Kate O’Connor, Executive Chair of Animation UK, submitted a full response to the Culture, Media & Sport Committee Inquiry on Children’s TV and Video Content in the UK
Animation UK has submitted a thorough response to the Culture, Media & Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s television and video content, setting out the structural challenges facing the sector and calling for a coordinated reset. Read Kate O’Connor’s full submission here.
Children make up nearly a fifth of the population and spend several hours each day engaging with screens, yet their access to high-quality, UK-originated content has shrunk dramatically. Public Service Broadcasters’ commissioning has declined over decades, leaving the BBC as the last major domestic commissioner. Animation – a creative platform uniquely suited to educational, inclusive, and exportable storytelling – is particularly exposed to these market pressures. Financing is fragmented, with UK producers often forced to give up IP to international backers; development funding is scarce, especially for new voices and regional studios; and discoverability on digital platforms remains a persistent barrier, with the exponential growth of short-form content platforms.
In response, Animation UK has put forward a package of proposals designed to rebuild and renew the UK children’s media infrastructure. These include a dedicated investment model bringing together PSBs, global platforms, and government support; a new Animation Development Fund to tackle the lack of early-stage finance; an enhanced Animation Tax Relief for culturally relevant UK IP; stronger measures to ensure PSB content is visible and clearly attributed on digital platforms; and a targeted strategy to support children’s animated feature films, including through co-production and export incentives. Alongside these measures, we have urged investment in skills and regional pipelines, and a reaffirmed commissioning commitment from the BBC as part of the BBC Charter renewal.
Children’s content is not a niche market but a vital part of cultural life, education, and the long-term sustainability of the UK’s creative economy. Our submission makes clear that without decisive action the UK risks losing both its creative sovereignty and the economic potential of homegrown IP. We now look forward to the Select Committee’s report and will continue pressing for this package of reforms to be adopted in full to secure a vibrant future for UK children’s screen content.
