Canadian kids content producers know that times are tough, but a new whitepaper that has just been commissioned by Shaw Rocket Fund is aiming to illuminate just how challenging conditions are, and what the future of Canadian kids media looks like.

Kim Wilson, a former kids content commissioner at CBC and TVO, will spearhead this research project through her OneFish TwoFish Consulting company.

Scheduled to be released in April, the whitepaper will provide policy recommendations and insights from the industry, as well as tackling critical and timely topics like how companies can stay afloat as traditional funding approaches fall apart and platforms like YouTube reshape how kids consume content.

Shaw Rocket Fund is currently the largest private investor in Canadian children’s content, and it has channeled more than US$200 million into the genre over the last 27 years. (Right now, however, it’s navigating the loss of most of its funding from Rogers Communications.) SRF commissioned the whitepaper as part of its mission to guide the industry and help it build long-term sustainability.

Instead of looking at obstacles like regulatory changes, shuttered channels and a lack of funding as disparate problems, this body of research will endeavor to give a holistic view of the challenges and opportunities facing Canadian kids media, says Shaw Rocket Fund president & CEO Agnes Augustin.

Some of the questions the whitepaper will address include: “How do we sustain quality content production when revenue streams have fundamentally shifted?” and “How do we ensure children’s well-being as Generation Beta becomes the first truly AI-native generation?”

“The reality facing Canadian children—and Generation Alpha transitioning to Generation Beta—requires understanding these challenges as a unified ecosystem,” Augustin says.

The report will include insights from industry leaders, regulatory bodies, tech companies, parents, children and educators, gathered through interviews, focus groups and surveys.

“This research aims to provide Canadian stakeholders—from policymakers to producers to parents—with the evidence and insights needed to ensure our children have access to high-quality, culturally relevant content that serves both their development and our creative economy,” adds Wilson.

Photo by Jason Hafso on Unsplash