Nets Ask FCC To Delay Kids Rules

The parent companies of the Big Three broadcast networks and a bunch of cable nets are opposing the FCC's new children's television rules concerning: 1) The definition of program promotions and website addresses shown in kids shows as advertising, and thus counted toward limits on kids ads on both broadcast and cable. The WB, though not one of the petitioners, said earlier this year that the prospect of having to count program promotion as advertising was one of the reasons it decided to scrap its weekday children's programming block. 2) The ban on host-selling Web links -- Web addresses promoted in a show that use characters from that show to sell products or services. Stations are already prevented from including host-selling TV ads in kids shows. 3) The requirement that free multicast channels meet a kids TV programming benchmark of roughly the same amount of educational/informational (E/I) programming, proportionately, as their core channel three-hours-a-week requirement. For instance, if a broadcaster aired 12 hours a day of multicast programming, seven days a week, it would be expected to air an additional hour and a half of educational/informational kids programming.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
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