A Field Guide to the Children's Television Act I N S I

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SUMMER 1997 infoActive TM A Field Guide to the Children’s Television Act CME’s Campaign for Kids’ TV major change in how broadcast television This issue of InfoActive Kids is designed to serves young viewers is about to take place. tell you about what to expect on your TV This fall — on September 1 — every commercial broadcast screens starting in the fall, as a result of the A television station will be required to air several hours of educa- new three-hour rule on the Children’s tional and informational programming “specifically designed” for Television Act. It will help you learn about children between the ages of two and sixteen. Most stations, many of the “educational and informational” programs available for your child that are including those owned by the big four networks — ABC, CBS, Fox, about to debut, when they are likely to be and NBC — will air at least three hours a week. This new public aired, and what each network is doing to interest requirement for broadcasters is part of the new rules meet its new obligation. strengthening the implementation of the Children’s Television Act of 1990.

It also provides information about how you For years, parents, teachers and media experts have criticized the can get involved, along with the Center for lack of quality fare for children on commercial television. This Media Education and other groups, to make concern has been fueled by a growing awareness that television sure this important new policy works. plays a major role in helping shape a child’s world. TV viewing Whether these shows succeed depends in constitutes an average of three to four hours of children’s daily part on the public. Parents and child advo- routine. For the first time, all those concerned with ensuring bet- cates need to watch these programs, encour- ter television for children have a new opportunity and a responsi- age their children to watch the best ones, bility. The three-hour programming requirement is part of a set of and praise the sponsors and stations. You Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules passed last also need to make sure that stations are doing what they promised by getting involved year to make the Children’s Television Act a more effective law for in helping make the law work. child viewers. However, it will take the concerted effort of all those who care for children and the media environment in which they are developing to make the new rules work. INSIDE Some of these new rules on children’s television are designed to give more public information to parents, teachers, and health pro- Why A CTA? ...... 2 fessionals so they can learn more about the new educational pro- The Fall Line-Up ...... 8 grams airing on local stations. The FCC hopes parents will moni- Grading Station Compliance . . . . .10

“E/I” Logo Logistics ...... 14 -continued on page 2

The Center for Media Education Information Link Why a CTA? A Field Guide -continued from page 1

It was clear to child advocates, edu- tor the new programs and inform the Agency how local stations are cators and most parents that the meeting their new requirements. commercial broadcast marketplace did not work when it came to educa- The new Children’s Television Act rules provide the public with an tional programming. Networks and unusual opportunity to improve the state of programming for chil- station executives would not support dren. The rules include tools to enable parents to monitor their the creation of such shows, prefer- child’s viewing, evaluate the quality of educational programs, pro- ring to televise fare capable only of vide feedback to the TV industry, and file their comments, concerns attracting larger audiences from a and suggestions with the FCC. wider range of ages. Educational programs would likely attract only an audience intended for its educational Fighting to Improve Children’s TV message (such as a program clearly targeted at elementary school age The Children’s Television Act (CTA) was passed by Congress in 1990 children or pre-school), giving them in response to the failure of the broadcast television industry to a lower rating. Only when the public serve the educational and informational needs of children. Saturday applied pressure, through policymak- morning, when most networks program for children, had come to ers for example, were there periods epitomize the phrase “junk food for the mind,” and featured many when stations would air a greater shows that were thinly disguised commercials for action toys and diversity of children’s programming. other prod- But educational and informational ucts. The lack programming had become an extinct “FCC-friendly” programs, as the of better pro- species on commercial broadcast TV TV industry called them, were often gramming for by the end of the 1980s. Congress scheduled in pre-dawn time slots children had to intervene, child advocates when few people were likely to be resulted from argued, to help make a place on the watching. schedule for such shows. “Activists the erosion of hoped that having a law requiring public inter- educational programming would est policies at the Reagan-era FCC, which tended to regard televi- force the networks to give these pro- sion as just another “appliance,” “a toaster with pictures.” grams a chance to work in the mar- Peggy Charren, head of Action for Children’s Television, the coun- ketplace,” says Kathryn Montgomery, try’s leading media advocacy group at that time, asked Congress to president of CME. intervene. Assembling a huge coalition of groups — including the Children’s programming is big busi- National PTA, the National Education Association (NEA), and the ness and getting bigger everyday. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — Charren eventually saw Networks and advertisers vie to the passage of the 1990 law, which required stations to demonstrate attract children and teens to their how they were serving the educational and informational needs of programs — which usually have children. Under the CTA, some of this programming had to be lucrative tie-ins to toys, games, fast- “specifically designed” to educate. Stations were obliged to inform food, theme parks, and video games. According to Business Week, chil- the FCC, as part of their license renewal process, how they were ful- dren under 14 now spend $20 billion filling this new mandate. (Another part of the CTA placed some lim- of their own money and influence the its on the amount of commercials that could air on children’s televi- spending of another $200 billion. The sion.) Every eight years, stations are required to report to the FCC huge clout child consumers have is how well they have served the public in order to have their free one reason why Rupert Murdoch licensed use of the airwaves renewed. recently purchased The Family Charren and the other activists hoped that the broadcast industry would take this new obligation seriously, and that there would be an 2 explosion of creative and highly imaginative children’s programming Why CTA? on commercial television. Unfortunately, for the most part, these -continued from page 2 hopes were not fully realized. In 1991, the television industry con- vinced the FCC to craft rules for the CTA that significantly weak- Channel for almost $2 billion. He ened its effectiveness. In the absence of a specified number of edu- intends to transform the service into cational programs that were required, broadcasters were allowed to a showcase for Fox’s children’s pro- air as little as 30 minutes of such programming. grams. Determined to help make the new law work, the Center for Media A more recent trend is to encourage Education (CME), in partnership with Georgetown University School child viewers to become loyal at a of Law’s Institute for Public Representation, conducted a study in young age to a particular brand — 1992 examining how TV stations were responding to the law. In “A such as a Nickelodeon or a Report on Station Compliance with the Children’s Television Act,” McDonalds. TV and advertising exec- CME documented that stations were re-labeling old reruns such as utives now work to encourage the The Jetsons, The Flintstones, and Leave it to Beaver as “educa- development of brand loyalty that can tional.” (The Jetsons was described by one station as an education- be continued throughout a person’s al program that “teaches children what life will be like in the 21st lifetime and even passed on to future Century.”) Other stations claimed that raunchy afternoon talk shows generations. were serving educational needs. “FCC-friendly” programs, as the TV industry called them, were often scheduled in pre-dawn time slots when few people were likely to be watching. CME called on the FCC to revise and strengthen the Agency’s rules on the CTA. Harvard’s Project Zero Prompted by the report, the FCC conducted its own examination, Meets Jumbo Pictures which confirmed CME’s findings. While the Clinton Administration FCC was more sympathetic to this issue, the TV industry’s powerful It was “the TV people” vs. “the Washington lobby continued to resist any changes to the CTA rules. eggheads” last November when pro- Thus the new FCC Chair, Reed Hundt, began his own campaign to duction company Jumbo Pictures and make the CTA more effective. the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero Cognitive In 1994, CME released a second report, “The Impact of the Skills Group began to work together Children’s Television Act on the Broadcast Market,” which indicated on 101 Dalmatians. that programming created in response to the CTA was being inade- “The big fear,” executive producer Jim quately funded and promoted. In addition, the report found that Jinkins said, “is that educators come these educational programs continued to be scheduled in early in with their passion for education morning time slots or at times when they were likely to be preempt- and turn your show into ‘broccoli tele- ed by Saturday sports programming. vision.’” In the early stages of the CME formed a new coalition of groups pressuring the FCC to act on process, producers suffered moments its petition to change how the CTA was implemented. In addition to of acute anxiety. “Project Zero emphasized thinking about thinking,” the National PTA, NEA, and AAP, such groups as the National Black said Jinkins. “If you’re thinking about Child Development Institute, the Children’s Defense Fund, the thinking, there’s a lot of verbal and no American Library Association, the National Association of action, which makes TV people Elementary School Principals, and the National Council of La Raza freak.” worked tirelessly to convince the FCC that it was time to act. Finally, in 1996, with the support of President Clinton, new rules were nego- Project Zero staff well understood the tiated by the children’s advocacy groups (represented by Peggy need to entertain, but their standards were high. “The script had to be Charren and CME), the broadcasting industry, and the FCC.

