Ofcom Initiates Review of Kids’ Programming

Ofcom, a communications regulator in the U.K., has launched a review of children’s content that is available on television as well as on-demand and streaming services.

According to research, 35 percent of 8- to 11-year-olds who watch TV think that there are not enough series featuring children who look like them, while 41 percent of 12- to 15-year-olds feel that too few shows portray kids living in their part of the country. Expanding on this research, Ofcom has kicked off a review that will examine the variety and quality of children’s programming across TV broadcasters and content providers, and will highlight any issues that need to be addressed.

The review will examine audience behavior and preferences, the availability of children’s programs and incentives to invest in kids’ content. Ofcom is looking for initial input contributions to review by January 31, 2017. Findings will be published, alongside any proposed regulatory measures, in summer 2018.

“We are seeking input from audiences and industry to help us build a comprehensive view of the current quantity, range and quality of provision of children’s content, the role of the public service broadcasters (PSBs) in the provision of children’s content, as well as the impact of changing industry and audience dynamics,” Ofcom said in a note on its website.

“Ofcom’s review of children’s content will help us assess if and how we might use the new power provided in the Digital Economy Act (DEA) 2017. The DEA enables Ofcom to publish criteria for the provision of children’s programming and, if appropriate, to set conditions on the licensed public service channels (Channel 3 services, Channel 4 and Channel 5) to ensure that children’s programming meets the criteria. This might mean setting out what quantity, type or range of children’s content we think is appropriate to meet audience needs and be in line with Parliament’s expectations of public service broadcasting, and then designing quotas to help ensure that this content is made available to younger audiences.

“The review will be carried out in light of our general duties for PSB in the Communications Act 2003, in particular Ofcom’s duty when reviewing the fulfillment of PSB purposes to have regard to the desirability that PSB services ‘(taken together) include what appears to Ofcom to be a suitable quantity and range of high-quality and original programs for children and young people.’”