The landscape of children's entertainment is shifting—fast. In this eye-opening conversation, multi-award-winning creative executive Jesse Cleverly shares why now might be the perfect time to work in media, despite all the doom and gloom.

Jesse drops a perspective bomb early in the conversation: while traditional media is facing seismic changes, he genuinely believes we're entering "an interesting and great moment" for the industry. Why? Because creators no longer need permission to build audiences.

"If you've got a great idea or you are a great creator, you can go out and learn what works," Jesse explains. The empowering nature of new platforms means you can test and refine before spending €10 million on a 50-episode series. Revolutionary? Absolutely.

But it's not all sunshine and viral videos. Jesse pulls back the curtain on a troubling reality: many successful digital creators are exhausted and burned out, trapped in a world of low CPMs (cost per thousand views) with no sustainable revenue model beyond grinding out content.

The solution? Studios and creators need each other now more than ever. Traditional media professionals bring crucial skills in brand development, monetization, and long-term value creation that many creators desperately need but don't have the bandwidth to develop themselves.

Here's where Jesse gets provocative: he questions whether the traditional definition of a "kids' audience" was actually created by commercial television rather than reflecting what children genuinely want.

His evidence? When given true choice, kids increasingly watch content made for broader audiences. His own research revealed young viewers gravitating toward shows like "Heartland" (a Canadian horse ranch drama) because there's "no punching and killing"—not because it was marketed to them as children's programming.

"I wonder whether this definition of the kid audience is also a product that we used for media in the commercial television age," Jesse muses, challenging fundamental assumptions about age-appropriate content.

Forget mass audiences—Jesse sees the future in passionate, engaged communities around specific interests. His favorite example? Werewolf romance fiction is "killing it" with tens of millions of readers, yet virtually no one is creating werewolf video content.

The math is simple: going from broad, low-engagement audiences to narrow, high-engagement niches means higher lifetime value (LTV) per fan. Plus, we're not limited to local markets anymore—you can reach every werewolf romance fan in the world.

"The goldfish and the water," Jesse says. "We've been swimming in the world of low-hanging fruit local markets. We're not in local markets now—we're in the world."

1. Permission is Dead: You don't need a commissioner's approval to build an audience anymore. Create, test, learn, iterate—then scale.
2. Creators Need Studios (and Vice Versa): Digital creators have audiences but often lack monetization expertise. Traditional media professionals have those skills but need to understand platform-native content.
3. Value Has Shifted: Historical kids' media companies like Nickelodeon made most of their money from licensing and merchandising, not the TV shows themselves. That model still works—just on different platforms.
4. Rethink Your Audience: Age-based demographic targeting may be a...

In this episode we discuss the evolving regulatorary landscape around kids content on YouTube and social media. The wild west era of children's content on YouTube appears to be coming to an end. As countries worldwide move toward stricter social media regulations—France announcing September 2026 enforcement, Virginia implementing new protections—YouTube's AI-powered content moderation is creating uncertainty for creators in the kids' space.

The Regulatory Shift: After years of minimal oversight, 2026 looks set to bring significant changes to how children's content is managed online. Multiple jurisdictions are finally catching up to long-standing concerns about kids and social media.

YouTube's Opaque AI System: YouTube's AI now determines whether content is "suitable" for young audiences, but the decision-making process remains unclear. Creators face potential demonetization or restricted reach without understanding the benchmarks, making commercial viability increasingly risky.

The "Social-Only" Gamble: Creators who went all-in on YouTube as their sole platform now face a precarious position. Diversification across multiple platforms—once considered smart strategy—is becoming essential again as the regulatory landscape shifts.

BBC's Opportunity: As YouTube becomes a financially high-risk space for quality kids content, publicly funded broadcasters like the BBC have a chance to prove their value. Charter renewal debates may gain new context when commercial platforms struggle to sustainably serve young audiences.

Content Duration Concerns: The rise of ultra-short-form content raises questions about optimal viewing lengths for developing brains. Even tech founders are reportedly limiting their own children's screen time—yet clear benchmarks remain elusive.

Bottom Line: The permissive era of creators freely making kids' content on YouTube is closing. Welcome to the new regulated reality.

In this special New Year episode of the Kids Club Podcast, we reflect on our favourite Podcast conversations of 2025 and share eight moments that stood out for us from the year.

We revisit conversations with industry professionals who share honest insights on being transparent and staying scrappy in tough times.

Featured Topics:

1. Building resilience as a content creator in 2026
2. The importance of self-advocacy for aspiring creators
3. Breaking through in a competitive creative environment
4. Practical advice from writers, producers, and industry professionals

This year-end episode we highlight key takeaways from guests who opened up about the realities of working in kids media in 2025.