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3 Harvard’s Project Zero A Field Guide -continued from page 3 -continued from page 3

The FCC Ruling developmentally appropriate, pro- social and teach thinking skills,” said In the summer of 1996, the FCC crafted new rules that strengthen Heidi Goodrich, Project Zero research and clarify how broadcasters are expected to comply with the associate. “Jumbo said to us, ‘What if Children’s Television Act, covering the definition of educational pro- the show is just pro-social and devel- gramming, the minimum amount of such programming required opmentally appropriate?’ For us, that each week, on- and off-air labeling of educational children’s pro- wasn’t enough.” grams, and new mechanisms for public accountability.

Because Project Zero consultants Core educational programming: The FCC has defined educational were brought in to the process rela- programming as “any television programming that furthers the edu- tively late, several episodes of the cational and informational needs of children 16 years and under in series were already in production. On any respect, including children’s intellectual/cognitive or social/emo- a few of those scripts, Jinkins decided tional needs.” that doing a “retrofit” would be too expensive. The revised rules now require TV stations to air core educational programming. To qualify with the FCC’s new requirements, a core That was okay with Project Zero staff. They just wouldn’t give the episode program must: their stamp of approval. Ultimately, at • have a “significant purpose” of educating children 16 and under; least 13 of the episodes will bear Project Zero’s official imprimatur. • have a clearly stated, written educational objective; Those episodes will air on ABC this • have a target age group as the intended audience; fall. The remaining 39 will be sold in syndication by Buena Vista Television • be at least 30 minutes in length; without the E/I qualifier. • be regularly scheduled; and Jinkins said that the episodes with and without Project Zero’s approval • be broadcast between the hours of 7:00 AM and 10:00 PM. will look alike. “When you line them Three-hour minimum: For the first time, the FCC has quantified up side by side,” he said, “they’re the amount of programming stations must provide to comply with going to look very similar. One just the law. Beginning September 1, 1997, stations that want automatic went through an extra set of hoops.” renewal of their licenses are required to broadcast a minimum of As consultants, Project Zero staff pro- three hours of core educational programming each week. TV sta- vided notes on first and second draft tions that air “somewhat less” than the three hours may still meet scripts. “That gives us a chance to this requirement by providing an additional package of specials, incorporate some of the messages we short-form programs, etc. want to see in the script and take out others,” Goodrich said. “Jumbo has Program labels: Stations must also provide “on-air identification” been surprisingly good about taking of their educational children’s programs, which should help viewers our suggestions.” recognize and look for educational children’s programs. The designation “E/I” is frequently used as an icon on the TV screen to denote Despite the mutual respect that has core educational and informational programs. In addition, broad- evolved, the collaboration has sometimes been bumpy, as two cultures casters are required to provide TV listings services, such as TV wildly unfamiliar with one another Guide, with information about their children’s educational pro- collided. “I was talking to somebody grams. (See sidebar: “E/I” Logo Logistics.) at Jumbo about the script-writing New mechanisms for public accountability: The new rules also process one day,” Goodrich recalled. created a number of public accountability mechanisms designed to

4 provide more information to parents about how they can get Harvard’s Project Zero involved in making the law more effective: -continued from page 4

