The chairman of the FCC has indicated plans to eliminate regulations requiring local TV stations to include on their schedules quality programming for children.
In the late 1990s, the FCC mandated that TV stations be had to provide a minimal number of hours of "educational" programming aimed at young people. This forced stations to drop or reduce mindless or violent animated programs, replacing them with shows that had a more educational nature, like wildlife stories, science-oriented shows and news magazines like "Teen Kids News," produced by my friends Alan Weiss and Marilou Yacoub. On CBS on Saturdays, local stations air "The Dream Team" a block of kids shows like "The Open Road," dealing with environmental issues, and "Innovation Nation," promoting interest in science and technology.
Taking away the FCC mandate could endanger quality children's shows like these, enabling stations to replace them with cheaper reruns or paid programming -- infomercials.
The FCC chairman said he is making the move because children have access to quality programming on cable and pay channels. But not all families can afford pay channels or cable, so why not make good programming available on free advertiser-supported broadcast TV?
I understand the concerns many have about too much government regulation of businesses. But in some cases, like the FCC mandate on quality children's programming, along with recently rolled-back regulations that protect our environment or regs that protect consumers against bad banking practices, we need the government to step in to be sure businesses do what's in the best interest of the public.
It’s not governmental overreach. It’s common sense in the public interest.
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