L – R: Mary-Ellen Mullane, Acting Head of Children & Family ABC, Kate Morton,
Head of Commissioning & Acquisitions 0-6 BBC, Adriano Schmid VP of Content PBS Kids.
Last week at the Australian Children’s Content Summit a delegate asked a panel why Children’s Television was so important?
Suzanne Ryan from SLR and convenor of the Summit said, “It’s important because it’s not a genre. It’s not an audience, it’s a population. We have children. We’ve been children. This is an important sector of our country.
“We know it’s important because that’s how we learn and value and understand who we are. It’s how we get our culture, it’s how we hear our voices…..it’s a mirror and a window for children, and that’s important.”
It was a view shared by Kate Morton, Head of Commissioning & Acquisitions 0-6 BBC in another panel.
“Children’s content is not a genre. It’s about a way of life, and we’re really open to looking across scripted, factual, comedy, animation, but also content that is digital first. I think we have to remember that’s what our audience is. Yes, our linear channels in the UK are doing very well, but our audience are seeing that as an addition, rather than the first place necessarily. We need to think about how content works.
“For me, always comes back to storytelling. Comedy, I think, particularly with what our kids have gone through, particularly with covid, the lockdowns, all the rest of it. I think we need that joy. So for me, Comedy, for kids of all ages and also families, I think is a real heart piece for us with the BBC.”
links to content on ABC
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