Will restricting advertising mean that some TV companies will stop making childrens television programmes?
According to Ofcom 2007 review, it is disinvestment, rather than advertising revenue, that is the main threat to childrens programming: Investment in first-run original programming by the commercial public service broadcasters ITV1, GMTV, Channel 4 and Five – has halved in real terms since 1998. While the commercial childrens channels (like Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network) commission some UK programming, this represents only 10 per cent of total investment in new programmes. This decline in investment reflects the increasingly unattractive economics of some types of childrens programming for the commercial public service broadcasters, relative to other output. In any case, there is likely to be replacement of junk food advertisements with advertisements for healthier products, for which there is likely to be increasing demand, and also for other goods and services. Why a 9pm watershed? A 9pm watershed is the established mechanism for protecting children from unsuitable
