Content area
Full Text
Producers struggle with commission's definition of educational
hen Summit Media President Shelley Hirsch decided to launch a new animated children's program into syndication this fall, he did so with caution.
Hirsch hired two psychologists to help "draw up the curriculum" for Mr. Men, an animated series for young children. One psychologist is in Canada; the other works for the New York City school system. Hollywood types have been known to occasionally have a shrink around, but psychologists now are becoming the hip thing for children's programers-or at least those trying to get the coveted FCCfriendly stamp of approval.
"The FCC is cute," Hirsch says. "They mandate what they want, but they don't tell you exactly what they want. It is very loose."
He says that getting an FCC-friendly children's show into syndication is important these days, because starting Sept. 1 the FCC will require broadcast networks to air a minimum of three hours of educational programing per week.
To make it even tougher on syndicators like Hirsch, the broadcast networks have all but ridded themselves of children's programing this fall, many scheduling only the minimum three hours per week. On top of that, Hirsch says, figuring out exactly what the FCC is looking for in a children's program is not clear.
"What do they mean by the term educational?" Hirsch asks. "I'm not quite sure what they want. If what the government mandates is somebody standing in front of a classroom with a pointer, it will lead to the demise of over-the-air children's television."
Ed Chiodo, co-executive producer of the upcoming pre-school series The Crayon Box, says FCC guidelines are too vague. "The terms they use and the guidelines they set are really open for interpretation in terms of morality versus curriculum," Chiodo says. "Whether some of these shows like NBC's Saved By the Bell are truly educational, I'm just not sure."
FCC spokesperson Barbara Kreisman denies that the new rules mandated by the Children's Television Act are vague. She says it is now up to the individual licensee (broadcaster) to...