wfn.org | Church Challenges License Renewals on Children's Programming Issue

[powellb@ucc.org]

Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc. (OC, Inc.)
Gloria Tristani, OC, Inc. Managing Director
(202) 263-2586
(301) 613-0314
tristang@ucc.org

Robert Chase, OC, Inc. Executive Director
(216) 736-2173
chaser@ucc.org

Institute for Public Representation (IPR)
Prof. Angela Campbell
(202) 662-9541

Center for Digital Democracy (CDD)
Jeff Chester, Director
(202) 494-7100

For immediate release
September 1, 2004

Church Challenges License Renewals on Children's Programming Issue

      WASHINGTON, DC ? The Office of Communication of the United Church of
Christ, Inc. (OC, Inc.) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) today
asked the Federal Communications Commission to deny the license renewal
applications of two television broadcasters serving the Washington D.C.
area, for failure to serve the educational needs of children.  One of the
questions raised by the two groups: How is teaching children anti-social
behavior in their best interest?

      The Petition to Deny License Renewal was filed against Paxson
Washington License, Inc, which operates WPXW channel 66 of Manassas, Va.,
and Fox Television Stations, Inc., which operates WDCA channel 20 in
Washington D.C.

      WPXW and WDCA are among the first television stations in the country
to apply for license renewal since the FCC adopted the children's
television processing guidelines in 1996.  Under those guidelines, stations
must air at least 3 hours per week of children's educational programming.
Both stations claim to meet or exceed the guideline.  However, OC, Inc. and
the CDD charge that at least three programs ?"Miracle Pets," "Ace
Lightning" and "Stargate Infinity"? do not meet the FCC definition of
children's educational programming.  Because without these programs, the
licensees fall below the 3 hour guideline and they have not demonstrated
that they have served the needs of the child audience through other means,
OC, Inc. and the CDD are asking the Commission to deny the license renewal
applications of WPXW and WDCA.

      OC, Inc. Managing Director and former FCC Commissioner Gloria
Tristani stated, "This is the first time TV station licenses have been
challenged since the FCC adopted the children's television processing
guidelines in 1996.  The FCC needs to send an unequivocal message that it
will deny a TV station's license renewal if that station has failed their
child audience."

      The Institute for Public Representation (IPR), a public interest law
firm and clinical program at Georgetown University Law Center, directed by
Professor Angela J. Campbell, reviewed the children's television reports
filed by Washington D.C television stations with the assistance of
children's television expert Dr. Dale Kunkel, a Professor in the Department
of Communication of the University of Arizona.

      The Petition alleges that WPXW's Miracle Pets fails to meet four of
the FCC's six requirements for children's educational programming: 1) the
program is not specifically designed for children, 2) it is not
specifically designed to educate, 3) it is not regularly scheduled, and 4)
it is not identified on air as educational programming.

      WDCA's Ace Lighting and Stargate Infinity, according to the Petition,
not only lack any significant educational purposes, but contain an
anti-social message.  As Dr. Kunkel explains, "a program that includes one
violent attack after another cannot seriously be said to teach children to
'get along with others' as WDCA claims."

      Professor Campbell notes: "Unfortunately, the problems addressed in
the Petition are not unique to these two stations.  These and similar
programs are being called 'educational' by many television stations across
the country."  Thus, the Petition asks the FCC to act quickly to designate
these licenses for hearing to ensure the entire broadcast industry will pay
more attention to their obligations to the child audience.

      "Twelve years ago a study revealed broadcasters were not taking their
children's programming obligations seriously," said Jeff Chester of the
Center for Digital Democracy.  "Then it was 'The Flintstones,' 'The
Jetsons,' and 'The Little Rascals.'  Today, sadly, parents, educators, and
children are still ill-served by the broadcasting industry.  It's time the
FCC act to deny license renewals to any station that has failed to serve
the public interest of children."

      The Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc. (OC,
Inc.) was established in 1959.  Throughout its history, OC, Inc. has
advocated for persons historically excluded from the media, especially
women and people of color; petitioned the FCC to issue EEO rules; sought to
guarantee educational and informational children's programming; defended
the Equal Time Rule for political candidates; supported efforts to
establish low-power FM radio; protected affordable access to emerging
technologies; and urged strengthening of basic corporate character
requirements for those who transmit images and data.

      The 1.3 million-member United Church of Christ, with national offices
in Cleveland, has 6,000 local congregations in the United States and Puerto
Rico.  It was formed by the 1957 union of the Congregational Christian
Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church.

      The Center for Digital Democracy is a non-profit organization
headquartered in Washington, D.C.  CDD works to ensure that the digital
media serves the public interest, and works closely with the Children's
Media Policy Coalition to ensure that digital television stations serve the
needs of the child audience.


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