Media Guardian

By Leigh Holmwood

13 October 2006

MPs are being lobbied to set up a fund to help protect British children's television programmes following the expected ban on junk food advertising.

Producers fear a ban would devastate the industry, claiming that up to £100m will be lost from the business in the UK, with ITV expected to withdraw from the genre almost completely while other commercial outlets will look to bring in cheaper imports from abroad.

Media regulator Ofcom is weighing up several options to ban junk food advertising in a bid to curb childhood obesity, including a full ban before the 9pm watershed.

It is expected to report its findings before Christmas.

Producers and the industry body Pact are lobbying the 119 MPs who signed an early day motion calling for a total ban.

A fledgling campaign group has been established, called Save Kids' TV, which is chaired by former BBC head of children's television Anna Home and supported by leading producers, such as the RDF Media director of family and children's programming, Nigel Pickard.

Around 500 people have also pledged their support to the campaign on the group's website.

In a letter from Ms Home to the MPs, and copied to the Ofcom executive chairman David Currie - which has been seen by MediaGuardian.co.uk - the campaign group pleads with them not to support a total ban before the 9pm watershed.

"While its intentions are good and eminently supportable, such a move has hidden consequences and will destroy quality children's programming on UK commercial television," the letter says.

It argues that such a move would "trigger a chain of events" that would "deprive children of some of their favourite British television programmes and characters" as well as putting "many of this country's most successful, imaginative and creative companies out of business."

"We agree that the issue of childhood obesity is an urgent and compelling one and will support initiatives which are effective in tackling such a complex issue," the letter adds.

"But these complexities need full and frank discussions across a broad constituency that has not yet been engaged in the current Ofcom consultation.

"We are clear in our belief that without advertising revenue, there will be no funding for quality children's programming on commercial television."

The group has supported calls by Pact for a new funding method to be agreed for children's TV producers, with several proposals already on the table.

These include a public subsidy for the creation of home-grown children's programming and a so-called "broadband fund".

"It is essential that we explore how to fill such a significant funding gap before we take any steps to create it," the letter adds.

Mr Pickard said he wanted to see immediate discussions with Ofcom and the government to look at incentives and funding along the lines of the initiatives and tax-breaks in Canada and elsewhere in Europe.

"The UK is such an important originator of programmes that travel so well across the world," he said. "We shouldn't underestimate what our role is in the world marketplace and what it will be like if we severely damage it."