• Public files. The FCC requires stations to place in its public file a “I said, ‘Well, you figure out what you completed Children’s Educational/Informational Television Report to want to teach and then you write the reflect the station’s efforts in the preceding quarter as well as script.’ And the writer said, ‘Oh, you efforts planned for the next quarter to serve the educational and mean you think about what you want informational needs of children. The Reports must be filed by the to teach first!’” 10th day of the succeeding quarter (April 10, July 10, October 10, January 10). The objectives and target audience of the children’s In addition to helping define the educational objectives of each episode, programs are also to be specified in the report. Stations must publi- Goodrich and other Project Zero con- cize “in an appropriate manner” the existence and location of these sultants have been sensitizing writers Children’s Educational/Informational Television Reports. to how characters model behavior. “In • Children’s liaison. To the beginning,” she said, “there were For the first time, the FCC make it easier for the public no consequences for bad behavior. has quantified the to obtain information from The puppies just got lucky. That amount of programming the station about its educa- sends the wrong message. It’s not just luck. It’s skill and effort to work stations must provide to tional children’s program- through problems. Kids will learn comply with the law. ming, the rules also require from those subtle implied messages, all stations to designate an the between-the-lines stuff,” she individual on staff to be the “children’s liaison” with the community. said. This person should be available to explain the information in the public files, to discuss how the station is meeting the requirements Goodrich regrets that Project Zero of the CTA, and to receive feedback from the public. was not brought into the process sooner. Jumbo Pictures producers and Project Zero educators are currently Shared Responsibility discussing plans to develop a new series from scratch. These rules have created, in effect, a new social compact between “If we had been involved from the the television industry and the public. For their part, television sta- beginning,” Goodrich said, “kids tions receive free use of the public airwaves in exchange for a com- would learn much more. The mes- mitment to serve the public interest. (The CTA rules are, in fact, the sages would be more coherent and only public interest programming obligation clearly defined by FCC consistent within a show and across rules).The new programming requirements have been carefully shows. Modeling pro-social behaviors crafted to balance broadcasters’ free speech rights with their obliga- would be more explicit. The education to serve the educational and informational needs of the child tional leverage that would provide audience. The rules leave it to the discretion of individual stations to would be pretty powerful.” decide which educational programs to air.

At the same time, the FCC has also made it very clear that community members are expected to evaluate the educational merits of these programs and to offer their feedback, not only to the television stations but to the FCC as well. As the agency said in its rules, “Our entire licensing scheme is premised on providing adequate information to the public to enable the public to exercise its statutory right to participate in our renewal proceedings.”

Here, finally, is a form of “interactive television” worthy of the name. It has nothing to do with home shopping, arcade games, or video-on-

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5 The Most Effective Way A Field Guide to Make TV a Positive -continued from page 5 Force in Children’s Lives demand, but everything to do with one of the most profound influ- by Bobbie Eisenstock, Ph.D., ences on the nation’s young people. The FCC, in setting new Coordinator, The California Campaign ground rules for the fulfillment of the CTA, has created a forum in for Kids’ TV which concerned citizens can help shape the media environment Local groups are joining the national that literally pervades our culture. Armed with an understanding of dialogue about children’s TV by help- what the new rules require, and provided with an opportunity to ing parents take more control of tele- make their voices heard, parents and others can make a real differ- vision in the home and in the com- ence in the kind of programming that is available to children on munity. broadcast television. Launched last spring, The California Campaign for Kids’ TV is a regional effort to educate, inform and involve Will the New Rules Bring Change? the community in promoting quality children’s programming in the Orange The stronger CTA rules have the potential, at least, to usher in a new County and Los Angeles area. The era of quality, innovative programming for children on broadcast Campaign is a joint partnership of the television. The fall 1997 television season is beginning to reflect these Center for Media Education, Pacific changes, although there are a number of obstacles within the indus- Mutual Foundation, Children’s try that will need to be overcome if we are to see positive long-term Hospital of Orange County and Safe improvement. Moves. It was brought to Southern California by Pacific Mutual Even before the new rules were Foundation, which is providing the put in place, broadcasters had The stronger CTA rules funding. added new educational pro- have the potential, at To accomplish its goals, the campaign grams, reacting to increasing least, to usher in a new involves a two-pronged approach: (1) pressure from parents groups era of quality, innovative public education about children’s TV and policymakers. Series like programming for children habits and the public-health risk fac- tors of television’s impact, and (2) Beakman’s World, Bill Nye, on broadcast television. community participation in monitoring the Science Guy, and Where in TV stations for compliance with the the World is Carmen San Diego?, for example, were put on the air Children’s Television Act to ensure in direct response to the FCC’s moves to strengthen its regulations. quality children’s programming. But when the new fall schedules were first announced in February, Educating and informing the commu- New York Times reporter Lawrie Mifflin observed that very little had nity is the first priority. The Campaign changed from previous years, despite the new rules. “… no new art has developed tools for parents, educators, health professionals and other form was on view. In fact, some very old shows have been trotted out child advocates to help them help to meet the Federal mandate — a sign of either cynicism or economic children make smart TV choices. TV desperation.” While this judgment may have been a bit premature, it Fact Sheets about healthy viewing is clear that the picture is mixed. Some TV networks are overhauling habits, commercials, and violence, their schedules and adding several new programs, it is true, but oth- and A Parent’s Guide to Kids’ TV are ers have made only minimal changes. available in English and Spanish. Nearly one million families with The four major commercial television networks — ABC, CBS, Fox, school-aged children will receive TV and NBC — will be primarily responsible for producing most of the Fact Sheets. The Campaign is distrib- programming designed to meet the CTA. Two newer networks — WB uting materials to students in ele- (Time Warner) and UPN (Viacom-Paramount) — are also providing mentary schools to take home to their some educational programs to their affiliates. Many stations, includ- parents. A Parent’s Guide to Kids’ ing those unaffiliated with any network, will acquire CTA-eligible TV, along with TV Fact Sheets, are

6 shows from independent producers and studios. While technically it The Most Effective Way is up to the individual station manager to decide what shows to air, -continued from page 6 in practice, most programming is supplied by the network.

