It was "depressing" that news provision for children on terrestrial television had not increased since the 1980s, said the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR).

Craven anchored Newsround until 1989

TV channels have also increased their reliance on repeats and imported cartoons over the last 30 years, it said.

But public service broadcasters say they are committed to making home-grown shows while still providing popular programmes from abroad.

The number of imports rose from 6% in 1972 to 29% in 2002, the IPPR said.

And repeats have risen by 36% to 62% in the same time, the study showed.

"Our research shows that the fears about the increasing levels of imported programming and repeats on children's television are born out by the facts," the report's author Jamie Cowling said.

It is depressing to see that levels of news for children and young people have barely increased since the 1980s

Jamie Cowling IPPR

He called on new broadcasting regulator Ofcom to encourage more broadcasters to make news shows for children.

"We're particularly concerned at the low level of news provision for children and young people," he said.

"Whilst children and young people do watch other news broadcasts it is depressing to see that levels of news for children and young people [on terrestrial TV] have barely increased since the 1980s."

It is quite depressing that no other broadcaster has developed a news service like we have

BBC spokeswoman

The report praised the only dedicated children's news show, the BBC's Newsround, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary.

The BBC points out that Newsround has recently expanded, with three bulletins on digital children's channel CBBC added to the daily edition on BBC One.

"It is quite depressing that no other broadcaster has developed a news service like we have," a spokeswoman said.

She said she could not comment on the rest of the report because the BBC did not classify shows such as Neighbours and Hollyoaks as children's programming, unlike the report's authors.

'Not core'

Digital and cable channel Nickelodeon did produce the award-winning Nick News, but it has recently been taken off air.

The channel decided that "news was not core to Nickelodeon and instead we should focus on entertainment", said Nicky Parkinson, head of Nickelodeon UK.

ITV does not produce a children's news programme, but said it was committed to providing a high quality schedule for children, including investment in home-grown shows.

"There is also an appetite for acquired programmes and we will continue to meet that demand, but it's about balance, and we believe we have that balance right for today's child audience," a statement said.