FCC Won’t Limit Some Kidvid Ads Until After Christmas

The Federal Communications Commission Thursday delayed until Jan. 1, 1992, implementation of new limits on commercials in some children’s TV shows.

The congressionally mandated restrictions were to have taken effect Oct. 1 for all shows. However, the Assn. of Independent Television Stations sought the delay for “bartered” programs so stations could sell the maximum number of commercials for Christmas toys during their highly profitable fourth quarter.

Bartered shows are those that already contain some commercials when they are bought by the stations. They represent an estimated 70% to 80% of the shows purchased by independent TV stations. The association argued that stations would suffer losses if they had to pay program distributors for the ads but could not charge for them.

“Any adjustment has to come out of the station’s hide,” said Jim Hedlund, association president. He said independent stations generate about 53% of all ad revenue received from children’s programs during the Christmas selling season.

“If it were not for the fourth quarter, you would basically not have children’s TV,” he said, calling the delay for the request “appropriate.”

But children’s programming advocates criticized the FCC’s action. The National Assn. for Better Broadcasting and the National Education Assn. said in a joint statement that they were “outraged” by the delay.

“Once again, the FCC has shown its willingness to put the private interests of broadcasters ahead of the needs of our children,” said Angela Campbell, an attorney for the two organizations.

Congress last year ordered limits on the number of commercials in children’s TV shows to 10 1/2 minutes an hour on weekends and 12 minutes on weekdays. Both broadcast and cable TV were affected. On April 12, the FCC decided to apply the restriction to shows whose primary viewers are 16 years old and under.

Commissioner James Quello joined other FCC commissioners in supporting the delay for bartered shows but said all shows should be included “as a matter of fundamental fairness.”

The delay affects contracts signed before April 12.