Here is a snapshot of how the broadcast networks are responding available community-wide to par- to the new CTA rules. (see Fall Line-Up on pages 8-9.) ents, educators, physicians, child- care workers, business leaders, libraries, local groups and at com- Fox munity events and conferences about families and children. Margaret Loesch, chairman and chief executive officer, Fox Kids’ Meeting community leaders and Networks Worldwide, claims that because the network has always speaking to local groups is another provided educational programming the new rules will not require focus of The Campaign’s public edu- them to make many changes. Two-thirds of Fox’s educational and cation effort. The first two in a series informational programming will be made up of the long-running car- of community meetings were orga- toon series Bobby’s World. Four half-hours of Bobby’s World will nized by the Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County and by air Monday through Thursday mornings. Two additional cartoons the Crime Prevention Office of the already on the schedule, C-Bear and Jamal and Life With Louie, San Clemente Police Services of the will round out the network’s educational fare. As Loesch explains, Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “We made a commitment when we started this network in March Discussions focused on the key 1990 to do educational TV as part of our schedule.” Campaign issues, including the ways that children can become critical TV During its first season, Fox Kids’ Network aired three hours of chil- viewers; the negative effects of dren’s programming, including a half-hour series that the network media violence, commercials, and considered educational. “We didn’t call it educational TV but we inappropriate sexual content on chil- met with our advisory panel and produced Bobby’s World as early dren’s development; and how to opti- as year one. We dealt with being afraid of the dentist. We dealt with mize the positive benefits of television. Subsequent meetings and death. We dealt with a lot of tricky issues,” Loesch said, noting that speakers are being scheduled at the the series has since added closed-captioning, which builds reading request of local groups. skills. To ensure an on-going education pro- In addition, Loesch said, Fox enlists “a battery of teachers” who gram for the community, The suggest stories, read scripts, and look at shows. On re-reviewing Campaign is training volunteers to be several previous episodes of Bobby’s World, teachers decided the a part of a Speaker’s Bureau. A Speaker’s Kit has been developed for programs did not have enough educational content, she explained, the training that provides background so “we’ve put them on the shelf.” information for campaign materials. “Now that we’re calling the programs educational,” she continued, The second step in The Campaign is “the teachers are doing more than consulting. They are the essence to help community members partici- of the show. They’re involved with every step of the process. I don’t pate in the process of promoting leave it to me or my creative staff,” she added. “If a teacher says to quality children’s programming. This me, ‘No, I don’t see educational value,’ then we don’t call it educa- effort is organized around the Children’s Television Act of 1990. The tional.” Campaign will train volunteers how Fox has ordered only 10 new episodes of Bobby’s World for next to monitor programming and evalu- season. Many Fox stations are also likely to air Student Bodies, ate TV stations’ performance in serving children’s educational and infor- produced by Fox studios as an educational program for the syndica- mational needs. The goal is for the tion market. (Syndicated programs are sold on a station-by-station community to work collaboratively basis, as opposed to a network-produced show that is available to with local broadcasters to bring out all of its network-affiliated stations.) the best in children’s programming.

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7 Resources

Federal Communications Commission THE FALL LINE-UP The full Report and Order on

Children’s Programming can be found ABC Saturday Morning at: http://www.fcc.gov/ Show Time Target Description Educational Producer Bureaus/MassMedia/ Age Objective Orders/1996/fcc96335.htm Disney’s 101 8:00 AM 7-11 Picking up where they Teach strategic think- Walt Disney Animation Dalmatians: left off in the movies, ing, creative problem- with Jumbo Pictures To see what commercial TV stations The Series the Dalmatians and their solving, learning owners move to a farm through experience have filed electronically with the FCC next to Cruella de Ville to fulfill their obligation under the Disney’s One 8:30- 8-12 12-year-old Doug and Deal with issues of Walt Disney Television Saturday 10:30 AM his daily adventures responsibility, sibling with Jumbo Pictures; CTA, visit the FCC’s Web site at: Morning: Brand and peer conflicts, the Executive Producers: http://dettifoss.fcc. Spanking New value of reading, writing Jim Jinkins and Doug and artistic expression David Campbell gov:8080/prod/kidvid/ Disney’s One 8:30- 9-12 Pepper Ann rides the Deal with issues of Walt Disney Television prod/pub_info.htm Saturday 10:30 AM emotional roller coast- self-acceptance and Animation; Morning: Pepper er of adolescence in self-esteem, persever- Executive Producer: Ann the eternal quest to be ance, relationships Sue Rose For more information: cool with parents and peers Federal Communications Commission Disney’s One 8:30- 8-12 An eclectic group of Deal with issues of Walt Disney Television Saturday 10:30 AM fourth graders navigate cooperation, peer pres- Animation; Executive Video Services Division Morning: Recess the school yard within sures, facing fears Producers: Paul that sacred time Germain and Joe 1919 M Street., NW, Rm. 702 known as recess Ansolabehere Washington, DC 20554 Jungle Cubs 11:30 AM 5-8 The adventures of Deal with issues of Walt Disney Television animated characters loyalty, friendship and Animation; Executive Tel: (202) 418-1600 from Disney’s The cooperative behavior Producers: Ted Anasti or (888) 225-5322 Jungle Book and Patsy Cameron The New 12:00 PM 3-6 The adventures of ani- Teach responsibility, Walt Disney Television Web: http://www.fcc.gov Adventures of mated characters honesty, cooperation Animation Winnie the Pooh based on the books by and conquering child- National PTA A. A. Milne hood fears National PTA Critical Viewing Library Science Court 12:30 PM 7-11 Scientific learning and Teach scientific Tom Snyder improvisational come- concepts and methods Productions offers information, activities and links dy combine in court- to help guide parents and other child room setting advocates interested in children’s television. This can be found at: http://www.pta.org/ CBS Saturday Morning

programs/viewlibr.htm Show Time Target Description Educational Producer Age Objective

