WHAT CHILDREN WATCH - Ofcom

5 Diversity in programme provision
An analysis of trends in children’s programme provision across the entire television
environment shows that the main increase in targeted children’s material is driven by
animation. Drama, on the other hand, has decreased to the level it was at the start of the
sample period while the other genres have remained stable.
Total hours devoted to children’s programming: 1996-2001
Hours
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Hours 13,729 21,059 20,350 20,751 30,502 37,183
■ Drama ■ Factual ■ Animation ■ Light entertainment ■ Pre-school
Source: BARB, Monday-Sunday
Sum of children’s output on terrestrial networks and dedicated children’s channels
■
Closer analysis of the range of children’s programming available on the main networks
and the dedicated channels in 2001 as a proportion of total time devoted to this
audience, further illustrates the difference in choice made available to those in terrestrial
households and those in multichannel homes.
Diversity in children’s programming: 2001
Terrestrial networks
Dedicated channels
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100%
■ Drama ■ Factual ■ Animation ■ Light entertainment ■ Pre-school
Source: BARB, Monday-Sunday
What Children Watch 23