Children's Forum

Voice of the Listener & Viewer's Forum for Children's Broadcasting was set up in 1995. The Forum's aims are:

• To increase awareness of the need to protect and extend the range, quality and diversity of children's radio and television programmes.
• To inform and educate the public about media policy and practice in order to create a better understanding of the changing environment faced by programme makers and schedulers.
• To bring pressure on government, Ofcom, channel controllers and commissioning editors to protect budgets and airtime allocated to children's programmes.
• To monitor the quality and provision of children's programmes together with the different methods of funding (including advertising, sponsorship, and merchandising) in order to prevent inappropriate use; and to ensure that all BBC, Ofcom, CAP (Committee of Advertising Practice) and other relevant codes are respected.

Recent Activities

The Forum for Children's Broadcasting has held conferences on the future of children's television and radio every year since 1995. Speakers have included Broadcasting Ministers, top BBC, ITV and Channel 4 Controllers, other UK and European broadcasters, and representatives of organisations from the advertising industry, academics, parents, teachers, programme producers, and from children's welfare organisations such as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Children's Society.

The 13th Annual Conference of the VLV Forum for Children's Broadcasting took place on Wednesday, 7th November 2007 (The Crisis Children's Television - has time run out?'). The Conference was opened by remarks from Peter Duncan, actor, Chief Scout & former Blue Peter Presenter.  Speakers included: Richard Deverell, Controller, BBC Children's; Nick Wilson, Director, Children's Programmes, Channel Five; Dr Maire Messenger Davies, Director, School of Media & Journalism, University of Ulster at Coleraine; James Thickett, Director of Ofcom's Review of Children's Television; Rhian Gibson, Director of Commissioning, S4C, the Welsh Channel; Trish McGee, Head of Television, Tiscali; Finn Arnesen, SVP, GM Original Series & International Development, Turner Entertainment Networks International; John McVay, Chief Executive, Pact, the Producers' Alliance; Greg Childs, Hon Secretary, Save Kids's TV, and Raymond Snoddy, Journalist and broadcaster.

Membership

Membership is open to all with an interest in children and broadcasting. Individual VLV members may opt for membership of the Forum without paying an additional subscription.

Broadcasters, regulators, programme makers and others for whom membership of VLV is not appropriate, and people who work with children or broadcasting but who may not wish to become VLV members, can pay an annual subscription of £30.00 (£35.00 overseas).

This subscription covers inclusion on the Children's Forum mailing lists and brings information about forum events and activities plus the VLV quarterly news Bulletin with news of VLV events; it does not include VLV membership rights or responsibilities.

For further details about membership of the Education Forum please contact info@vlv.org.uk

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