For more information: Beakman’s 7:00 AM 6-11 An inquisitive scientist Explain science Columbia Pictures Television, World responds to children’s Columbia Tri Star Television National PTA Headquarters: Chicago, IL questions and performs Distribution, Universal Belo 330 N. Wabash Avenue, Suite 2100 experiments Productions; Executive Producer: Mark Waxman Chicago, Illinois 60611 Fudge 7:30 AM 5-9 A close-knit family Present personal and Universal Television Tel: (312) 670-6782 seen through the eyes social issues in an Entertainment, Amblin of an adolescent, urban family Entertainment E-Mail: [email protected] based on Judy Blume’s books Web: http://www.pta.org The Ghostwriter 8:00 AM 7-11 Three children and a Bring social issues into Children’s Television Mysteries ghost solve mysteries focus and help children Workshop; National PTA Office of using reading, writing see how literacy con- Executive Producer: and problem solving nects with their lives in Ned Kandel Governmental Relations skills and out of school 1090 Vermont Avenue, NW Wheel of Fortune 8:30 AM 7-11 Children spin the Encourage critical Columbia TriStar 2000 wheel to solve work thinking skills and lan- Television; Suite 1200 and language puzzles guage arts develop- Executive Producer: Washington, DC 20037 and face physical chal- ment Scott Sternberg lenges Tel: (202) 289-6790 The Sports 11:00 AM 7-11 Famous sports per- Use popular sports as Sports Illustrated Television, Illustrated for sonalities guest host metaphors for develop- EYEMARK Entertainment, Kids Show with regular teen ing life skills and CBS; Executive Producer: hosts/reporters encourage positive value Paulette Douglas

The Weird Al 11:30 AM 7-11 “Weird Al” Help children respect one Dick Clark produc- Show Yankovic hosts the another’s differences, tions; Executive live-action/mixed think for themselves and Producers: Dick Clark, media series teach goal-setting Al Yankovic, Jay Levy 8 Resources -continued from page 8

Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania NBC Saturday Morning As part of its research initiative on

Show Time Target Description Educational Producer “Media and the Developing Mind,” Age Objective the Center recently released a four- Saved By The 9:30 and 13-17 The exploits of a group According to NBC, Peter Engel Bell: The New 10:30 AM of Southern California each episode has a Productions, NBC part study on children and television: Class high school students unique educational Studios; Producer: objective Chris Conte, Tony Soltis 1. The 1997 State of Children’s

City Guys 10:00 AM 13-17 A buddy comedy star- According to NBC, Peter Engel Television Report ring a street-smart each episode has a Productions, NBC 2. Television in the Home: The 1997 African-American and unique educational Enterprises; Producer: a preppy Anglo objective Ilunga Adell, Mathew Survey of Parents and Children Morgan 3. Newspaper Coverage of Children’s Hang Time 11:00 and 13-17 Follows the adven- According to NBC, Peter Engel 11:30 AM tures of a small town’s each episode has a Productions, NBC Television: A 1997 Update basketball team unique educational Studios; Producer: objective Richard Albrecht, 4. Children’s Educational Television Casey Keller Regulations and the Local NBA Inside Stuff 12:00N 13-17 News magazine featur- Developed for each National Basketball ing off-court activities episode; based on cur- Association Broadcaster of sports figures riculum inspired by the For more information, or to request U.S. Dept. of Education copies of the reports, contact: The Annenberg Public Policy Center of

Fox the University of Pennsylvania Washington Office Show Time Target Description Educational Producer Age Objective 320 National Press Building Bobby’s World Mon-Thur 2-11 Combines a 4-year-old Teach life lessons Film Roman; Executive Washington, DC 20045 7:00 AM boy’s observations on and traditional family Producers: Phil Roman, life with the comedy of values Howie Mandel Tel: (202) 879-6700 Howie Mandel Fax: (202) 879-6707 C-Bear and Friday 2-11 10-year-old Jamal Combine lessons of life, Film Roman; Executive E-mail: [email protected] Jamal 7:00 AM deals with life’s ups responsibility and Producer: Tone Loc and downs with help friendship with the from his teddy bear humor of rapper/actor Tone Loc Life with Louie Saturday 6-11 The adventures of 8- Lessons about Hyperion Studios; 9:30 AM year-old Louie and his growing up and life Executive Producers: family, based on the experiences Louie Anderson, Ahmos childhood of comedian Hassan, WIllard Carroll, Louie Anderson Thomans Wilhite

Show Time Target Description Educational Producer Age Objective

The Mon-Fri 2-12 Superhero Captain Educate children TBS Productions, Adventures of 7:30 AM Planet and the about environmental DIC Enterprises, Captain Planet Planeteers fight eco- issues Hanna-Barbara villians to protect the spirit of the Earth Umptee-3 TV Saturday 2-8 The adventures of Explore subjects rang- Enchante/George 8:00 AM children who take ing from science and Company, Act III; over a television geography to values Executive Producers: station and attitudes Norman Lear, Jim George

UPN

UPN will not be airing any children’s shows specifically designed to be educational/informational. The fall line-up, as it stands, is intended to “entertain.” Any educational material that may be included in the shows is “secondary.”

