TV Writers Want FCC To Expand Definition of Kids Programming

The Writers Guild of America West wants the Federal Communications Commission expand its definition of children's programming as it prepares to rethink its kids TV rules, and embedded advertising guidelines, in the digital age. In meetings with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and staff, the writers offered examples of the growing use of embedded advertising techniques, including on-screen scrolls like the Captain Morgan Rum crawl on TBS during MLB playoff coverage. They cautioned that the rise of DVR's, with their ad-skipping capabilities, will only make advertisers and networks "more aggressive" in their ad embedding strategies.