Congress, FCC to Examine TV Ads and Kids Obesity

CONGRESS, FCC TO EXAMINE TV ADS AND KIDS OBESITY
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Ira Teinowitz]
The controversy over whether TV ads cause obesity in kids is mounting again as Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin unveil plans for a Valentine's Day forum to look at voluntary steps that might lessen the risk. Sen Brownback, a presidential candidate, described the forum as a public-private effort and said major marketers, media companies, health groups, consumer groups and advertising associations would participate. He said General Mills, McDonald's, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods and Coca-Cola would all be represented. From the media side, the following companies are expected to participate: Walt Disney, Viacom, Discovery Channel, Telemundo and the Black Family Channel. In a statement, Sen Brownback said he was pushing the event as "a bipartisan effort to provide a forum for the public and private sectors to jointly examine the impact of media on childhood obesity and to explore voluntary recommendations that will address the alarming rise in childhood obesity rates." He also said that Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras and FCC commissioner Michael J. Copps will participate along with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) who has been highly critical of children's advertising. The Benton Foundation will also participate.
http://adage.com/article.php?article_id=114496

* Congress, FCC to Examine TV Ads and Kids Obesity
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11438

* Brownback, FCC Announce Media Task Force Participants
http://brownback.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=267849

* FCC News Release: http://www.fcc.gov/obesity/documents/nr012307.pdf

* Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate Enthusiastic About Childhood Obesity Task Force
http://www.fcc.gov/obesity/documents/stdtt012307.pdf

* Visit http://www.fcc.gov/obesity for the latest information on the task force.