Greg Childs, Director of the Children's Media Foundation (CMF), discusses the significant changes and challenges facing UK children's media. Greg's background includes a long career at the BBC, producing shows like Record Breakers and being involved in launching early online content and digital channels like CBBC and CBeebies. He also co-founded the Children's Media Conference (CMC).

The fundamental change in the industry is how children consume media. This shift to on-demand viewing, largely driven by the internet and video games between 1995 and 1998, meant children wanted control over when they watched content. This has led to a "crisis" for the industry.

The crisis involves the collapse of the financial model, particularly for commercial public service broadcasters, due to the decimation of the advertising base. Kids' attention is now fragmented across traditional channels, YouTube, TikTok, and gaming platforms like Roblox, especially for those over seven. Traditional channel viewing figures, even for CBBC, are significantly lower than in the past.

Putting content on platforms like YouTube isn't a simple fix. Concerns include safety issues (algorithms linking content to disturbing material), low revenue (YouTube doesn't share ad revenue effectively, especially for children's content after an FTC fine), and YouTube's view of itself as a platform for user-generated content, not a publisher or commissioner. This limits its responsibility, and its algorithm isn't set up to promote public service content.

A key issue is prominence. While the recent Media Bill requires smart TVs to ensure public service channels are prominent, it doesn't address prominence on online platforms like YouTube. The CMF lobbied for this, arguing the bill was stuck in the 20th century. Achieving public service prominence on YouTube is complex but needs "a lot of thought".

The CMF is advocating for collaboration with platforms to get them to consider their societal role. There has been some "small progress," with a minister writing to social video platforms asking how they will make culturally relevant, age-appropriate content more prominent. However, the space is still described as a "wild west".

Parents have a crucial role in helping children navigate the digital world, compared to guiding them through traffic. This involves media literacy, which should also have a greater emphasis in schools. Parents should:

Talk about what kids watch and why they like it.

Watch media together or discuss how it's made and its agendas.

Teach kids to distinguish between truth and fake content, increasingly vital with AI.

Keep open communication channels about media consumption.

Be aware of what their children are watching for significant periods.

Despite challenges, the British children's TV industry is "brilliant" and "punches above its weight" globally, particularly in animation. It retains a tremendous skills base. Many practitioners see their work as a vocation, driven by a duty of care and a shared aim to improve children's lives. The belief that "what's good for kids is good for business" is something platforms like YouTube need to learn.

Greg also shared memories of producing Record Breakers for 10 years, highlighting the joy and responsibility of making stimulating, emotional programming. He recalled working with presenters Roy Castle and Cheryl Baker and the edited nature of Norris McWhirter's segment. Working at BBC Television Centre was a "fantastic time," feeling like a democratic "factory for making television."

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