The BBC announced Monday it would invest more than £34 million ($44 million), in expanding digital programming for children as British-made children’s programming has plummeted and Netflix and Amazon have plugged the hole for content.
“The way children and young people are watching and consuming programs and other content is changing fast, and the BBC needs to respond,” a BBC source told The Telegraph.
“This investment will mean we can reinvent how we serve our youngest audience in the years ahead, while continuing to produce outstanding programmes on CBeebies and CBBC. Investment in British content – particularly for the young - is vital, unless we want more of our culture shaped and defined by the rise of West Coast American companies.
“Not only that, we are exploring how new technologies can enhance how children and adults can access services and discover new content,” the person added.
The Office of Communications, or Ofcom, set out detailed objectives for the BBC in March to produce more UK-commissioned programming for children.
“We expect the BBC to focus on the things audiences have told us they value most,” Ofcom wrote. “These include news, children's programmes, and programmes made specifically for UK audiences which reflect the full diversity of the UK.”
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