The Save Kids’ TV Annual General Meeting will be held on the 28th October from 6 – 8 pm at The Windsor Room, Baden-Powell House, Queensgate, Kensington, London SW7
Speakers from the producers’ alliance PACT, the Voice of the Listener and Viewer, the Federation of Entertainment Unions and Action for Children’s Arts will join SKTV Chair Anna Home for a discussion on the achievements thus far and the campaign plans for the future.
To book your place email admin@savekidstv.org.uk
The Campaign is entering a crucial stage with the publication of the final Ofcom report on Public Service Broadcasting. The report concludes that Ofcom is unable to use its current powers to maintain children’s provision by commercial broadcasters, and highlights four areas of short-term focus to “help maintain quality and plural provision” and to “fill the identified gaps in online provision and content for older children and teenagers”.
Ofcom:
• supports the BBC’s commitment to improving and extending its children’s services
• supports Channel 4 in its new vision for 10-16 year-olds,
• welcomes S4C’s moves to extend its role in developing programming for a broader English speaking audience, and
• notes Five’s agreement to make a formal commitment to children’s programming, including increasing its target age range
Throughout the consultation process, SKTV and its partners have highlighted the severity of the situation we face in this country and reinforced to Ofcom the need for fresh and innovative solutions. But the report makes no reference to the urgency of the situation, and fails to identify how to bridge the £30m funding gap that we identified and with which Ofcom concurred.
The report also fails to understand the real issues which affect these four areas: The BBC is facing numerous challenges, not least the forthcoming relocation to Manchester; Channel 4’s minimal commitment is apparently already declining in the light of their financial situation; S4C’s declared intentions remain unclear and impractical; and while FIVE’s move is welcome, its proposed increases will be highly dependent on diminishing advertising revenues.
The Save Kids’ TV Executive Committee believes that the children’s section of this second report is weak and inadequate. It offers no new solutions, lacks vision, and is already out of date. I t backtracks on Ofcom’s previous commitments and its soft recommendations will make no significant difference to the production or distribution of children’s PSB programming.
This is the context for our discussion of the future strategy of the Campaign at the General Meeting. Your contribution will be very welcome. Please join us.
To book your place email Greg Childs on admin@savekidstv.org.uk
