The BBC is to chop authentic productions on its kids’s channel and present extra cartoons in an effort to draw a extra working class viewers.
The company has requested Ofcom to cut back its quota for authentic programming on CBBC, which caters for youngsters aged six to 12.
Detailing the request, the regulator stated: “The BBC stated this modification is a part of its plan to deal with the decline in viewing of CBBC, which has fallen considerably over the previous few years.
“The BBC argued that animation might play a key half in delivering enchantment, enjoyable and leisure to the CBBC viewers. It additionally argued that animation has the most important enchantment with C2DE [working class] households in contrast with different genres akin to drama, whereas CBBC’s viewers is at the moment skewed in the direction of the ABC1 [middle class] socio-economic group.”
Ofcom’s analysis discovered that the CBBC viewers has halved in lower than a decade, from 27 per cent of six to 12-year-olds in 2015 to 14 per cent now. Common programmes embody Horrible Histories, Operation Ouch! and an adaptation of Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers.
Whereas the BBC has plans to fee cartoons “rooted in British tradition”, the plans would permit it to purchase them in from overseas.
At present, at the least 72 per cent of all hours broadcast on CBBC in a calendar yr have to be authentic productions, commissioned for British tv, and never acquisitions. They’ll embody repeats. The BBC is requesting a discount to 66 per cent for this yr and subsequent, with a slight improve to 68 per cent in 2024.
Ofcom has launched a session however stated it proposed to simply accept the request. Its personal evaluation “confirms the skewed attain of CBBC” amongst center class households.
‘Think about if we might have a British model of The Simpsons’
The regulator stated: “We agree the BBC wants to enhance its efficiency with the CBBC viewers and the change might assist it to take action… Among the many varied platforms out there for watching TV content material, paid for/subscription video-on-demand providers akin to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ are by far the preferred amongst kids.”
Patricia Hildago, the director of youngsters’s tv for the BBC, informed The Telegraph final yr that CBBC was exhibiting North American cartoons as a “tactic” to lure viewers from rival providers. The plan was then to fee animated exhibits that emphasise Britishness.
“Think about if we might have a British model of The Simpsons for youngsters and households within the UK. That will be wonderful, proper?” Hidalgo stated. “Take into consideration any of the American exhibits: the streets are very American-looking – they do Thanksgiving. All of the issues are very American in tradition.
“We might set our characters in a British setting. Once I’m speaking now to a few of the individuals I am assembly, I am principally saying: ‘What about roast beef as a substitute of turkey when now we have a household across the desk?'”