9 Grading Station Compliance A Field Guide with the CTA: A Report -continued from page 7 Card for the Public NBC The FCC has encouraged parents, teachers, health professionals and Unlike Fox, which programs children’s shows on weekday mornings child advocates to help take respon- and afternoons as well as Saturday morning, NBC airs children’s sibility to ensure that the CTA is programs only on Saturday morning. The network’s entire Saturday enforced. To play a more active role morning schedule is billed as “educational and informational.” (All in promoting and enforcing the CTA, of the educational programming on CBS and ABC also will be members of the public need to scheduled exclusively on Saturday morning.) understand local broadcasters’ programming efforts. Then they can In fact, NBC’s Saturday morning, which is oriented toward work with individual broadcasters to teenagers rather than younger children, will look a lot like it has the evaluate each TV station’s perfor- last several seasons. The network promotes it as “TNBC,” which mance in order to develop effective stands for TeenNBC. NBC will air two episodes of the long-running educational and informational (E/I) comedy “adventure series” Saved By The Bell: The New Class, the programming that serves the needs first at 9:30 AM and the second at 10:30 AM, separated by a new of children. Here is a checklist to use half-hour “buddy comedy” called City Guys. In addition, NBC will in evaluating how well the broad- air two episodes back-to-back of the sports comedy, Hang Time. casters in your community are com- NBC’s Saturday morning educational programming will conclude plying with this law: with a half-hour sports show called NBA Inside Stuff, produced by The Broadcaster’s Responsibilities the National Basketball Association’s entertainment division.

◗ How many total hours of Since 1994, according to NBC, the network has incorporated pro- programming “specifically social messages in every episode of Saved By the Bell, to help designed” to educate and make the case that the series qualifies under the CTA. But NBC’s inform children is available teen-friendly educational schedule has come under criticism from every week on this TV station? some experts and advocates who question its true educational ◗ What types of E/I programming value. Last August, for example, The Los Angeles Times reported are available to children — that even NBC executive vice president John Miller was surprised regularly scheduled 30-minute that Saved By The Bell would qualify as an “FCC-friendly” show. programs, specials, PSAs, short-form programs or regularly scheduled non- CBS weekly programs? CBS’s plans for the fall reflect the network’s 1995 agreement with ◗ Are E/I programs clearly desig- CME and other groups to air three hours of educational programs. nated by broadcasters with an In September 1995, CME, along with the United Church of Christ indication of the target-age and Black Citizens for a Fair Media, filed a petition with the FCC group and identified on air at asking that the proposed takeover of CBS by Westinghouse be the beginning of the program denied, based on the poor performance serving children by and in the TV program guide? Westinghouse affiliates in the past. The petition was withdrawn ◗ Are the educational and infor- after CBS made a public commitment to begin airing three hours of mational needs of all age CTA programming. The agreement helped pave the way for the sub- groups of children — sequent FCC rulemaking. preschoolers (age 2-5), school- aged (ages 6-11) and young CBS signed a contract with Children’s Television Workshop, the teens (ages 12-16) — being producers of Sesame Street, for the development of at least three served by the broadcaster?

10 half-hour Saturday morning series. The first of the CBS-CTW Grading Station Compliance series, Ghostwriter Mysteries, a spin-off of the successful PBS -continued from page 10 series Ghostwriter, will debut in the fall. CBS’s Saturday morning educational and informational programming will also include ◗ Does the TV station have a des- Fudge, a series based on Judy Blume’s popular children’s books ignated children’s liaison who previously aired by ABC; the critically-acclaimed madcap science oversees CTA responsibilities series Beakman’s World (which has been running on CBS since and serves as the broadcast- 1993); and three new series: Wheel of Fortune 2000, The Sports er’s contact for parents, educa- Illustrated for Kids Show and The Weird Al Show, starring Weird tors, health professionals, child advocates and researchers Al Yankovic. about children’s programming? In CBS’s promotional materials, Sports Illustrated for Kids is ◗ Is the broadcaster willing to dis- described as using “popular sports to learn positive values as well cuss and meet with representa- as build awareness of how sports embodies health, nutrition and tives from the community to the natural sciences.” Wheel of Fortune, the network explains, will evaluate their CTA performance “encourage critical thinking skills and language arts development”; and ensure that programming while Weird Al helps “children respect one another’s differences serves children’s educational and think for themselves in various social situations and teaches and informational needs? goal-setting.” ◗ If the required three hours per “With the FCC mandate,” explained Lucy Johnson, CBS senior vice week of educational and infor- president for daytime/children’s programs and special projects, mational programming is not “we’re turning up the volume on the ‘take-away value’ of what a kid aired, does the broadcaster could learn.” The ruling meant “adding a certain depth to any given sponsor E/I programs on other idea. Everyone assumes stations in the market and/or demonstrate involvement in “With the FCC mandate,” that every show is going to special nonbroadcast efforts? explained Lucy Johnson, be a Beakman’s World. CBS senior vice president The FCC never said that a Individual Programs program had to be dead-on for daytime/children’s pro- ◗ Is the educational and informa- grams and special projects, teaching and therefore we tional objective of the program “we’re turning up the have the freedom to do com- and the target child audience volume on the ‘take-away edy or drama or music or clearly described by the broad- value’ of what a kid could whatever.” CBS has also caster in the quarterly learn.” formed an advisory council Children’s Educational/ for children’s programming. Informational Television Report available in the station’s public The way some of its educational programs are scheduled could pre- inspection files? sent a problem, however. The Saturday morning children’s schedule ◗ will be interrupted this season by a two-hour block of adult news Does the program have clear programming. The Sports Illustrated for Kids Show and Weird Al educational value for the child audience it is specifically will not be on until 11 AM. By this time, most child viewers may designed to reach? have migrated to children’s programs on other channels and would be unlikely to come back to CBS for these shows. ◗ Is the E/I message a necessary and integral part of the story telling? Or is it a minor or inci- ABC dental story element that would not essentially change the sto- Now that the ABC network is owned by Disney, it is expected to ryline if it were not included? make a major commitment in the children’s area. The network will

