Pullman attacks broadcasters over children's TV

Children's writer Phillip Pullman has attacked broadcasters for their approach to children's TV, reports Amelia Hill in The Observer.

Philip Pullman, the Whitbread award-winning author of His Dark Materials, has condemned children's television as 'social poison', treating its audience as marketing opportunities while portraying them as dangerous and feral.

Pullman castigated broadcasters for sacrificing high-quality programmes in favour of those that yield more marketing opportunities. 'Children are regarded by broadcasters as a marketing opportunity at best, a dangerous and feral threat at worst, and an expensive nuisance otherwise,' Pullman said. 'This social poison goes much deeper than broadcasting, of course, but it's particularly visible there."