Experts discussed the expectations of the new ORF children’s program
Vienna (OTS) – The year 2024 began with a new ORF program. Following the new ORF amendment to the law, the ORF will offer an exclusive offer for the youngest generation from 2024. But what should you pay attention to so that children can enjoy it? What is the difference to what the streamers offer?
A competent group discussed this in an ORF dialogue forum; The recording of the event will be broadcast on ORF III on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 8:25 a.m. The discussion took place on December 14, 2023 in the ORF RadioKulturhaus.
Jessica Braunegger, Children’s Office, sees “great potential” in the new ORF children’s channel: “You know that this is trustworthy information.” She welcomes the fact that ORF KIDS “lets children speak for themselves”.
Maya Götz, International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television, states that given the multitude of offerings, children “need support now”: “Quality means putting children at the center and offering them something that answers their questions. Children should find themselves in the worlds they live in.”
Yvonne Lacina-Blaha, ORF KIDS, reports on the challenge of launching her own ORF platform for children in such a short time: “The path is created by walking. We have developed 14 new formats and will be in the children’s lives. On ORF KIDS we can now answer all questions in longer formats and have even more opportunities to accompany the children.”
Judith Ranftler, Volkshilfe, emphasized how important it is that children also find themselves in challenging life situations:
“Child poverty is a difficult issue, as is racism. At the same time, it is a reality of life. That’s why the ORF shouldn’t shy away from attacking this issue.”
Jeanette Steemers from King’s College London pointed out that there are advantages, especially for small countries, when public programming reflects the special and regional worlds of the country’s children. “In this way you can attract young viewers who may then return to the public broadcaster later as adults.”
Martina Thiele, media and communication scientist at the University of Tübingen, took a stand for public programs for children despite smartphones and tablets. “Children should be able to find their world again when they consume media – that’s not the case with streamers who aren’t there.”
The ORF DialogForum was moderated by Klaus Unterberger, ORF Public Value.
The ORF DialogForum is an ORF initiative to stimulate conversation with its audience, Austrian institutions, organizations and groups in society.