Protect Children's Television... The Federal Communications Commission recently initiated a proceeding to review its media ownership rules without taking into consideration the needs of children. Any changes to media ownership rules could have serious implications for the quality and quantity of children's programming. This action alert is one of several opportunities for you to voice your concerns to the FCC and your elected representatives. Write to the FCC today and urge them to consider children's needs in this proceeding. Sample Letter for Campaign Subject: Protect Children's Television! Dear [ Decision Maker ] , The FCC must consider the unique needs of children in its upcoming rulemaking on broadcast ownership rules. Children consume almost five and a half hours of media per day. Research has shown that media, particularly television, play a unique and powerful role in children's development. The FCC should consider how further relaxation of media ownership rules would impact children's programming. Deregulation may reduce competition, increase commercialism and result in less original programming for children. Before making any regulatory changes to existing media ownership rules, the FCC must consider how children will be affected. Sincerely,

Campaign Launched: February 19, 2003

Background Information

NOTE: Please personalize the "sample letter" provided whenever possible. Personalized letters, written in a polite tone, are always taken more seriously than form letters. Simply swipe over our sample text and personalize all, or a portion of our letter. Thank you!

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently issued a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" (NPRM) to review its current media ownership rules.  Any modification to existing rules could affect the media content citizens consume, including newspapers, radio, and television.  Of particular concern is the impact any changes may have on children's programming.  This week, members of the public health, research, and child advocacy communities sent a letter to the FCC expressing their concern that the FCC did not address the needs of children in the NPRM.

Advocates are concerned about potential changes in the overall television viewing landscape for children as fewer and fewer media corporations control programming decisions.

The existing ownership rules were established primarily to ensure that broadcasters "serve the public interest, convenience and necessity" by:

• Preventing a network from owning stations that broadcast to more than 35 percent of the nation's homes;
• Preventing a media conglomerate from owning two television networks;
• Restricting a newspaper from owning a television station in the same city;
• Restricting a broadcaster from owning two television stations in the same market, unless there are at least eight other competitors;
• Restricting a company from owning more than eight radio stations in the same market.

Fewer Choices, Limited Viewpoints
Although little research has been conducted on the impact of past media mergers on children's programming, such consolidation has resulted in fewer companies producing all programming, even as cable and satellite broadcasting has increased the number of channels available to the public. For example, in 1970, 20 studios or production houses supplied 68 percent of all prime time programming. By 2002, 10 studios programmed 88 percent of prime time, according to a recent study conducted by the FCC.

In its letter, the coalition emphasized that the FCC should not ignore children's programming and focus solely on prime time or general audience fare.

When addressing the variety of programming available to the public, the FCC previously has said it believes that cable and the Internet will provide additional sources of programming-what communication law terms "viewpoint diversity"-even if such diversity among broadcast channels decreases. However, an increasing amount of the same children's programming is shared between cable and broadcast partners, potentially diminishing the diversity available to child audiences. In addition, many of the most popular kids' Web sites not only are owned by broadcast and cable networks but the content itself is often derived from existing programming.

Parents' Concerns
Even with limits on advertising in children's programming, parents already are concerned about the existing level of commercialism to which children are exposed.

According to a national poll conducted by the Center for a New American Dream, a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible consumption, almost nine in ten parents of children ages two to 17 feel that advertising and marketing aimed at children make kids too materialistic. Nearly half of those polled reported their children began asking for brand name products by age five.

Advocates recognize the recommendation to take children's interests into consideration during this regulatory process faces opposition from the media and telecommunications industry. The industry has a considerable financial stake in having the process result in a favorable outcome, at a potential detriment to children's programming.

--Thanks for taking action on behalf of children.