Action for Children's Television. INSTITUTICN Freedom of Information Center, Columtia, Mo
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 135 035 CS 501 620 AUTHOR Eanly, ronaLl P. TITLE Action for Children's Television. INSTITUTICN Freedom of information Center, Columtia, Mo. REPORT NO EIC-364" PUBDATE Dec 76 NCTE, 13p. EDES PEICE MF-$0.83 HC-$1.67 Plus Postage. 9 DESCRIPTORS *Broadcast Industry; *Change Strategies; *Childrens Television; Elementary Secondary Education; Government Role; Organizational Change; *Programing (Broadcast); Publicize; *Social Action IDENTIFIERS *Action for Childrens Television ABSTRACT The origins, development, and effectiveness of Action fcr Children's Television (ACT) are examined in this pamphlet. The strategies used by ACT to obtain change at the congressional level and within television stations and networks include the followinv a "tuneout" day when people are urged to turn off'their television sets, a boycott of certain advertised goods, the "Bent Antenna" award for the poorest taste in children's television programing, and lobbying and the consolidation of'public pressure. Special attention is given to ACT's successful attempt to alter government agency 'standards for the advertising of certain food items and toys during children's prime television-watching times. (KS) I 1 1 ********************4************************************************** * Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished -* -.* materials nct avai able from other sources. ERIC m4kes every.effort * * tc obtain.tbe best copy.available. Nevertheless, items of marginal * * reproducibility are often: encountered and this affects the quality * . * ol the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available . * * via the ERIC Docufent Reproduction_Service (EDRS). EDRS is not )0'. * .responsible fcr tie qualityof.the original document. Reproductions *.. * supplied by ELRS re the best that can be made from the original.r * ******************* ******4*********************1,**4******************4 SCHOOL OF JOURNMISM, UNIVERSITY r-rN OF MISSOURI AT COLUMBIA U S OEPARTMENT OF HEALTH DECEMBER, 1976 EDUCAIIOP I WELFARE C.) NATIONL INSTITUTE OF L.C.1 EDUCATION 00CuMENT...AS BEEN REPRO- OuCED E AC TLY AS 4ECEvE0 PROM T.E PERSON OP ORC;AN,ZAT.ON ORtG,N- ATING T F.O.NTS OF 24%, O OPIN,ONS STATED 00 NOT NECESSARq PEPRE-- CI SENT 01..F .c:AL NAT.ONAL ,NST.TuTE OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REPORT NO. 364 EDUCATION POSITiON DP POLICY ACTION FOR CHILDREN'S TELEVISION This report was written by Donald P. Raaly, Associate who lived in Newton. Massachusetts. a suhurh Of Boston Professor at the University of Missouri School of Journal- with her hushand. plasti_k manufacturer. and their two ism, as part of his doctorai dissertation, The Challengers: daughters. Mrs. Charren had worked in conunercial tele- Social Pressures on the Press 1965-1975. vision in Nev. York. She had also owned and operateda introduction print gallery inProvidence. Rhode Island. started com- pany that orcanized children's hook fairs in Boston and Some of th many pressure groups concerned with the served as chairman of the Newton Creative Arts Council. media that arose out of the sixties died quietly in the early One day while Mrs. Charren was watching her 3-year- seventiessome even hefore the seventies. But some of Iihsorhed in from ot a TV set, she deci Jed televkion them have been unusually successful in what they set Out programing for Children could he improved. More specific:- to do. Ant if they- have not heen successful. they have at ally. she came to helieve that in the eight years since her flast heen persktent. older daughter had watched the same kinds of programs. ActionforChildren'sTelevisiondeservesdetailed the incidence of violence had significantlyincreased. treatment hecause itis an example of middle-class activism One day when she noticed that "very violent movie" working within the system, using many of the techniques had heen aired during C'hrisImas Viication, %he called a and approaches employed hy what some would call more local station to ask why it had been scheduled ata time "radical" croups. Mmost from the heginning. ACT knew when children were very likely to he at home watching. A how to use the news media to puhlicize what it was dointz.,, station official replied that the movie had ,heen selected Second.it came' to know the law and the governmental precisely hecause children would he at home watching at agencies and how to "get to" them. Third. it used tactics that time. "That they didn't even think to question itin- designed to gain anention: "tuneout." a day when people dicated that not enough people were paynig attention." were urged to turn off their television sets:, a hoycott of Mrs. Charren said, ( Wall Sfrrei Journal. 