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FCC Significant Updates Children's Programming Rules

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By CARU Staff


On Wednesday (7/10/19) the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced new rules for children’s television, including a change in the time that broadcasters are allowed to air kids’ programming in the morning. According to the FCC’s announcement, the goal is to give broadcasters more scheduling flexibility and to enable them to offer diverse educational programming while relieving unnecessary burdens. Broadcasters can now air children’s programming from 6 am until 10 pm, an hour earlier than before. 
Some of the changes were not greeted with a smile, like the rule that allows “stations to air the substantial majority of their core programming on their primary program stream but allows stations to air up to 13 hours per quarter of regularly scheduled weekly programming on a multicast stream." This allows channels to move content away from their main viewership to secondary stations, which allows the stations to focus more on monetizing. The FCC voted on party lines and the harshest dissent came from Commissioner Rosenworcel who took to Twitter to express her criticism.

Take it from the only mother serving on the Federal Communications Commission.
The values in the Children’s Television Act are solid.
They help promote quality content for kids.
But today the @FCC picks them apart and dismantles them.
This is a shame. I dissent.
— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) July 10, 2019

For more information about the FCC's decision, check out their fact sheet. 

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