WASHINGTON - January 28 - Free Press released a ‘Citizen’s Issue Brief’ today illustrating how commercial television stations are routinely shirking broadcast obligations for children’s education, and providing ways for citizens to demand more from their media. Stations are reporting shows like ‘Jackie Chan Adventures’ and “Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century” to the Federal Communications Commission to satisfy legal obligations for “core educational programs”. The brief is released as the FCC convenes its “broadcast localism” hearing in San Antonio, that will, according to the FCC, “gather information from consumers, industry, civic organizations, and others on broadcasters’ service to their local communities.”

Free Press founder Robert McChesney said, “Standards have been in decline for some years, but commercial television stations have sunk to new lows in their efforts to evade substantive public service programming that might hurt advertising revenues. Calling ‘Miracle Pets’ and ‘Baby Looney Toons’ core educational programming is an insult to parents and children alike.” McChesney continued, “So-called ‘pro-social’ rather than ‘academic’ lessons have dominated children’s broadcasting in recent years, but this is ridiculous.”

In San Antonio, - host of this week’s FCC hearing – FOX affiliate KABB- TV designates “This Week in Baseball,” - a program that shows the bloopers and highlights from the previous week’s Major League Baseball games - as core educational programming. “Television broadcasters are making huge profits using the public’s airwaves,” said Free Press managing director Josh Silver. “These official filings are a slap in the face to the FCC and the public.” Under FCC rules, all commercial TV stations must broadcast three hours per week of educational programming for children between 7 AM and 10 PM. These programs are meant to serve “the educational and informational needs of children as a significant purpose."

The finding comes on the heels of a turbulent year for the FCC, as its chairman Michael Powell lifted ownership caps despite stiff opposition from the public and Congress. With the public up in arms about big media’s betrayal of public service, Free Press is urging the FCC to enable citizens to challenge broadcast license renewals in order to hold TV stations accountable to public interest requirements. The brief provides specific tools for citizens to improve local broadcasting.

The full brief can be downloaded as a PDF here.

For more information on Free Press and media reform, go to www.mediareform.net.

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