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13|02|07

Ofcom begins children's programming review

Ofcom today set out the first steps in its review of children’s programming.

Section 264 of the Communications Act requires Ofcom to report on the extent to which the existing television public service broadcasters – BBC, ITV, Channel 4, S4C, five and Teletext – have together fulfilled the purposes of public service broadcasting (PSB); with a view to maintaining and strengthening the quality of PSB for the future. This includes an assessment of the availability within those services of a suitable quantity and range of high quality and original programmes for children and young people.

Ofcom will begin its review with a research project focusing on:

• the current state of children’s television and other children’s media in the UK;
• the role of public service broadcasting in providing content to children;
• the prospects for the future delivery of a wide range of high quality and original content for children and the factors which are likely to influence this; and
• relevant international perspectives or examples.

Ofcom intends to publish the findings of its research in summer 2007.

The Terms of Reference on The Future of Children’s Programming are available at:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/psb_review/childprog/tor/

The review is part of Ofcom’s planned schedule of work on the future of PSB in the digital age. This includes the financial review of Channel 4, the future of news, the potential role of the Public Service Publisher, non-news programming for the Nations and Regions in the UK, and the Public Service Broadcasting Annual Report.

Ends.

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