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◗ Does the program address age- begin airing an unusual two-hour block of programs (8:30-10:30 AM) appropriate interests, knowl- in the fall called One Saturday Morning. Featuring a host and stu- edge, vocabulary and other abil- dio audience, One Saturday Morning will contain three children’s ities of the intended audience? TV series along with short-form “interstitial” programming. ◗ Does the program incorporate According to Geraldine Laybourne, former head of Nickelodeon who messages, situations and skills is now at Disney/ABC, the block will have a “live and unpredictable that benefit the social and presence,” with individual programs beginning at staggered times. emotional development of the ABC’s other educational and informational series will include target-age audience and Pepper Ann, an animated series about a quirky seventh-grade girl; applicable to their experience? Recess, which features a group of fourth graders on their school ◗ Is the E/I message presented in playground; 101 Dalmatians, based on the Disney film of the same a way that the intended child name; a science series called Science Court; as well as three estab- audience can understand? Or is lished ABC series, Brand Spanking New Doug, Disney’s Jungle it too difficult? Too easy? Too Cubs, and The New unclear? Adventures of Winnie The “Among the many show ◗ Is the program aired at the time Pooh. ideas being tossed of day when the intended tar- In addition, ABC has hired around, science programs get-age viewer is likely to be are being developed in watching? two prestigious consultants for its series. Project Zero, a greatest number because research and development it’s easy to see that science Ten Steps You Can Take group at Harvard’s Graduate will qualify.” in Your Community to School of Education, is con- Make the CTA Work sulting on 101 Dalmatians (see sidebar: Harvard’s Project Zero Meets Jumbo Pictures), while The Archer School for Girls, a Los Angeles private school, is consulting on Pepper Ann. There are many things you can do to help make the new rules work for children. Here are just a few. Please let us know at CME your ideas, sug- WB and UPN gestions and concerns about how the As for the fledgling WB and UPN networks, Kids WB will provide CTA is being implemented by sta- three hours of educational and informational programming that tions in your community. Come to our includes weekday morning re-runs of The Adventures of Captain Web site (www.cme.org/cme), E-mail Planet and a new half-hour series on Saturday mornings produced us, or drop us a line. by Norman Lear (producer of the 70s sitcom All In The Family) 1. Check your local television guide called Umptee-3 TV. for the E/I icon next to the educational program listings. If you don’t find In contrast, UPN is not scheduling any network educational or the icons, call or write the publisher informational programs, but will give its affiliates the option of air- and ask them to be included. ing one half-hour science series called ALGO’s FACTory. The balance of the three-hour requirement will have to be filled by UPN’s 2. Watch TV with your children and affiliates with either locally produced shows or programs in syndi- teach them how to identify E/I pro- cation. grams. Create your own “Family TV Guide” of E/I programs for your fami- ALGO’S FACTory executive producer and creator Rip Riordan ly to watch. acknowledged the role that the FCC played in generating interest in 3. Call your local station and ask to

12 the series, which Riordan created four years ago. “Odds are the Ten Steps You Can Take series wouldn’t have gotten the interest now if it wasn’t deemed -continued from page 12 educational,” he said. speak to the children’s programming liaison. If they don’t have one, ask the station manager why. Invite the Challenges: Real and Imagined liaison to speak at a PTA meeting or The stronger CTA rules have forced the industry to rethink the way other community organization about it does business. Many programmers and producers are struggling how the station is complying with the new regulations for children’s pro- to find ways to respond to the new mandate. Some complain they gramming. are still confused about what the FCC would consider “educational.” Robby London, executive vice president of creative affairs at DIC 4. Ask your local newspaper TV critic Entertainment (producers of Where On Earth Is Carmen San or the person who writes about TV to Diego?) told InfoActive Kids that he wishes the FCC would clarify do a story about how local stations what it wants. “When it comes time to produce a series that is are fulfilling the CTA mandate. intended to fulfill the requirement, what constitutes fulfillment?” 5. Visit your local TV stations and take a look at their public files on Others express resentment about having to create educational pro- compliance with the Children’s grams that they fear will not be as profitable as pure entertainment Television Act. If the station has a “kidvid” programming. Some executives are making dire predic- Web site, ask that the CTA informa- tions about the impact of the Children’s Television Act. According to tion be listed there as well. Is the the trade magazine Electronic Media, Jean MacCurdy, president of station filing its quarterly reports Warner Bros. Animation, recently warned that “there’s a strong electronically to the FCC so they are likelihood that in fact as the government mandates programming available on the Internet? If not, ask that it will drive kids away to cable. We may indeed go out of busi- that the station do so. ness because of it.” 6. Ask each station how many hours Donna Mitroff, president of the educational consulting firm Mitroff of CTA programming it is airing. Media, who has a background in public television, finds that the Publicly praise stations that air more uncertainty over what constitutes educational programming is mak- than the 3-hour minimum. ing some producers and broadcasters overly cautious. Production 7. Write letters with your children to companies and potential buyers are concerned that if ideas are not compliment advertisers who sponsor close enough to conventional notions of educational TV, they will not E/I programs. Encourage advertisers pass FCC muster. “As soon as it is called educational, we think cur- whose products you purchase to riculum,” she said. “I’m concerned that it not be defined only in support your favorite children’s edu- terms of the basic school curriculum.” Among the many show ideas cational program. being tossed around, science programs are being developed in 8. Enlist your local PTA, church, or greatest number because it’s easy to see that science will qualify, other community organization to cre- she said. “It’s much harder to determine whether something in a ate a community TV guide of recom- more literary vein will be acceptable.” Mitroff worries that “now mended children’s educational pro- that producers are trying to implement it, the creative community gramming. Make it available through needs a better set of guidelines that give them greater latitude than local groups, libraries, schools, they think they have. Production companies need to have a sense churches, physicians’ offices, and that it’s okay to be broader than reading, writing, science and boys’ and girls’ clubs. math.” 9. Involve the school community in Recognizing the need for more clearly defined criteria with which to evaluating how your local broadcast- evaluate these programs, the Center for Media Education, has ers are meeting the CTA requirements. Create a class project for stu- formed a partnership with Mediascope, a Los Angeles-based

