The Children‘s Media Conference

CMC 2019 - Stream if you Wanna go Faster: Decoding the SVoDs

Cash-rich and data-savvy, Netflix, Amazon and YouTube Kids are eating traditional broadcasters’ lunch. Disney+ and AppleTV+ go live this autumn, and they’re hungry too. Warner and NBC have announced plans for their own SVoD services, and things are changing so fast that by the time you reach Sheffield, there may be more.

But while these big, powerful companies are re-shaping kids’ media, they are notoriously shy of public conversations. So we’ve assembled a crack team of independent thinkers and researchers to tell us what the SVoDs want, how they work, and how their business models inform their view of kids — and us.

So whether the SVoDs wow you or worry you, or if you just want to know how to get a piece of the action, this is the session for you.

CMC 2019 - Going Global

Bringing the UK classroom to the world – internationalising children’s learning content. Who is making an impact internationally and how does that work with conflicting curricula needs?

CMC 2019 - Commissioner Conversation - VoD

The world of VOD is changing fast, with established players continuing to grow in popularity while various giants of traditional kids’ TV prepare to launch direct-to-consumer streaming services of their own.

As traditional TV schedules fade into obscurity, we’ll look at how a variety of VoD services are capitalising on children’s changed viewing habits to provide them with programming where, when and however they want it.

This session will see VoD commissioners from the UK and beyond discuss their plans for 2020/21, what’s worked on their platforms in the past, what they’re looking for next, how they see their content evolving and how to get in touch to pitch your ideas.

CMC 2019 - Commissioner Conversation - Channels

Come along and find out what’s new from some of the world’s biggest commercial kids’ broadcasters. We’ll hear what’s been working for them, what they’re looking for and how best to approach them. Commissioners from these channels will be available after this session for one-to-one meetings at 2pm in the Workstation Mezzanine.

CMC 2019 - Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Five prospective producers enter the den to pitch their ideas to the dragons. But who will walk away with investment?

CMC 2019 - Commissioner Conversation - PSBs

Join us for this whistle-stop user’s guide to demystifying the Public Service Broadcasters commissioning process.

We’ll take you from the moment of initial contact with a PSB, through the pitching process and into the potential development and production of a TV show. Commissioners from Channel 4, CITV, Milkshake! and S4C will lift the bonnet on how they approach the process, telling us what type of content they are looking for in 2019/20, how they will work with the new Young Audiences Content Fund, and who the key people to speak to are.

CMC 2019 - Commissioner Conversation - BBC

BBC Children’s and BBC Education discuss their commissioning and development process, and reveal new ways of working to maximise public service brands.

CMC 2019 - The YACF: A User‘s Guide

An insight into the brand new Young Audiences Content Fund pilot (which is supported by the UK Government and administered by the BFI). The Fund is dedicated to supporting the development and production of public-service programming of all genres and techniques for children and teens up to the age of 18. In this invaluable and unmissable session, Fund Execs Harriet Williams and John Knowles and Head of Fund, Jackie Edwards will lay out the intentions and importance of the Fund, discuss the story so far and offer advice that may be of practical assistance with applications.

Following the session, the YACF team will also host a surgery as part of the CMC speed meetings programme, accompanied by Andy Wright and Christopher Halliday from the Certification Unit at the BFI. The team will offer advice and guidance on applications and criteria for the Fund, and for the tax reliefs, for Children’s Television and Animation.

CMC 2019 - Limiting the Limitless

Brexit, Ofcom regulation and the commercial PSBs, the new Young Audiences Content Fund, the safety of the internet, responsibilities for children’s mental health, the environment, inclusivity and activism, the future challenges for BBC kids and public service in a massively competitive marketplace…

Setting the agenda for the conference ahead, and using questions raised by CMC delegates, politicians, regulators, senior executives and policy makers will answer and discuss the things that matter.

CMC 2019 - Staying Local

This panel asks what the place of local drama is in a world where the streaming giants are able to throw such huge resources at international stories? What is the value of local stories to audiences, what sorts of stories seem to punch through? What is the role of production value in that and how much does it need to cost? How does local production get funded in a time of SVoD disruption? What is the role of the new BFI Fund to ensure this content is produced? When would a local player see value in partnering with an SVoD? What are the pitfalls and opportunities in a partnership strategy?  Is there an opportunity for very local stories to become international hits? Does platform innovation provide a way through?