Viacom, UCC Take Kids Rules To Court

The battle over new DTV kids rules has wound up in court, where many had expected it to go. Both the United Church of Christ Office of Communications and Viacom have withdrawn their FCC petitions for review of the rules, instead asking separate federal courts to throw them out or remand them as arbitrary and capricious. Viacom argues that the rules should be vacated entirely because they exceed the commission's authority, are unconstitutional, violate administrative procedures, are "otherwise contrary to law" and use "really poor grammar." The company seeks review from the deregulatory-minded D. C. circuit. By contrast, the United Church of Christ took the rules to court because they did not go far enough, including the lack of a total ban on interactive advertising and issues with the preemptions of kids programming the rules allow. Children's TV activists had expressed concerns in the past few weeks that the networks would follow through on threats to go to court and try to strike down all the rules. The church sought review in the sixth circuit, whose jurisdiction includes Ohio, where the church has its headquarters.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
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* Viacom Requests Court Review of FCC's Kids TV Rules
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8665

* Viacom's Nickelodeon to Feds: Don't Stop Us from Targeting Kids with Interactive Junkfood Ads
So-called "Trusted" Brands Nick and Disney Seek to Thwart Safeguards
http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/washingtonwatch/NickFCC.html