So many cartoons on TV it's not funny

British children are watching so many American cartoons some think 911 is the number for our emergency services. Paul McCann, Media Correspondent, looks at the threats to children's television that some think could damage our culture.

Imported American cartoons, the growth in satellite and cable television, changing childhood tastes and cost-cutting at the BBC and ITV are threatening the quality of children's television according to an industry conference held in London yesterday.

Cartoons are now the dominant type of children's programme on television, squeezing out traditional dramas and factual programmes, the Broadcasting Standards Commission revealed to a meeting of the lobby group Voice of the Listener and Viewer.

Animation now accounts for one-third of all children's programmes, compared with 25 per cent five years ago and just 10 per cent in 1981.

The conference was told by Michael Forte, Carlton Television's head of children's programmes, that the increase in animation is due to the "blanket bombing" of British television by American broadcasters with massive libraries of cartoons. "It is the broadcasting equivalent of plutonium dumping," he said.

Mr Forte called on Chris Smith, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to help "ring-fence" budgets for more diverse children's programmes like drama and factual shows.

Anna Home, the highly respected outgoing head of children's television at the BBC, echoed his concern. She admitted that the money is no longer available to make dramas like the classic Seventies series Moondial unless joint funding can be found from overseas broadcasters.

"High quality drama is under pressure because it is so expensive," she said. "Drama allows you to make fantasy, but thanks to Spielberg you have to invest huge amounts to make special effects."

Ms Home is also concerned that joint-funding by overseas programmes will mean Britain stops making indigenous dramas relevant to our culture.

Dan Maddicott, director of children's programmes for ITV company United News & Media, revealed that five of ITV's recent major children's dramas had been made with overseas funding, including the quintessentially British Famous Five, which would not have been made if Enid Blyton was not popular with German children.

Jocelyn Hay, chairman of the Voice of the Listener and Viewer, underlined the threat to Britain's culture by recalling a visit the Labour MP Diane Abbott made to a school in the London area where children could recall 911, the American emergency services number, but did not know about 999.

While the BBC children's programming budget has fallen and ITV's has stood still over the last five years, six channels dedicated to children have launched on cable and satellite television.

The latest research by the Independent Television Commission shows that while 24 per cent of all homes have cable or satellite television, 39 per cent of those homes with children are connected.

In those homes 51 per cent of viewing would now be to channels like Nikelodeon, the Cartoon network or Fox Kids which all rely heavily on imported American programmes and cartoons.

Such is the competition for young viewers that even acquired cartoons are increasing in price and threatening the future of some of the channels.

Adding to the threat to the traditional BBC and ITV after-school children's slot watched by generations of British children is the fact that children now prefer to watch programmes such as soap operas which are made for adults.

So far this year the top five rating programmes for children have all been adult programmes - the film Addams Family Values; EastEnders; Neighbours; Casualty and Gladiators.

Anna Home said: "A controller of the BBC or ITV could look at that children's block and think `I could do so much more with a soap in there'."

l The actor David Jason underlined his domination of popular television at the National Television Awards last night, winning Most Popular Actor, Most Popular Comedy Performer and Most Popular Comedy Programme for the Only Fools and Horses Christmas special. The awards are voted for by television viewers.