Children's BBC in their rightful place

---

Baroness Benjamin calls for Ofcom to take action to ensure Sky conforms with legislation and keeps children's television channels near the top of electronic programming guides.

There are many children's channels to choose from but almost all of the top 12 channels found on the Sky Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) mainly show cartoons and bought-in programmes from other countries. The BBC Children's channels CBBC and CBeebies, which show a wealth of diverse, quality programming truly representing our society, are way down on the guide, making it difficult for new parents and viewers to find them. Children and parents have to scroll to the second page on the Kids' sub-menu in order to find the BBC channels on the Sky EPG.

I believe this is unfair because the BBC Children's channels are practically the sole providers of UK-made public service programming for children. In fact, only one per cent of new children's programmes are made in Britain. According to the Communication Act 2003, channels showing Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) should be given the highest prominence. But this is not the case; CBBC and CBeebies are way down on the guide. Admittedly and quite rightly, they are near the top on the Virgin and Freeview EPGs, which is in keeping with the Act.

The prominence of commercial channels and lack of prominence of the BBC's channels on the Sky EPG should have been corrected long ago, as was intended by Parliament in the Communication Act 2003. It was again stated in 2005 that channels providing PSB programming should have 'due prominence'. Sky and other platform providers may feel they have not been given clear guidance about what is 'appropriate prominence', because Ofcom has not taken action to enforce or rectify this.

Recently, through heavy lobbying and pleading, the BBC has been encouraged to invest in UK children's content and ring-fence the children's programming budget. This, I believe, is not only morally right and just, but essential because no-one else has or wants to make that commitment to the young citizens of our society – citizens who don't have a voice to defend the increasing market failure of quality programmes that reflect the lives of British children and tell their stories.

While other children's channels spending has fallen, the BBC has invested £118m in content, most of which is UK originated. This investment is ten times more than that made by commercial broadcasters. The BBC's investment in UK children's content also benefits the wider sector through its use of a wide range of independent producers, writers, actors and technical practitioners. I personally would like to see more short dramas and factual programming, but maybe that is yet to come – that's the optimist in me!

The commercial broadcasters have slightly increased their investment in children's programming but the productions do not necessarily consist of UK content or are predominantly made in the UK. On the BBC children's channel schedules 86 per cent is UK content, while the maximum proportion on any commercial channel is around 50 per cent. This means that higher prominence to BBC channels will mean that British children will watch more British-made programming – which is what most parents want for their children.

There is nothing wrong with programmes from other countries; children need to understand different cultures and societies while developing ideas and opinions, but they must be fairly balanced, I believe this is vital.

The investment by the commercial broadcasters is welcome but this should not mean they can retain high prominence as there is no guarantee that the commercial value they get from their EPG prominence is directly invested back into UK content. If they were to invest more in UK content and productions, then that would be a different matter and their high position would be justified and celebrated. I would be the first to do so, as it will be beneficial not only to our children but to our creative practitioners too.

But while commercial channels refuse to fairly represent our children's interests and continue to feed them an unbalanced diet of US acquisitions, we should reward the BBC by putting them in their rightful and proper place on the Sky EPG for showing such a strong commitment to children's programming. I personally hope they will continue to do so long into the future by maintaining their investment in children's high-quality programmes.

Floella Benjaminwas raised to the peerage as Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham in the County of Kent in 2010 and sits on the Liberal Democrat benches. A star of stage and screen, Benjamin is best known as a presenter of children's television. She starred in Playschool from 1976-88 and was awarded a special lifetime achievement award for outstanding contribution to television from BAFTA in 2004.