a view to increasing weekly reach to 900,000 unique visitors by April 2010. The plan includes improving navigation so that the CBBC website can be easily found through any search engine and so that kids can easily make their way around the site. There will also be a new focus on multiplatform content for key shows in order to keep kids engaged on the site.

On the scheduling front, Newsround and Blue Peter will remain on BBC One at their current times for the next two years. In the interim, development will start on potential daytime program alternatives which could play in the 5:30 p.m. slot on weekdays. If one is found and is successful, over the next two years the BBC will consider reinstating Blue Peter and Newsround to their original times. The CBBC block will remain on BBC One, playing from 3:05 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. "We are seeking to balance the interests of viewers in supporting a strong 6 O’Clock News and protecting children’s programs," Bennett said. "When we weighed up all the options, which were informed by extensive research, and considered them along with the fact that children are nearly 100 percent digital and can access the CBBC channel and website, we decided this was the right realistic balance."