‘Yabba Dabba Do!’ Is Education?

When television stations try to use shows such as “The Flintstones,” “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “The Jetsons” to fulfill the federal requirement for educational programming, change must be demanded. Reed Hundt, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is leading an effort to develop new rules under the Children’s Television Act, whose gaping loopholes allow over-the-air broadcasters to pass off these offerings as educational.

There is consensus among FCC commissioners on the law’s problems: Its main failing is that it lacks a clear definition of educational programming. The law also fails to specify how much educational programming a station must provide or when such shows are to be aired. Thus educational programs--as little as half an hour a week for many stations--might air at odd hours of the early morning or on weekends.

Though the commissioners agree on the need for more specific rules, they differ on what the changes should be. Hundt wants to require every TV station to air at least three hours of educational shows per week and to better define the category so entertainment cartoons cannot be used to fulfill the requirement. He has the support of Peggy Charren, founder of the influential but now disbanded Action for Children’s Television, and of Campaign for Kids’ TV, a coalition of 80 child advocate groups.

Last week, 104 members of the House of Representatives signed a letter, initiated by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), to the commissioners urging them to require three hours of educational programming. The letter was a slap at the commercial broadcast industry’s claim that had Congress intended a quantitative standard for educational programming it would have included it in the law, which took effect in 1991.

Critics maintain that today’s so-called education programming is merely a merchandising vehicle to sell toys related to the shows. Dale Kunkel, professor of communications at the University of California in Santa Barbara, coauthored a study that concluded that shows billed as educational generally do not represent “good-faith efforts” to meet the law’s standard.

Broadcasters had the chance to thoughtfully define “educational” for themselves but took advantage of imprecise phrasing in the law for economic gain. The airwaves belong to the public. TV stations have a social responsibility to provide quality educational shows, at least three hours a week. The FCC should get the message.

To Take Action: Write the FCC, Consumer Assistance Branch, 1919 M St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20554; fax (202) 418-0232; e-mail <rhundt@fcc.gov>