WHAT CHILDREN WATCH - Ofcom

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10. Factual programming is almost absent from the dedicated channels and is the genre most obviously in decline on the analogue channels. The classification system used by the industry means that some schools programming is classified as ‘factual’, which boosts the minutage ascribed to this genre. The picture would be even worse, therefore, if schools programming were removed from the analysis. 11. Light entertainment programming takes a significant proportion of the share of children’s programming on many channels, and had grown significantly across the sample period on some of the dedicated channels. 12. Pre-school programme provision was significant within the basket of dedicated channels as they split to form new services, focused on particular age groups. Provision of this genre had increased also on the analogue terrestrial channels. 13. Much of the increase in children’s programme provision on the analogue terrestrial channels is centred on the breakfast slot, while after-school provision remains constant. 14. Children are spending significant amounts of their viewing time per day watching genres other than those targeted at children. These other genres are not analysed in this report, which concentrates on children’s programming provision. 15. Interviews with children underscore many of these findings. Television is of significant importance in their lives. It is pervasive - most homes have more than one television set, and many of the children interviewed have a set in their bedrooms. 16. With 59% penetration of multichannel television in homes with children, many of the children in the sample who live in analogue terrestrial-only homes have been exposed to the other channels and services as well and therefore have some knowledge of them. 17. Television is a prime source of entertainment, if not a preferred activity. The children interviewed watch at all times; very often the television is on, even if not actively attended to. 18. Children under the age of eight are confused about what is a programme and what is a channel, especially those in multichannel homes who are switching between so many more channels and programmes. 19. Those in analogue terrestrial-only homes have more awareness of the times their favourite programmes are on and what channel they are on, simply because they follow a linear programme schedule and there is a limited choice of channels. Those with access to the dedicated channels have many more channels to choose from. They tend to know which channels their favourite programmes are on, but otherwise have less awareness of which channel they are watching and flick around more often. They use the electronic programme guide to navigate their way around and ‘create’ their own schedules. 2 What Children Watch
20. Children in multichannel homes are more demanding of their television schedules, expecting a large number of different programmes, constantly changing. The research does not suggest that multichannel children are calling for greater diversity in the type of content they watch, but this may be a reflection of the fact that they are accustomed to the range of material they are offered. 21. The issue of programme origination was raised with children, but was not found to be of significant interest, although many of the children spoke of their enjoyment of programmes produced in the United States. (The quantitative, BARB-based analysis does not distinguish country of origin.) 22. Parents, especially parents in analogue terrestrial-only homes, are particularly keen that UK-originated programming should be available for their children to watch. They feel it is more authentic and culturally relevant and some felt that it had more of an educational value. 23. The level of parental knowledge about the material being watched is mixed. While parents voice concerns, many admit that they police the viewing of their secondary school-age children less than their younger children. 24. Parents expressed concern about certain aspects of taste and decency when talking about children’s programming. When talking about programming in general, and not programming targeted specifically at children, the use of swearing and offensive language was particularly disliked. 25. Parents felt it was important to retain children’s programme provision on the analogue terrestrial channels, despite the alternative sources available on cable and satellite channels. They considered it essential that terrestrial broadcasters catered for the child audience. 26. Analogue terrestrial parents, in particular, felt that the terrestrial channels offered a better range of children’s genres which included quality British made programmes. Additionally, parents who had not chosen to subscribe to satellite or cable channels said they would resent being forced to pay for additional services in order for their children to have something to watch. 27. However, there was an acceptance that multichannel television opportunities were part of the television environment and that it was incumbent on broadcasters to continue to create programming that captured the attention and fed the demands of the child audience. What Children Watch 3
Page 1: WHAT CHILDREN WATCH AN ANALYSIS OF
Page 5: Contents Executive summary 1 Introd
Page 10 and 11: 4 What Children Watch
Page 14 and 15: Since the Messenger Davies study wh
Page 16 and 17: The Public’s View also looks at t
Page 18 and 19: Dedicated channels The impact of no
Page 22 and 23: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ As noted, the t
Page 24 and 25: ITV1 Hours of children’s programm
Page 26 and 27: Channel 4 Hours of children’s pro
Page 28 and 29: 13 18 30 15 25 9 1 76 7 6 22 What C
Page 30 and 31: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Although an
Page 32 and 33: Children’s factual (including sch
Page 34 and 35: Children’s light entertainment Ho
Page 36 and 37: Dedicated channels The 1997 BSC stu
Page 38 and 39: Children’s animation Total hours
Page 40 and 41: Pre-school Total hours of children
Page 42 and 43: ■ ■ ■ Pre-school offerings in
Page 44 and 45: GMTV 6 Children’s programming by
Page 46 and 47: Channel 4 Children’s programming
Page 48 and 49: Dedicated children’s channels Bef
Page 50 and 51: TCC Children’s programming by gen
Page 52 and 53: Nickelodeon Children’s programmin
Page 54 and 55: Cartoon Network Children’s progra
Page 56 and 57: Toon Disney and Playhouse Disney Ch
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Boomerang Children’s programming
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54 What Children Watch
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The chart above shows how total chi
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Viewing to children’s programmes
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Audience share by channel: multicha
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Top children's programmes, 2002 Pro
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The chart highlights sectors that c
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3. Diversity in children’s progra
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‘Life without TV... no way!’ (G
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(Boy, aged 12, Birmingham) (Girl, a
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In the bedroom Many children watch
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They did mention some programmes th
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terrestrial channels to stop showin
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(Girl, aged 9, Manchester) The Simp
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ut these tend to be the ones who do
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Gender differences in programme con
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Sunday night is the one time when m
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Interactive television Interactive
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Programme origination American chil
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Although terrestrial viewers are le
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Appendix 2: Sample Sample structure
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Appendix 4: The Independent Televis
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Broadcasting Standards Commission 7
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WHAT CHILDREN WATCH - Ofcom

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