Tackling the screen time debate

E-Bop.tv’s Victoria Brook explains how the channel is offering an alternative solution.

Parents nowadays are overwhelmed with the amount of advice and judgment on what they should and shouldn’t be doing and ‘screen time’ has been a debate within the parenting media and forums for a few years.

Most parents acknowledge the need for children to receive quality entertainment and education in equal measure and would rather have their children exposed to television they can trust and relate to. But sometimes, in doing what they feel is right, there is direct backlash from the child which can lead to guilt and frustration.

I find it staggering how, even since my own children were of preschool age, content has increased online and more importantly how easy it is for children to find it, regardless of quality.

I believe everything should be in moderation and parents and children should have as much choice as possible, but that parents should be able to take back control of what and when their children view.

We embarked on E-Bop.tv to put forward a solution and to offer an alternative to the mainstream programming that causes such concerns. From as early as 2008, the signs were there that media was moving online and coupled with frustration of a stagnating UK children’s output, the concept and ambition for E-Bop.tv seemed a natural move.

It was too early back then, so we spent many years refining the idea to reach the point we are at now, ready to launch. My partnership with Keith Littler started with a conversation regarding kids TV production and grew into the same vision of giving all preschoolers and parents choice online in a safe and controlled environment.

E-Bop.tv has become a one-stop shop for kids and parents offering a safe, free and genuine channel with content that celebrates and reflects all that is good in British culture, suitable for the the entire family. All this comes with a big added bonus – a maximum two-hour viewing time.

Our two-hour viewing mantra and switch off enables us to help educate children through our anchor man Herbie, who we believe will be seen as a non threatening alternative and saves Mum and Dad the job.

We are launching with a heavyweight marketing plan spanning radio, bus rears, online and print to educate parents on why E-Bop.tv is different. We know content is key to returning parents and children as we need to keep viewers interested once they find us, so we have developed original programming which will be refreshed every month to ensure kids (and parents) keep coming back for more.

Our programmes and the added value of E-Bop.tv entertainment, not just online but through community education programmes and live events, will make us unique. We are adding choices and parents and children will write our success or failure. E-Bop.tv is an option – for children who like different content and for parents wanting to exert a level of control over what their child is exposed to and for how long.

But ultimately we will all sit on the same entertainment street and luckily for modern day parents and children, there are these choices.

For us, the primary motivator was to produce an online digital channel that parents can trust. On this journey, we have developed programming and interaction which is strong and appealing and may lend itself naturally to licensing and marketing partnerships.

However, we have decided upon a strict ‘No advertising to children’ policy. We totally support Jeremy Hunt’s call on channels to axe junk food ads. Why, as a country, are we working so hard to promote healthy living for children and yet fill their viewing slots with unhealthy snacks and drinks?

What we have done is create a dedicated promotional portal for the grown-ups called the Bopstop which sits separately to the main viewing area and is password protected for parents. A full range of marketing opportunities exist for brands from TV-style adverts, product reviews and competitions, vlogs and editorials can be posted.

A main sponsor for the channel has also not yet been selected and would enable a brand to have use of our key characters and content for use in their own marketing and advertising.

E-Bop.tv will own all our IP and we are keen to work with toy brands and businesses that share a desire to make great value creative products for children. We hope that the industry gets behind us and supports our endeavours with E-Bop.tv itself.

E-Bop.tv is the brainchild of 30-year kid’s TV veteran producer, Keith Littler (Little Red Tractor, Roman Mysteries, Lazytown, Watership Down, Magic Roundabout) and award-winning entrepreneur and mum Victoria Brook. It is due to launch on May 31 and includes programming of more than ten series. Victoria can be contacted on vicky@e-bop.tv.