Children

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Children TV
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The Children's Television Act of 1990

• The FCC mandates the following from television
  stations
  
• 1. Stations must provide advance information
  about core programs being aired.
  
• 2. Define what qualifies the shows as core
  programming.
  
• 3. Air a minimum of 3 hours per week of core
  programming.
  
• According to the FCC, "Core programming is
  programming specifically designed to serve the
  educational and informational needs of children
  ages 16 and under." Core programming must be at
  least 30 minutes long, air between 700 a.m. and
  1000 p.m. and be a regularly scheduled weekly
  program. Commercials are limited to 10.5 min/hour
  on weekends and 12 min/hour on weekdays.

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1993 Updates

• The Commission stated its expectation that the
  industry would eliminate "host selling" and
  product "tie-ins," and use separation between
  programs and commercials during children's
  programming. This meant that childrens' programs
  were not allowed to advertise any products which
  tied in to the show or its characters during its
  commercial time.
• The FCC decided to honor the industry's voluntary
  guidelines to air no more than 12 minutes per
  hour of advertising on weekday children's
  programs and 9.5 minutes per hour for weekend
  programming. The 9.5 minute rule was adjusted to
  10.5 minutes. Advertising was defined as any
  sponsorship by commercial third parties who were
  buying ad-time during the program (meaning public
  service announcements would not count). This
  applied to both terrestrial and cable television.

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1996 Updates - Report Order

• New Definition of Core Programming
• 1. The programming must have a significant
  purpose. Education need not be the only one.
  
• 2. Commercial broadcasters must provide the
  educational and informational objective of core
  programming in writing. The report will indicate
  a specific target age group for core programs.
• 3. Core programming may only be aired between
  700 AM and 1000 PM.
  
• 4. The program must be regularly scheduled so
  that it can be published in program guides
  consistantly.
  
• 5. Substantial Length - 30 minutes or more

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2006 Updates

• In 2006, the FCC decided that the display of
  websites during children's programming was
  permitted if the website met the following
  criteria
• It offered substantial amounts of material
  programming or non-commercial related.
  
• It is not primarily intended for commercial
  purposes.
  
• The home page clearly distinguishes
  commercial and non-commercial sections.
  
• The webpage which the viewers are directed
  to is not used for e-commerce, advertising, or
  other commercial advertising. The display of
  website addresses is prohibited during
  programming or commercials when the site uses
  characters from the show to promote products or
  services.

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Compliance

• In September, 1995, the FCC conducted an audit to
  determine how broadcasters were doing, and found
  no "large pattern" of violation.
  
• In October, 1995, the National Association of
  Broadcasters claimed stations have increased
  their efforts at children's programming, but
  there's some question about the programs they
  selected.--Yogi Bear, America's Funniest Home
  videos, Power Rangers and G.I. Joe were listed as
  childrens' educational/informational programs.
  The FCC had to answer questions about what was
  and was not children's television.
• Broadcasters supported their claims in this way
• Life Goes On -series about young man with downs
  syndrome "exposes young viewer to characters with
  a variety of mental and physical disabilities,
  building empathy and understanding."
• Saved by the Bell - "delivers pro-social messages
  to adolescents."
  
• One broadcaster commented at the panel, "I don't
  think my role as a broadcaster is to educate
  children,"...."They're getting that damn stuff in
  school." She also stressed that educational shows
  have to be really compelling if they're to
  succeed at 6 a.m. Other broadcasters said THE
  JETSONS wasn't particularly educational, but it
  was still a good kid's show.

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Compliance

• On September 4th 2007, both the NAB and the
  Children's Media Policy Coalition (CMPC) filed
  comments with the Federal Communications
  Commission, offering dramatically different
  assessments of the state of children's
  educational TV.
• "Broadcasters are providing an abundance of high
  quality, diverse programming that amply meets the
  educational and informational needs of children,"
  the NAB filing concludes in response to an FCC
  proceeding on the state of kid's television.
• But the CMPC doesn't see it that way the group
  includes Children Now, the American Academy of
  Pediatrics, the Benton Foundation, the National
  PTA, and the Office of Communication of the
  United Church of Christ.
• The coalition acknowledges that broadcasters
  generally comply with FCC requirements that they
  provide three hours a week of educational TV. But
  they say that beyond that, children's television
  has a long way to go.