8-5-74 L 'certain advertised goods: annual "rallies": the "Bent An- Mrs. Charren spoke to some of her friend% about her tenna" awards for the poorest taste in children's television: concerns. and finally cot a group of them together to dk- a game called "Switch," °Which was to teach children and cuss the suhject. "We asked ourselves 'the kinds of ques- their parents now to enjoy turning off their television sets. tions a group of citizens shout(' ask when they decide to Most of all. ACT`deserves attention heeause the group change something in the system that isn't working right.: is larger, better organized kind financed, and prohably more Fifteen friends, neighhors. teachers and pediatricianswere determined than ever to add to the improvements it thinks t that first meeting. all concerned, hut with little knowl- it has made in programing for the young viewing audience. edge of how w proceed. All we had were gut :reactions," Mrs. Charren said.( Wall Journal. 8-5-74).."And there\ Origik no better way to make people pay .no atteinion to you than Like Many groups. ACT began unpretentiously. and to speak from no knowledge." . for various reasons, broadcasters first experienced sonic But four people whom .Mrs. Charren contacted :Ow difficultyin taking the group 'seriously. wanted to change something in the system badly enough A% Leonard Gross!wrOte in TV Guide, the origins of to hegin .doing something ahout it. They had at least one ACT "are likea demoeratic- dream.") After all. Gross thine in commonthey were allmothers.. said. in a democracy, when someone disturhed by some- Mrs. Evelyn Sarson, a native of England. formerly thing in soeicty he or she should he ,ible to do sOmething employed hy the Reuters News Agency in Paris and the about . Guardian in Manchester, England, wife Of a producer. In this caw, the perturhed person was Peggy Charren, -also British. for puhlic TV's WGBH in Boston, moiher of "a nonworking-working housewife" inher-. middle 30's, tv.6, served as the first president of the grOup. Summary: Flw author proviqesdetaikd information on tin.. originsand developinvnt 11111111111111111 of AUFone of th,e nmst successful citizen pressnre groops toeinerge from dic:sixties. This isl the second Paper published bv the Freedom of 1nfoilna- tion Conter.on tins group. The earlier report, -Action for Children's vision (ACT):' $,Io. 265. by Melinda Elledge. waS published in Alust, 1971. Additional copies: 2Se oath. FOI REPORT O. 364 P. 2 mendousk m two de2ade.." CTION FOR C1111.1-Yft EN'S TELEVISION he --uheoninuttee heai mg, concerned 1/4,coarelIltS 211114 . which would amend the Communications Act to Mrs Judith ( flatten.!,zradriate of P.iiti( oll egc. pre- establish orderl procedure, tor the consimkration of appli- emplosedinboth ,nd edue.monai ,:ornmercial i-ation tor renewal ot broadcast licenses. 'Mrs. Sarson op- .telesiskal. !minder ot E.,ers man's, Ihe.:tre. the first posed S2iHu4. explainin, that the F( C "doe, not have perarental theater croup in ihe Boston arca. se ot ant definitive cratena hy which to Judge a station. other buddaig ,,:ontractOr. mother of three. :erved as treasu-, than thc nebulous 'serving the public interet. convemenc.: N1rsJoann Spiro. graduate ot tine arts trom Boston and neeessity: adding: "Jlie EC( ,has raftly !found any iii,.ersit%. tree lance kicI'2:1e1 11! a 111Flpher ot areln- broadc ister gtihi it not meeting this requirement What :ee!ural and ...raphie marenal,. mo.her ot two. ;raised a, .the FCC needed weie "standards and utidelines- hy whieh a research assistant n could e\ aluat,-istation', performance She then offered MrsI !Han -'onbros WO.L.; .1d16.1te of CO' rid)I 'no er a, example, NC Is proposed guidlines for ehildren-, tehe- fit A. rand ot Ifarald Ed.I. former ',don programing. producer oteducationalradio programs, newspaperre- porter. teacher and commumeations rescarehe-. wife of an Where:I,: I11..: interests of the pubtic be.t served ernployee t Boston', pubh.- television siatior. mother of when children are considered a, a special audience three. served m an executo.e committee menther. and not as potential consumer,. 1 he women did receive help.\Irs. Sarson wrote in 't herefore: The foilowing ruks should govern earb 1971 that tour uncut ss cre sers M.! :11 iser; to .AC I : all programing for children! 4 Dr.'stiltonF.Akecs, executive director.Fducat;on oh -there shall he no sponsorship -and no com- Young ( hildren. W.istungton. D.C.: Dr. Richard Galdston. meretals on children'. program,. chief. tri-pati.mt psschiatric consultant service. Children-, 2. No performer shall he perniitted to use or Hospital Medical Center. Boston: Dr. I-1 Marl H. Goldin, mention product,. s-rv ices or store, hw. hrandname ;issociate ptofessor itt coninutrucations. Roston Universit% during children's programs. nor shall such name, School of Public Communication,: Richard Lewis, po:t he included in any may during 'children-, programs: and editor. director of "Fouchstone (-enter for Children. 3. Each station shall provide a minimum Of New York:: 14 hours of programinf per week for children as The grot-pfirstbe;:ameinvolvedina ,localissue, part of its public service, requirement . Provi- WHDH-1 V inBoston had expandedits (-BS mOrnimg sions shallhe made for programing ineach of news ;ind reduced "Captain Kangaroo- from an hour to the followirfg areas within the-limes specified:' a one-hal:.