Ofcom calls for children's TV debate

Ofcom has called for a nationwide debate on the future of kids' TV having identified that only 17% of content for children is made in the UK.

A report from the regulator said that it acknowledged parents were concerned about the decline in UK-originated programmes, with ITV1, GMTV, Channel 4 and Five having halved their kids output since 1998.

Drama and factual content for older children and teenagers were areas of concern, with parents fairly happy about the quality of pre-school programmes and content for younger children.

The report stated that in 2006 cartoons made up 61% of children's programming, and that investment in new UK kids programmes had dropped from £127 million in 1998 to £109 million in 2006, even though the number of kids channels in the UK had increased from six to 25.

Ofcom will now consult on the findings of the review, with interested parties able to submit responses until December 20.