Children have lots of favourite programmes, and these change all the time. For terrestrial viewers, in particular, their favourites are dependent on the schedules and what is currently being broadcast. Children easily forget if a programme has not been on for a few weeks. Multichannel schedules are far more predictable, as they show most of the same
programmes each day/week.
But in reality there is little difference between the ‘favourites’ of multichannel and terrestrial, however, only children. They tend to like the same programmes. The key difference is that children in multichannel homes get to see their favourite programmes more often.
Some favourite programmes Young girls
Power Puff Girls Recess
Sabrina Tom and Jerry EastEnders Young boys Bay Blades Dragon Ball Z The Simpsons Wrestling (some) Dexter’s Laboratory Robot Wars Older girls (9+) Saved by the Bell The Simpsons EastEnders Friends Recess
Casualty and Holby City Sabrina
Older boys (9+) Lads Army The Simpsons Football
Malcolm in the Middle Buffy
Scrap Heap Challenge Robot Wars
(Girl, aged 9, Manchester)
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is a show for the whole family. Everyone enjoys it, even mothers. It is the
kind of programme that children like watching over and over again. It has something in it for everyone. It was spontaneously mentioned as a ‘favourite’ in every children’s group. It is easy watching and a programme that makes everyone laugh.
You’ve Been Framed
Children love this programme. It is funny, easy to watch and they hugely enjoy seeing adults making fools of themselves. This is a really popular programme with all age groups.
Sabrina
Sabrina is still very popular, especially with girls who relate strongly to the main character.
They see her as ‘a girl like me but a bit different’. It has make-believe and fantasy for younger children, but also real-life teenage issues for the older girls. Children also think it looks good, in terms of its production values. They have a sense that it is ‘high quality’. Again, they like to watch it repeatedly.
‘The kind of programme you can watch over and over again.’
‘I think for children like mine, Sabrina is less harmful than Grange Hill. Grange Hill is very real, whereas Sabrina is a bit of a fantasy really.’
(Mother, Edinburgh)
Blue Peter
Blue Peter remains popular with terrestrial viewers, but multichannel children are less
enthusiastic about it. Some of the children said that they tuned in to the parts of the programme they liked, but often did not watch the whole programme. They thought it was quite mixed, with good and bad bits. Multichannel viewers have less patience when
watching and switch over more quickly. They are less likely to return because of the choice of other programmes available.
Art Attack
Art Attack is still very popular. It is one of the programmes that all children enjoy watching
and talking about. It is clever and intriguing.
‘You always want to be able to do what he does.’
(Boy, aged 10, Edinburgh)
They know their parents approve of them watching this programme and they recognise themselves that it has an educational value, but it is also fun.
Newsround
Newsround is not a programme that most children say they actively choose to watch,
although viewing figures show that it was the top children’s programme in 2002. Many are perhaps watching it because of its scheduling, i.e. immediately before Neighbours on BBC1. But children say they are interested in news stories that are especially relevant to them, e.g. if they involve children or are of great significance, such as the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers and the war in Iraq. Some multichannel children are watching adult news channels i.e. Sky News and BBC News 24.
Soap Operas
Ownership of the soap operas resides with mother. Most children watch them because their mothers do. Girls and mothers refer to watching soap operas together as ‘bonding’ time. Viewing soap operas allows children a window into the adult world. They feel more grown up watching programmes that deal with real-life issues and relationships. Striking a Balance comments on the fact that parents feel that their children are maturing earlier; although they highlight the difficulty in judging whether their physical and social maturity is matched by their emotional maturity, and that there is a need to educate children about the real world. The media, and soap operas in particular, are thought by parents to have a role in this.13
Even young children of six and seven years of age are watching soap operas with their mothers. There are mothers who have concerns about some of the issues in the soap operas
but these tend to be the ones who do not watch them. Those who do are largely happy to continue to allow their children to watch with them.
Sport
Sport is fathers’ domain. Fathers usually control the sport watching, and boys love watching with them. Football is a favourite. It creates a sense of togetherness when the whole family watches events such as the World Cup. Other sporting events, which have united the family, include the Commonwealth Games, Wimbledon etc.
Music channels
Multichannel children, especially older children, are watching music channels a lot. They find them easy to turn to - they are always there and there is always something to watch. These channels offer good ‘in between’ viewing, even the young ones aged five or six will tune in for short periods. They learn the moves and the words, and it allows them into the world of music, a world that terrestrial viewers rarely get to see on a regular basis.
Nature programmes
Nature and wildlife programmes are very popular with both girls and boys and these are often watched as a family. Children know that their parents like them to watch these programmes, but they do enjoy them.
‘They’re good because you actually learn something.’
(Girl, aged 11, London)
Nature programmes are more popular with terrestrial viewers, especially when shown on a Sunday night. Boys tend to enjoy the more violent series such as Ultimate Killers and
Walking with Beasts, and episodes about sharks or crocodiles. Girls prefer programmes
about cuter animals such as dolphins, elephants or baby animals.
Cartoons
Cartoons are what children love to watch. They see them as television they own - television that is really for them. They watch cartoons every day, especially the boys. They are fun and easy to watch.
‘No brainer TV.’
(Girl, aged 11, London)
In general, all children like to watch a variety of programmes. Watching anything for too long can become boring. As one child said, ‘You can even tire of watching The Simpsons’. They value diversity in programming, something which is underpinned by the viewing figures which show that children’s top programmes (see p57 of the report) include a range of genres: factual (including news), light entertainment, animation and drama. This is the same across both terrestrial and multichannel households.