Investment in children’s television programming has suffered a serious decline, leaving the young audience with little to watch except cartoons, imports and adult shows.

Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, called for a “national debate” on the future of children’s television after publishing research that found that a generation of young teenagers felt disenfranchised by broadcasters.

Parents and children wanted home-grown drama and factual programmes that reflected life in Britain. But ITV had abandoned children’s programming because it was “uneconomic”, driving viewers to commercial channels, such as the US-owned Nickelodeon, that predominantly broadcast imported programmes.

The BBC’s programmes for a preschool audience were world renowned, but children aged 12-15 were getting a raw deal. Ofcom said: “The BBC’s long-term commitments to children’s programming, as set out in its service licences, are not sufficient to guarantee current levels of output and spend.” The regulator questioned whether it was in the audience’s interest for the BBC to become effectively the only provider of children’s programming, since it had thrived on high-quality competition from ITV.

The internet had not replaced television viewing among children aged 5-15, but they were often searching websites, texting and watching programmes at the same time, the report found.

Ofcom found that despite the number of children’s dedicated channels rising to 25, the spending on original British programming fell from £127 million in 1998 to £109 million in 2006. The proportion of drama had declined from 17 per cent of the total output in 1998 to 12 per cent. Cartoons accounted for 61 per cent of all children’s programmes last year. Repeats accounted for 86 per cent of children’s programming across all the “public service broadcasting” channels, which included CBeebies and CBBC.

Fewer than half the parents surveyed thought that the purposes and characteristics of public service programming were being delivered satisfactorily. Older children said that they wanted more drama such as the BBC’s Tracy Beaker, based on Jacqueline Wilson’s bestselling books. One million children watched the Disney block-buster High Street Musical 2 but they wanted programmes that reflected their own culture and values.

Ofcom said that programmes aimed at British children would continue to decline because producers wanted shows that they could sell internationally. Most money flowed to preschool programmes, which were watched by parents with toddlers and could generate extensive toy sales.

Ofcom suggested that a specific fund for children’s programmes could be created, possibly from a levy on commercial broadcasters. A new children’s “public service broadcaster” could be set up, making programmes for the internet, mobile phones and television. Alternatively, Channel 4 could receive a subsidy for the inclusion of a new specific remit to make children’s programmes.

The BBC has acknowledged that it needs to do more for children aged 10-15. A new service, BBC Switch, will provide music and entertainment programmes that will span the corporation’s radio, television and websites.

Pact, the television producers’ association, said that Ofcom had exposed a “crisis in kids’ TV”.

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