Sky has announced that it is to halt children’s commissioning in favour of solely acquiring content for its Sky Kids service. The Children’s Media Foundation (CMF) has expressed “surprise and deep concern” at the news.“This is a depressing and short-sighted decision, which will leave UK children less well-served. Sky Kids content has gained a reputation amongst parents and young people as high value, rich, thoughtful as well as fun,” said the CMF in a press statement. “This is what our children need more than ever in the face of competition for their attention from high volume, cheaply made content that dominates the YouTube offering.”The statement continued: “In the Foundation we appreciate that the economics of children’s content are increasingly difficult in the face of competition from YouTube for attention. But giving up on young people is not the right option. This decision leaves the BBC and Five’s Milkshake! as the only significant commissioners of factual and entertainment content for children in the UK – not a position the public service broadcaster wishes to see, and not good for the audience. Healthy competition was provided by Sky, and healthier kids were the outcome of its programme offering. We urge Sky to reconsider its decision and maintain a level of original commissioning which will support the already badly hit children’s media industry and importantly would continue to support UK kids to experience their own stories and hear their own voices, as so much of Sky Kids’ content currently provides.”CMF Director, Greg Childs, added: “This is not the time to give up on great UK content for UK kids. Just as we are working with government and platforms like YouTube to help children and young people find more personally and socially valuable content on video-sharing platforms, Sky is walking away from its kids’ audience. What’s needed is fresh thinking about deals and partnerships that take their content to where kids are watching, not a knee-jerk cost-cutting spree which will damage their relationship with their customers and certainly diminish the prospects of quality viewing time for children in their country.”
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