The Children's Media Policy Coalition, including the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, praise the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for amending its rules regarding children's television programming and advertising.
For Immediate Release
Oct 3, 2006
Contact:
Denise Espie, Director, Development and Communications, ext. 120, despie@aacap.org
Erin Baker, Communication Manager, ext. 119, ebaker@aacap.org
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 3, 2006 -- The Children's Media Policy Coalition, including the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, praise the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for amending its rules regarding children's television programming and advertising.
"Children should have access to educational, as well as entertaining television programs. We also need to protect kids from the overinfluence of television advertising, that has been linked to childhood obesity and lower academic performance," says Michael Brody, M.D., chair of AACAP's Television and Media Committee.
The new rules are accordant with those proposed by the Coalition and industry represenatives in December 2005, and came after many groups legally challenged the FCC's adoption of children's television rules in September 2004.
Under the new rules, broadcasters must air more children's programming; proportionate to total content aired on each digital channel. The new rules also include advertising safegaurds. All legal challenges are expected to be withdrawn after a complete review of the FCC-approved language.
The Coalition representatives thank Chairman Martin, the commissioners, and the FCC for their consideration and effort on behalf of this issue.
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The Children's Media Policy Coalition is a broad group of public health, child advocacy and education organizations including: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Pediatrics, Benton Foundation, Children Now, Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, National Parent Teacher Association.
The media companies involved in negotiating the agreement were: Viacom, Inc., The Walt Disney Company, CBS Broadcasting, Fox Entertainment Group, Inc., NBC Universal, Time Warner Inc., 4Kids Entertainment, Inc., Association of National Advertisers, Inc., and Disney Communications, Inc.
To read "Children's Television Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters" on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s Web site, click here.
