Evaluating the Contribution of PSBs

to Children’s Media

Prof. Jeanette Steemers, University of Westminster, UK

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 Why consider the question of value?
• ‘Sleepwalking’ ‘into a situation where we do not have
UK-generated content of a high quality for our kids’
(Colette Bowe, Chairman, Ofcom)
• Anna Home, Chair, Save Kids’ TV argued that “children
today see a huge amount of the world, particularly of the
American world, and relatively little of their own”. She
pointed to drama “where children see themselves
reflected, their own lives reflected, in a context which
they comprehend”, which she said was “hugely
important, both for their education and for their cultural
development as citizens” (Q 1489). (Select Committee,
2010: 52)
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 Children’s Televisual Media –
Transnational Players
• Children’s TV one of most
globalised forms of
content
• Dominated by:
– Disney
– Time Warner (Cartoon
Network)
– Viacom (Nickelodeon)
• New Players - Netflix,
YouTube, Amazon – are
beginning to invest in
original content.
• Online content – Moshi
Monsters (UK), Angry
Birds (Finland)
 On the surface little sign of crisis or
creative destruction in UK
• 2011 UK PSBs broadcast 12,547 hrs
• 2011 commercial multichannel broadcasters 115,922 hrs
• PSB expenditure on first run originations falls from
£107m in 2006 to £88m in 2011 (97% by BBC)
• PSB First run hours fall from 1584 hours in 2006 to 777
hrs in 2011 (Ofcom, 2012).
• Programme expenditure on originations by commercial
multichannel broadcasters £25.5m in 2011 (Coba, 2012)

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 Transnational children’s channels in Europe:
Broadcast output by country of origin (aggregated data)

Sample weeks: 21- 27 September 2009 ; 22-28 February 2010 (Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr and
Playhouse Disney). . There are no Dutch versions of Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Playhouse Disney. The German, Italian
and French versions of Nick Jr were not included in the sample, because these channels were brand new at the time of the analysis,
having launched in January 2009, August 2009 and January 2010 respectively, and therefore very likely not to have yet adopted any
significant localisation strategy. Localisation strategies are typically implemented only gradually and after an initial launch period
PSB Children’s Channels in Europe:
Broadcast output by country of origin

Source: Authors; Notes: Sample weeks: 21-27 September 2009, 22-28 February 2010; Sample channels: Gulli in France; KiKa in
Germany; Rai Gulp and Raisat YoYo in Italy; CBBC and CBeebies in Britain; and the Z@ppelin and Zapp blocks in the Netherlands.
 Transnational Channels – Broadcast output by
Form

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 PSB Channels – Broadcast Output by Form

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 Children’s content in a globalised, digitised and
convergent media landscape?
What is the value to children and society at large?

•Domestic commercial channels seek to abandon children’s

content.
•PSB’s role not always clearly defined.
•Little definition of what origination means – made for
international marketplace; produced overseas; hides
national origins.
•How do we define children’s content/audiences?

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 Types of value – Children’s content
• Social and Cultural Value
• Educational Value
• Economic Value
 Types of value – PSB TV
• Social and Cultural Value – little evidence –
children like homegrown content, but what are its
benefits?
• Educational Value – little evidence (some in US)
– costs and time associated with educational
testing.
• Economic value – some evidence – exports of
content, generation of ancillary revenues
(consumer products). Perception of unfair playing
field results in new Tax Reliefs in UK – but limited
to animation, and driven by industry concerns
rather than concerns/needs of children.
 Conclusion
• Transmission and production quotas might raise levels of
homegrown output – but what is the impact on the
‘socialization and healthy cultural development of
children’?
• Need research which looks at industry perspectives
(what do they bring to a production that overseas
producers do not?)
• And crucially we need children’s perspectives (how do
they form a sense of belonging, identity and knowledge
through their use of media?)
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 Conclusion
• Transmission and production quotas might raise levels of
homegrown output – but what is the impact on the
‘socialization and healthy cultural development of
children’?
• Need research which looks at industry perspectives
(what do they bring to a production that overseas
producers do not?)
• And crucially we need children’s perspectives (how do
they form a sense of belonging, identity and knowledge
through their use of media?).
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