Children Now Takes Issue With Waiver

CHILDREN NOW TAKES ISSUE WITH WAIVER
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Allbritton, McGraw-Hill, and Media General are among the broadcast groups who planned to file comments with the FCC by close of business Monday--when public comments were due--asking for the waiver for DTV public interest channels -- news, weather, politics. They argue that the FCC was simply choosing one type of public interest -- kids -- over another, and suggested kids shows might break up the flow of those channels. Children Now's Christy Glaubke counters: "Not only do broadcasters have the ability under the rules to program their children’s educational shows on any of their digital channels as long as they have carriage, but there is no reason to believe that a mere three hours per week of children’s educational programming would harm a public interest channel. Some broadcasters, such as NBC, are actually using this rule as an opportunity to create shows for kids about the weather or news. These programs will add much-needed diversity to the educational programming that is currently being offered to kids and may even create a new audience for weather and news programming. Finally, it is important that kids get something in return for the billions of dollars worth of spectrum that broadcasters are receiving for free."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6327740?display=Breaking+News