MPs call for tax credits for kids TV

By David Rose for Broadcast:

Political pressure is mounting on ministers to throw a lifeline to stricken independent producers and save UK children's TV.

Tory and Liberal Democrat media spokesmen backed Labour MPs today in urging the government to respond to the crisis confronting children's programming following ITV's decision to withdraw from the sector.

MPs highlighted the need for an urgent government response by warning that freelance writers, directors and performers were quitting while some companies had already gone to the wall.

As a interim first step, the government was urged to extend tax credits currently available to the film industry to children's television programme makers.

Tax credits for children's TV will be the main subject of the Guild's lobby of MPs at Westminster next week.