roundtable: Westinghouse Agrees to Children's Programming

roundtable: Westinghouse Agrees to Children's Programming

Westinghouse Agrees to Children's Programming

langa@ucc.org
Wed, 20 Sep 95 11:29:46 

Date: Wed, 20 Sep 95 11:29:46 
From: langa@ucc.org
Message-Id: <9508208116.AA811621786a@ucc.org>
To: roundtable@cni.org
Subject: Westinghouse Agrees to Children's Programming


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WESTINGHOUSE AGREES TO MORE KIDS' PROGRAMMING ON CBS;
PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS DROP FCC CHALLENGE
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United Church of Christ
Office of Communication
Beverly J. Chain, press contact
(216) 736-2201                                           

For immediate release
September 20, 1995

CLEVELAND--Responding to a voluntary decision by Westinghouse Electric 
to substantially increase children's educational programming broadcast 
on the CBS network, the Office of Communication of the United Church 
of Christ and other members of a public interest coalition agreed 
today (Sept. 20) to drop their petition to the Federal Communications 
Commission to deny the waivers Westinghouse needs to complete the 
purchase of CBS, Inc.

Westinghouse's voluntary commitment appears in a statement attached to 
a reply pleading it filed today with the FCC.  The statement says that 
the CBS network, under Westinghouse, will supply two hours per week of 
educational and informational children?  programming in the 1996-1997 
season--an increase of an hour per week.  This will increase to three 
hours per week during the 1997-1998 season and will not fall below that 
level for the 1998-1999 season and beyond.

Further, Westinghouse agreed to air the programs when a substantial
number of children are in the audience--that is, after 7 a.m.

"We commend Westinghouse for taking this voluntary step forward for 
children," said Dr. Beverly J. Chain, director of the Cleveland-based 
UCC Office of Communication, and Dr. Kathryn Montgomery, president of 
the Center for Media Education, representing two of the groups who had 
challenged the Westinghouse-CBS deal in a Sept. 8 petition.  The church 
office, the lead petitioner, had been joined not only by the Center for 
Media Education, but also by Black Citizens for a Fair Media, Fordham 
University communications professor Everett C. Parker and others.

In withdrawing their petition, the coalition said Westinghouse's 
commitment indicated that the public interest will now be "well served 
by the grant of transfer," which the coalition had challenged in the 
petition.

According to Montgomery, "the commitment to transmit core children's 
programming after 7 a.m. is significant.  Ratings services indicate 
that less than 2 percent of the households tune in to programming on 
Saturday before 7 a.m.  That is when much of current core children's 
programs have been aired.  Now there is a chance that a large number 
of children will be watching the programs designed for them."

Chain insisted, "we want to make it clear that while the commitment 
made by Westinghouse represents a substantial contribution by the 
network, it by no means ends the interest of our groups in the rule 
making proceeding currently before the Commission.  We shall continue 
to advocate in our filing, due Oct. 15, for the need for a license 
renewal guideline of seven hours a week of core programming and other 
important matters.  Nothing less will adequately serve the needs of 
this nation's children."

The Children?s Television Act of 1990, passed overwhelmingly by a
bipartisan Congress, emphasized that programming should contribute
to the education of children, given the many hours they spend
viewing television.

[EDITORS AND PRODUCERS:  For further information or interviews, 
contact Dr. Beverly Chain, UCC Office of Communication, (216) 736-2201;
Jeffrey Chester, Center for Media Education, (202) 628-2620; Angela
Campbell, Institute for Public Representation, (202) 662-9535.  The
text of a statement by the coalition is available on request.]

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UCC OFFICE OF COMMUNICATION <holznagh@ucc.org>
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UCC HOME PAGE <http://www.apk.net/ucc/>
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Andrew G. Lang
<langa@ucc.org>

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