GROWING PAINS - CHILDRENS TELEVISION IN THE NEW REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT

This article is a review of research conducted in 1996 and 1997 design ed to assess the current climate of the children's television industry and the impact of public policy initiatives on the availability, qual ity, and viewership of children's television. Researchers evaluated al l children's programs from the 1996-97 season available in one large m arket and analyzed a subsample of commercial broadcasters' educational and informational programs. Parents' perceptions of children's televi sion offerings are explored through survey data collected in the sprin g of 1997. Broadcasters' conceptions of the child audience (culled fro m interviews with industry insiders) provide some explanation for the lack of quality in children's programming available today. Recommendat ions for improving support of and commitment to children's educational programming are offered in light of 1997 Federal Communications Commi ssion regulations mandating three hours a week of educational televisi on for children.