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13 Ten Steps You Can Take A Field Guide -continued from page 13 -continued from page 13

dents to grade the educational/infor- research organization, and the Children’s Action Network to bring mational programs and assign them children’s TV programmers and producers together with education- report cards. (See sidebar: Grading al advisors to develop some voluntary guidelines. These guidelines, Station Compliance with the CTA.) it is hoped, will assist the industry in responding more effectively to 10. Develop a community awards the new mandate. program to honor the television sta- The demands of the commercial marketplace have created other tion whose programming best serves challenges to producers who want to create educational and infor- the educational and informational mational programs for broadcast TV. While the new rules have stim- needs of children. ulated interest in such programming, the response has neither been as enthusiastic nor as widespread as many had anticipated. “People “E/I” Logo Logistics thought CTW phones must be ringing off the hook,” explained Dolores Morris, Children’s Television Workshop vice president of program development. “It’s not as frenzied as people would have The “E/I” designation is beginning to hoped.” be made available to newspapers and other listings services, although If educational programs are going to succeed in this highly competi- its use is not widespread. TV Guide tive environment, they will need additional support. Executives need began to carry the E/I icon in early to show patience while a program attempts to build an audience. March. Tribune Media Services, one Creating quality educational programs may require more money as of the country’s two major listings well. Educational consultants, who possess the expertise needed to services providing TV listings to ensure that the programs will serve the developmental needs of the many of the country’s daily newspa- age-groups for which they are intended, often drive up production pers, including The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The costs. Unfortunately, because educational programs are viewed as Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune less profitable than entertainment programs, networks sometimes and The Los Angeles Times, began insist on significantly lower budgets. to provide the icon designation to In addition to financial hurdles, lack of promotion is likely to contin- clients in mid-May. TV Data, the ue to hamper efforts to make children’s programs successful on other listings service, whose clients ABC, CBS, and NBC. With the exception of Fox, network affiliates include The Washington Post, The and many other stations face a promotional cul-de-sac with chil- New York Daily News, and The Chicago Sun Times, currently offers dren’s programming. Because they only schedule children’s pro- the designation to clients who want gramming on Saturday mornings, they have no other place on the it. schedule to promote kids’ shows. As a result, Saturday morning series go unpromoted, unnoticed, unviewed, and often unrenewed. But not all clients want it. Case in point: The Washington Post’s As Lucy Johnson from CBS explains, her network “tries to pick Michael Hill, editor of The Post’s shows that had some self-start elements to them, like big names or Sunday supplement “TV Week,” said instantly recognizable titles.” Adds CTW’s Dolores Morris, “The that while the new E/I designation market is really in Saturday morning for children’s programming was under active consideration, The and it is drawn by marquee value properties — a movie or a great Post was not currently carrying toy or a great book. That’s one of the key reasons for Ghostwriter either the “TV Parental Guidelines” Mysteries being the series CBS chose. It has a built-in audience.” (TV-Y, TV-Y7, TV-G, etc.) or the E/I designation. One of the attractions for CBS in working with CTW was that the Workshop has a lot of promotional experience, said Morris. “We’re Logistically, the E/I designation poses going to do a lot of promotion ourselves. The nets have no idea how a particular problem, Hill explained, because space on the Saturday TV to promote off-air. We have five magazines. We have a whole lot of community education services. CBS thought what a great idea to 14 use the promotional ability the Workshop has because there’s no “E/I” Logo Logistics machinery in place at the network.” -continued from page 14

page is very tight. “There are ways to finesse the other ratings in terms of Educating the Public space,” he said, “but because most Dr. Ellen Wartella, Dean of the College of Communications and the of the E/I shows appear on Saturday Walter Cronkite Regent’s Chair in Communications at the morning it’s a question of cramming University of Texas, Austin, has a different kind of promotion in all the information into the grid. It would really alter the look of the mind. She would like to see the broadcast industry publicize the page. We end up having to abbrevi- requirements, as suggested in the FCC ruling and as the industry ate the title of the show beyond has done with the TV Parental Guidelines. recognition.” Such an effort might stimulate public involvement, she believes. But Wartella cautions that individual citizens do not have time to exam- ine stations’ public records. Nor are individuals likely to have the For an interactive CTA Tool Kit, expertise to contest what a station may argue is “educational and visit CME on the Web: informational.” Therefore, public advocacy efforts and additional http://www.cme.org/cme research are essential components for any public policing. While the new rules have CME is engaged in just such an stimulated interest in effort to help implement the such programming, the Children’s Television Act, work- response has neither been ing in cooperation with educa- as enthusiastic nor as tion, health, and child advocacy widespread as many had organizations across the nation. anticipated. More specifically, in southern California, CME is involved with groups of citizens evaluating children’s shows next fall as part of the California Campaign for Kids’ TV. (See sidebar: The Most Effective Way to Make TV a Positive Force in Children’s Lives.)

Within the academic community, the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania is in the second of a five- year research project to try to identify how to foster quality educational programs for children. This year, the Center released a number of reports focusing on the CTA. (See sidebar: Resources.)

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15 A Field Guide -continued from page 15 infoAinfoActiveKIDS Publisher Kathryn C. Montgomery The CTA’s Promise Editor The CTA provides a unique opportunity for all those concerned Shelley Pasnik about children — parents, educators, journalists, and broadcasters Writer Barbara Osborne — to work together to usher in a new era of innovative and positive Researcher programming. During the last few years there has been increasing LaTanya Jones criticism about the negative impact TV has on the lives of children. Circulation Manager Concerns over the harmful effects of media violence, for example, Yalda Nikoomanesh have helped fuel the efforts to have ratings placed on all TV pro- Design Audrey Denson grams. But if properly implemented, the new rules on educational programming can help foster a wide range of better viewing options for children. If we all do our part, there should be more programs that help stimulate and entertain our children. That, after all, is the goal of the CTA. With your help, we can make it a reality. Future Issues Family Online Services PBS’s Digital Future

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The Center for Media Education is dedicated to educating the public about critical media policy issues. Major funding for infoActive KIDS is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Additional support is provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York as part of CME’s Action for Children in Cyberspace initiative.

The views expressed in unattributed infoActive KIDS articles are solely those of the Center for Media Education.