Children: Television
Debate between Baroness Benjamin and Baroness Rawlings
Baroness Benjamin
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Answer by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 8 September (HC Deb, col. 543), how they will ensure higher prominence for children’s public service channels on electronic programming guides.
Baroness Rawlings
My Lords, we are considering the whole picture of public service broadcasting, including electronic programme guides, as part of the communications review. We will publish our thoughts in the communications Green Paper around the turn of the year.
Baroness Benjamin
I thank my noble friend. I am sure that she agrees that the BBC's children's channels are the largest providers of UK-made public service programmes. The other children's channels provide mainly a relentless diet of cartoons and bought-in programmes. Yet on the Sky electronic programming guide, EPG, BBC children's channels are low on the list. Does she agree that this is not what Parliament meant by “appropriate prominence” in the Communications Act 2003, under which Ofcom is required to review the position of PSB channels at least every two years? There has not been such a review since 2005. Instead of waiting for new legislation, will the Government urge Ofcom to review the EPG code sooner rather than later, and place BBC's children's channels in their right and proper place? I declare an interest as an independent producer and a children's presenter.
Baroness Rawlings
My Lords, my noble friend Lady Benjamin is right. As we all know, she has formidable experience in this area and is a passionate supporter of children's television in the UK. We believe that with around 30 dedicated children's channels in the UK, our younger viewers have a wide choice of programmes. Two of these are public service broadcasting channels: the BBC services of CBeebies and CBBC. I hope that my noble friend agrees that the BBC is fulfilling its public duty by making certain that these channels play a very important role in the provision of high-quality children's programmes in this country.
Audiovisual Media Services Directive
Debate between Baroness Benjamin and Baroness Rawlings
Baroness Rawlings
My Lords, this has been gone through because of public consultation, and the actual responsibilities delegated to ATVOD include setting and collecting the fees from the VOD service providers to meet the estimated costs of carrying out ATVOD functions. ATVOD’s power to set and collect fees is subject to Ofcom’s prior written approval.
Baroness Benjamin
My Lords, in a recent survey, 20 per cent of eight year-olds said that they had seen nudity online. Is my noble friend the Minister aware that on the most popular websites, children are exposed to advertising of an adult nature and are invited to explore links to very explicit websites? If so, will the Government consider encouraging Ofcom to take further measures to protect children and young people from being targeted in this way by putting in place simple practical steps so that online media owners can take action to prevent clear-cut examples of inappropriate content appearing in places where children are likely to see them?
Baroness Rawlings
My noble friend Lady Benjamin makes a very valid point, and it is necessary for the Government to encourage simple steps to be taken. The Government believe that protecting children from harmful content in our media is of the greatest importance. That is why, following the implementation of the audiovisual media services directive, providers of certain video on-demand services will now be required to comply with minimum standards set under the directive. In 2010 these requirements were incorporated into UK law. They include the use of effective access controls.
Broadcasting: Product Placement
Debate between Baroness Benjamin and Baroness Rawlings
Baroness Benjamin
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the uses to which the revenue received from product placement will be put by commercial broadcasters.
Baroness Rawlings
UK legislation does now allow for the placing of references to products, services or trade marks in television programmes in return for payment. However, most importantly, the use of any product placement revenues is a matter for individual commercial broadcasters.
Baroness Benjamin
I thank my noble friend the Minister for that Answer. I am sure she is aware that the BBC is now almost the sole provider of UK children’s television productions, and that, across the 30 channels, only 1 per cent of children’s programmes are made here in the UK. I am sure she is also aware that the commercial broadcasters use the restrictions on advertising during children’s programmes as a reason to stop commissioning children’s programmes, because of the loss of revenue. With product placement in mind, will the Minister consider encouraging the commercial broadcasters to take up their public service responsibility to children and to use some of the revenue from product placement to start commissioning children’s programmes once again?
Baroness Rawlings
My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lady Benjamin for her enthusiasm on this subject. Her enthusiasm keeps the subject regularly on the agenda, for which we are very grateful. The Government understand the importance of children’s television and will carefully consider relevant responses to the forthcoming review of the communications sector. However, the Government are not seeking to impose any additional regulatory burdens on broadcasters. The decision on how to spend the revenue from placement is entirely in the hands of Ofcom.
British Film Institute: Children’s Film Funding
Debate between Baroness Benjamin and Baroness Rawlings
Baroness Benjamin
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that a proportion of the funding provided by the UK Film Council to the British Film Institute will be ring-fenced for the production of films whose target audience is children.
Baroness Rawlings
My Lords, following extensive consultation with the film industry, from April 2011 the British Film Institute will manage all lottery awards for films, including funding for film production. Lottery policy includes a requirement to encourage funded projects to inspire children and young people. That policy will remain in place while the Government conduct a review of film policy with the BFI later this year. The use of ring-fencing can be considered within that.
Baroness Benjamin
I thank my noble friend for that encouraging Answer. Does she agree that the decline not just in children’s television drama but also in children’s UK film production denies our talented writers, our actors and production teams a creative outlet? Would my noble friend encourage the BFI to adopt the Danish film institute’s model, so that there is a solution to this crisis? The Danes commit 25 per cent of their annual film budget to children’s film and animation productions, which attract co-production funds. I take this opportunity to congratulate “The King’s Speech” on its wonderful UK production.