Children's Educational TV Requirements
Congress enacted the Children's Television Act in 1990 to enhance television's potential to teach the nation's children valuable information and skills. The Act requires each television station in the U.S. to serve the educational and informational needs of children through its overall programming, including programming specifically designed to serve these needs (or "core" educational programming). In August 1996, the FCC adopted new rules to strengthen the enforcement of this statutory mandate. (http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/kidvid/prod/kidvid.htm)
These new rules:
- Adopt several public information initiatives designed to give parents greater information about the core educational programs being aired by TV stations. The FCC's new rules require commercial television stations to identify core educational programs at the beginning of the program (such as with a verbal announcement or an icon), and to provide information identifying these programs to publishers of program guides and TV listings.
- Set forth a clear definition of what type of programs qualify as core programs: they generally must have serving the educational and informational needs of children as a significant purpose; be aired between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.; be a regularly scheduled weekly program; and be at least 30 minutes in length.
- Establish a guideline that calls for every TV station to air at least three hours per week of core educational programming.
- TV stations must submit quarterly reports on their Children's Educational Programming. These reports must be made available to the public in the station's Public File. (source)
More Information: GRIID Spring 2003 Children's Educational TV Programming Study
Current Children's Educational Programming Filings with the FCC (Feb. 2005)
| WOOD 8 | WZZM 13 | FOX 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Pet Keeping - Sat. 10am | Disney's Lilo & Stitch - Sat. 9am | Carmen Sandiego - Wed/Th 7:30am |
| Jack Hanna's - Sat. 10:30am | Disney's Filmore - Sat. 9:30am | Sabrina's Secret Life - Wed/Sat. 7am |
| Real Life 101 - Sat. 11am | The Proud Family - Sat.10am | Liberty's Kids Th/Fri. 7am |
| Amazing America - Sat. 11:30am | That's So Raven - Sat. 10:30am | Under the Helmet - Sat. 7am |
| Darcy's Wildlife - Sat. 12:30pm | Phil of the Future - Sat. 11am | Winx Club - Sat. 8:30 and 11am |
| Teenage Kids News - Sun. 11am | Lizzia McGuire - Sat. 11:30am | Jack Hanna - Sun. 11:30am |
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy (GRIID)
711 Bridge St. NW
Grand Rapids, MI
49504
616-459-4788x122 (phone)
616-459-3970 (fax)
www.griid.org
The contents of this page are also available in a PDF version: Educational Requirements.
