V-Chipping Away at Unhealthy Television : Some educators believe parents should encourage children to watch educational programming, not just censor sex, violence.

Parents, have you ever thought of limiting your kids’ TV viewing to programs that might improve their schoolwork?

A recent ABC television report on media literacy noted that the average American child spends 22 hours, mostly on weekends, in front of the tube. That 22 hours probably exceeds the total time they spend in classes during the average week. This raises some interesting and disturbing issues. If we can’t get kids to watch less TV, can we at least get them to watch higher quality programs? What exactly can a parent do?

In a few weeks, the Studio City research firm Mediascope will release the results of a study that looked at a year’s inventory of TV mayhem--part of a major survey called The National Television Violence Study, financed by the cable industry.

Last fall, a related effort, headed by Jeffrey Cole, director of the UCLA Center for Communication Policy, looked at violence just on network TV. He concluded that broadcasters may be improving efforts at self-policing the amount of gunfire on the small screen.

Public opinion polls indicate that parents believe otherwise, something the federal government is well aware of. The White House and members of Congress are intent on passing legislation--as part of a greater package of communications reform--which would require TV manufacturers to install a “V-chip,” a sort of electronic censor, that enables viewers to block out objectionable shows.

While there are many who see this as yet another example of big government invading our privacy, there are few who would argue with the assertion that parents need to get control of their children’s TV viewing. Like any other everyday thing--say food--TV can be good or bad for kids.

Van Nuys High School college counselor Carolyn Barnhart believes TV can be part of a balanced educational diet. She’s an executive board member of the National Assn. of College Admission Counselors, a group that frets about students’ droopy test scores nationwide.

“While the ideal preparation is to read, read, read,” she said, “children should spend some part of their TV time on programs that might supplement or reinforce what is learned in the classroom.” For guidance, Barnhart suggests you check with teachers, churches, counselors, or whomever you trust.

But, she warns, it isn’t enough to drop the kid in front of the TV to steal a glance at the Discovery Channel, CNN or PBS on the eve of taking a geography or literature test. “It’s too late to start then,” she said. Parents should begin guiding kids’ TV habits early, “starting when kids begin school.”

Coincidentally, this month a magazine with a similar attitude began publication. Good Television publisher Michael M. Watts says his goal is to serve an audience that wants “programming information that will allow them to make better use of their TV time.”

Working parents and others who believe that something like the V-chip is a good way to monitor and control a child’s viewing habits, don’t have to wait for Washington to act. There are already electronic devices coming on the market that can be programmed to provide the desired result. They are installed on the set like a supplementary cable box and--even when parents aren’t at home--they can be rigged to permit viewing of shows parents want kids to see or block out the shows kiddies shouldn’t see.

With a recent Gallup survey concluding that Americans credit television with providing 21% of what they know about history and school providing only 6%, maybe there’s something to the idea of guiding a child’s viewing.

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DETAILS

FYI: The TeleCommander is a $199 device that blocks individual programs and switches on, or “reminds” kids to view desired shows. For more information, call (908) 832-0773.

The $129 TV Guardian allows only the programs parents want onto a child’s TV set. For details, call (800) 873-0952.

TCI-Kid Control is a $29.95 remote channel selector, programmed for age-appropriate viewing. For more information, call (818) 376-8628.

For information about Good Television, a bi-weekly magazine, call (212) 505-0331.