WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Children's Media Policy Coalition marked the 15-year anniversary of the Children's Television Act of 1990 (CTA) by urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to implement new CTA rules for digital television as scheduled on Jan. 1, 2006. Children's advocates are defending these rules against television industry challenges both at the FCC and in the courts.
The Act, which became law on Oct. 18, 1990, established that broadcasters should provide programming that serves the special educational and informational needs of children, and limits the amount of advertising on all programming intended for children on both broadcast and cable channels. The FCC is also required to consider whether a television station has served children's educational needs during the station's license renewal process.
"The Children's Television Act has been instrumental in ensuring that the educational power of television is harnessed in a way that serves children's developmental needs," said Patti Miller, Children Now vice president, during a Capitol Hill press conference today with U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), an original CTA sponsor. "It is essential that these rules are applied in the digital age since the history of children's educational television has shown that the media industry will not act in the best interests of children unless required to do so."
"National PTA believes that it is the responsibility of parents, teachers, broadcast and cable media, and producers of children's television shows to support, monitor and improve the quality of programs and productions," said Anna Weselak, National PTA president. "Programming that incorporates education and information can be a positive factor in student achievement by engaging children in learning that is also entertaining. The pending FCC rules provide parents with a clear and uniform way of knowing which programs are good for their children to watch."
This anniversary comes at a time when the television industry is fighting the implementation of updated CTA rules for digital television. These rules include applying children's educational and informational programming requirements to digital channels and implementing a 10% limit on how often a broadcaster can preempt such programs. The new rules also extend the FCC's long-standing protections against excessive and unfair advertising. The Children's Media Policy Coalition wants children to reap the benefits of digital interactive television while placing reasonable limits on the amount of marketing and advertising targeted to children.
"The industry's battery of lawsuits and filings before the FCC and the federal courts seeking to dismantle the children's educational rules and even the Children's Television Act itself signal an abandonment of their obligation to serve the special needs of children," said Gloria Tristani, managing director, Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ. "It also signals industry's plans and desire to have a free hand in how and how much they advertise to children over the digital spectrum. The FCC needs to implement a ban on interactive advertising directed at children before it is too late."
The vast majority of television stations are currently broadcasting in digital, and Congress is on the verge of finalizing the date when analog broadcasts will no longer be carried. The Children's Media Policy Coalition believes it is critical that the digital rules take effect as scheduled. The protections for children must be in place.
The Coalition remains committed to supporting policies that provide the safest possible media environment for children, a population uniquely vulnerable to the messages they see or hear.
NOTE: Children Now has background materials on digital television, the Children's Television Act and Interactive Advertising. For more information, please call (510) 763-2444.
The Children's Media Policy Coalition is a broad range of child research, advocacy and health care organizations including Children Now, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, National PTA and Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ.
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