Floella Benjamin's Guest Editor on Today Show.

After the irrepressible "Flo B" took over as guest editor on Radio 4, I was delighted to hear of the attention Kids PSB was getting and that Lisa Nandys was paying to the children's content!?

well worth a listen......

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00269bl

Lisa Nandy’s recent comments on the state of children’s public service broadcasting (PSB) bring much-needed attention to a pressing issue. With children spending more time on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, there is a clear need to ensure they are exposed to high-quality, enriching content. But Nandy’s dismissal of the need for further investment (due to one mistargeted scheme) in children’s content reveals a troubling lack of urgency regarding the challenges facing this vital sector.

Over the past two decades, the hours of original children’s programming produced by UK public service broadcasters have plummeted by 80%. By contrast, adult programming has remained largely untouched, maintaining its output despite facing the same challenges of competition from global streaming giants. This disparity is not just alarming—it’s indefensible. If PSBs can continue to invest in content for adult audiences, why have children, arguably the most impressionable and vulnerable demographic, been left behind?

Nandy points to Peppa Pig as a shining example of the UK’s successful children’s TV........But Peppa Pig was made in 2003, before YouTube even existed. Citing it as evidence of a healthy sector in 2025 is as absurd as claiming the UK music scene is successful today because of Craig David’s album Born to Do It. It instead highlights how our industry and its audience are misunderstood by the people with the power to do something about it and how far children’s programming has fallen.

Nady has written to video-sharing platforms, asking them to surface high-quality UK content, but who judges quality on YouTube? Who is defining UK content? WHAT IF THEY SAY NO.

Patricia Hidalgo suggests a higher tax break for PSB content, but tax breaks on production only work if people are investing and as its a % of your budget, and BBC, along with every other PSB, have been cutting budgets dramatically over the past 25 years.

Others suggest we have a fund like the YAC, but Nandy points out it did not have an audience impact..... this was simply because it was limited to platforms that children have left and the BBC would not engage.

One thing is for sure: everyone demands change, and everyone agrees there is a lot at stake.

A Broken Model

The reality is stark: without significant intervention, the UK risks losing its status as a global leader in children’s media. This is not just about nostalgia for shows like Blue Peter; it’s about ensuring that children have access to programming that inspires, educates, and represents them in a rapidly changing media landscape.

Contrary to her statement, content is always going to need sustainable levels of investment; the reason the YAC fund did not work was not because investment is not required, but because what and where you invest and the discoverability of that is just as important. The Yac fund propped up investment from PSB providers, who have a limited commitment to Kids, and limited audience.?

We need an entirely new approach, and yes, that means appropriately funding the new approach with both private and public money.?

I'm delighted that she has contacted Youtube to discuss the issue, but again YouTube need to be made part of the solution, they are again not the sole solution; they do not fund content, and they have become a very important way of producers distributing and securing secondary income streams, as well as us finding children where they are.?

Can YouTube do more, YES, should they, YES, but are they the enemy....... NO.

A Root-and-Branch Review

While Nandy’s emphasis on high-quality content is welcome, her focus on critiquing platforms like YouTube risks missing the bigger picture. What’s needed is a root-and-branch review of children’s Public Service, one that examines its purpose, funding, and delivery in 2025 and beyond. Such a review I don't believe should not be led by Ofcom, whose regulatory role will limit its ability to think creatively or radically about the future. Instead, it should involve a diverse panel of child development experts, educators, media professionals, and technologists tasked with reimagining children’s programming for a digital-first world led by the government.

This review must address fundamental questions: What role should Public service media play in educating and entertaining children? How can broadcasters, producers and platforms collaborate to ensure high-quality content reaches young audiences? And what funding models will ensure that children’s programming remains a priority, not an afterthought?

We need disruptive thinking for the Public Service "good stuff" to reach children, and I'm afraid that disruption will definitely cost more money.?

Importantly, this approach should not focus solely on traditional TV. Children’s media consumption has shifted, and so must the industry.?

The first thing we need to do is drop the B of PSB; kids don't know what broadcast or TV is and frankly don't care; I suggest we start talking of a PSE (environment).?

A modern children’s Public service should embrace multi-platform strategies, creating content for apps, games, and short-form videos alongside interactive and immersive technologies. This requires investment not just in production and platforms but also in talent development to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of innovation.

A Vision for the Future

Investing in children’s programming is about more than preserving a cherished part of the UK’s cultural heritage—it’s about securing the emotional, intellectual, and cultural development of the next generation. Without intervention, the UK risks losing a generation to a media landscape dominated by unregulated, profit-driven content.

Rethinking the role of PS in children’s lives, the government can help create a media ecosystem that inspires, educates, and represents young audiences. This is not just an opportunity—it’s an obligation. Our children deserve better than to be an afterthought in the world of media. They deserve a future filled with stories that reflect their experiences, challenge their imaginations, and help them grow. And it’s time the government ensured they get it..... and yes, that involves someone putting their hand in their pocket to fund it.?