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Compliance

• Most stations schedule their core programming
  for weekends very few broadcast such fare during
  school days. "It is particularly important for
  children to have educational programming
  available during after-school hours when parents
  are likely to be at work and unable to guide
  viewing," CMPC recommends.
• Core programming often gets preempted. The
  Coalition reviewed the performance of 30 networks
  in the first quarter of 2007. Half preempted some
  of their educational programming at least once.
  One fourth of the studied group preempted it at
  least six times and in one instance seventeen
  times.

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Compliance

• It's hard for parents to find educational
  programming. In 2004 the FCC required
  broadcasters to make their core programming more
  identifiable by including a continuous "E/I"
  educational/informational programming symbol
  while the show airs. But different networks use
  very different style E/I logos, and hardly any
  post the logos on their program schedule Web
  sites.
• "On the whole, the online programming schedules
  on many stations websites were very difficult to
  locate," the CMPC filing concludes. "and all but
  one simply linked to independent online
  programming guide providers, such as TV Guide,
  instead of providing their own program
  information,"
• Educational shows emphasize social messages at
  the expense of information and academic skills.
  The group cites a Children Now study of TV in Los
  Angeles that concluded that while many E/I shows
  extol values like sharing, hardly any find
  creative ways to encourage children to develop
  their reading or math skills.

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Compliance

• Some stations claim dubious shows as E/I
  programming. These questionable FCC submissions
  have included "Americas Funniest Home Videos,"
  "Biker Mice from Mars," "Bugs and Friends,"
  "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," "Woody
  Woodpecker," "X-Men" and "Yogi Bear."
• Children Now objected to one show in particular
  being listed as E/I the Winx Club, which offers
  the "gender-biased message that girls priorities
  should be their appearance and attractiveness to
  boys," according to the group. The filing cites
  the shows' theme song "Weve got the style /
  Weve got the flair / Look all you want / Dont
  touch my hair."

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Compliance

• What, besides their teen and pre-teen
  audiences, do these television shows have in
  common Cartoon Factory, Archies Weird
  Adventures, Bloopys Buddies, Outdoorsman
  International, The Swamp Critters, Miracle
  Pets, Ace Lightning and Stargate Infinity
  Vivan Los Ninos, Blinky Bill, Poochini,
  Worship for Kids!, Unbelievable Animal
  Rescues, Hey Arnold!, Operation Junkyard and
  Faithville and Baby Looney Tunes.
• No, these titles havent all inspired lines of
  branded clothing, toys, snacks or video games
  although some undoubtedly have. Nor have they
  been nominated for Emmys or Humanitas awards
  although some probably could be.
• Last year, these were some of titles forwarded
  by major-market stations to the Federal
  Communications Commission, as being in compliance
  with the Childrens Television Act of 1990 and
  guidelines adopted by the same body in 1996.
  Several of these so-called FCC friendly series
  have made the cut for the impending 2004-05
  series, while others have been unceremoniously
  canceled.
• Seattle Times, 2004

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Compliance

• On the website of Seattles KHCV-TV,
  Outdoorsman International is said to have as
  its mission to inform, educate and entertain the
  public by showcasing the sporting industry,
  educating the public regarding important issues,
  and helping to preserve our constitutional right
  to keep and bear arms. A recent episode of
  KINGs Strange Days at Blake Holsey High
  focused on how sleep deprivation causes her to
  wig out, until she realizes Vaughn is the key to
  the problem the central character of KOMOs
  Lizzie McGuire is described, thusly, Shes got
  style, personality everyone but the
  cheerleaders like her. So, why isnt she
  popular? and the conceit behind KTWBs
  Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century is Holmes
  has been resuscitated in the 22nd century to
  combat Moriartys clone Seattle
  Times, 2004