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Think Tank for TV: Facing Realities
Representatives of European broadcasters will come to Warsaw in October to take part in a closed meeting to discuss the condition of traditional media in the age of platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, and to talk about a new approach when thinking about public media.
The meeting will take place during the international co-production forum Young Horizons Industry, the industry part of the Young Horizons Festival, which is organised by the New Horizons Association. The meeting is initiated by the UK-based Children’s Media Foundation.
Young Horizons Industry will host the first meeting of broadcasters from a number of countries across Europe. After Warsaw, further meetings on this subject are planned at MipJunior in Cannes and at the Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield.
About the meeting:
The private meeting at Young Horizons Industry will focus on audiences being under-served by broadcasting and drifting towards platforms which are not regulated and do not promote or fund content that is age-appropriate, culturally relevant, or specifically made with social purposes, education, and children’s well-being in mind.
While there is much on YouTube that is valuable for young people, there is also a great deal that is harmful, misleading, and of low quality. The Foundation asks the question – what happens to public service media in the future when the young audience are primarily watching their content on platforms which do little to comply with public service values?
The meeting will share the analysis of different territories’ experience of the audience shift, and whether remedies are being applied – either in the funding of content or in regulation of platforms. The aim is to expand the resources of each country to deal with its own problems.
The meeting forms part of a series of events planned by the Children’s Media Foundation to raise international awareness of the problems faced by the children’s and youth audiences and the broadcasters and producers who provide content for them – and to share solutions. Next meetings will be held at MipJunior in Cannes and at the Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield.
The meeting in Warsaw will be attended by the representatives from: VRT, Belgium; Czech Television, Czechia; NDR, Germany; AMC Networks International, Hungary; RTE, Ireland; LTV, Latvia; LRT, Lithuania; VPRO Kids, The Netherlands; BNNVara, The Netherlands; NRK Super, Norway; Canal+ Polska, Poland; RTV Slovenija, Slovenia; Catalan TV (Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals), Spain; TRT, Turkey; BBC Children’s 7+, UK.
This is an invaluable opportunity to share knowledge and expertise. Different countries have adopted different approaches to the problem of the ‘lost audience’. Some are using levies to generate production funds, some are requiring the new platforms to produce local content, some are regulating to ensure local content is carried, some are considering how to make public service content prominent on the new platforms – how to make valuable, culturally relevant content surface when children search on YouTube or scroll on TikTok. And all are having to consider how to build new relationships for public service content delivery with such dramatic changes in viewing habits. As ever, children are the ‘early adopters’ – what they do today will be the norm for viewing in the future. So it’s vital we address the issues now, and share experiences across Europe to make it more likely that governments will take notice and take action to support local content and consider new ways in which that content can reach their young citizens.
Young Horizons Industry has rapidly become the leading industry hub in Eastern Europe for content addressed to young viewers, showcasing new projects and emerging talents to international buyers. The forum provides an excellent platform for fostering partnerships, facilitating business opportunities as well as helping the development and implementation of new projects.
As young audiences shift from traditional media to platforms like YouTube and TikTok, new challenges and opportunities arise for content creators and broadcasters. To address them, we are thrilled to be co-hosting this meeting alongside the Children’s Media Foundation. The broadcasters in this room are acutely aware of the need to adapt, which is evident from the widespread interest in discussing this topic personally. Together, we aim to explore the nuances of audience migration, how it affects different territories, each experiencing these challenges at varying levels, and how to make sure that valuable, culturally relevant content remains visible among the algorithm-driven material. The YHI forum is also an invaluable space for these discussions. It’s a first step – and I’m confident that together, we will find ways to ensure the long-term success of quality content in this new digital age.
The UK-based Children’s Media Foundation has been active in pursuing new ways of thinking about public service media under the new conditions. The Foundation held a series of meetings with British Broadcasters, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, and SkyKids, which led to an all-industry Children’s Media Summit in London in February 2024. The Summit produced a manifesto for new ways of funding and regulating media for young people, which the Foundation is now discussing with the UK broadcasting regulator and government.
Young Horizons Industry will take place in Warsaw from 30 September and 2 October.