Blogging from the Showcomotion Conference.
(UK/WORLD) The first session of the Showcomotion Children’s Media Conference is entitled ‘The New Gatekeepers’ TAKE OUTLINE FROM SHOWCO
Introduction by Anne Home, Conference Chair, who started by outlining the truly International presence of the conference and thanked the sponsors. She went on to highlight how the conference is going to respect the minute silence for the victims of the July 7th London bombings.
At the heart is a focus on quality. Impact of banning of advertising of high-fat and salt in childrens programming but also the selling off of the childrens programming arm of CITV.
Richard Deverell, Controller of BBC Children is a new boy to the Childrens sector (coming from News) and iterated how hard they have to work in this new industry and keep existing talent. Fully digital world is 5/10 years away but believes children TV will be the first to it. Participatory media is the new dawn to embrace. Habits the adopt will become the new mainstream.
Shift from ‘broadcasting’ to ‘on-demand’. World of infinite choice. Bafflement of current linear packages. Threw out amazing stats on technology onwership like 45% UK kids have access to broadband at home.
When TV died short film. Ending with a ‘digital citizens’ through certificates. ‘Broadband web most distruptive technology childrens media have ever experienced’. Sky looking at investing into broadband.
Chlidren as content creators. 1 in 6 kids have their own website. Showed a short film of how kids still send in their pictures upon a request by a programme. 43,000+ entries for the Doctor Who design a monster competition. 12 kids from ‘Level Up’ who are part of the programme, hooking up online and contributing to the programme through webcams.
Tips for success—relentless pressure on innovation and creators. Bring out the unexpected. Increase the impact of what you do not do more of it. Adopt multi=platform approach and integration. Invest in talent. Invest in it and nurture it. Blur the lines between boundaries. Invest in marketing by understanding your audience. Label content through meta-tagging world.
Tess Alps, CEO Thinkbox. Talking about childrens TV and advertisers. TV is still a joy for children. It’s the ‘software’ they call television although there are still grey areas like cinema and gaming. Showd several slied which basically reiterated how ‘digital’ kids are by access to technology and the hardware (from the living room to the bedroom).
Mobiles are the most popular hardware using it more than just a phone. Even with all the new technologies broadcast TV is still popular—what has changed is how many channeles are now available.
TV still drives use of other media, another words kids go online, IM or text even buy books because they watched something on the television.
The opening session simply echoed the opening lines of MediaSnackers—the world has changed and it’s not turning back. No evidence kids want to watch less television.
Talked about how television programming will be paid for—by the viewers or the advertisers. There is a unwritten understanding that advertisers have paid for some great programming. Advertising to children does have a positive impact in terms of educating them about pro-social activities or products/services.
Food advertising—agrees that certain advertising have had an impact on obesity in children. Commentators are creating moral panics because the effect is very low. Created scapegoats which could be devastating to the childrens TV industry which is highlighted in the recent announcement that CiTV will be closing their childrens programming commitment.
Want to see OFCOM and advertisers working together. Use the media to educate kids and parents about these issues. It’s all about giving a ‘balanced diet’ of television.
Ended with a discussion on stage and also questions from the audience.
I am attending and participating in the Showcomotion Children’s Media Conference, in Sheffield and blogging the event for the next two days.
View all ‘Showcomotion posts’ here.
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