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 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  KATHLEEN  Q.  ABERNATHY 
 Re:  Children’s  Television  Obligations  of  Digital  Television  Broadcasters,  MM  Docket  No.  00-  167 
 As  a  country,  we  have  always  protected,  nurtured  and  educated  our  children.  We  recognize  they  are  a  precious  resource,  and  that  our  future  as  a  nation  is  inextricably  intertwined  with  their  future.  That 
 is  why  today  we  embrace  a  regulatory  framework  that  recognizes  the  significant  role  media  plays  in  shaping  and  educating  our  children.  Today  we  look  to  the  future  and  the  many  benefits,  as  well  as 
 potential  harms,  that  are  inherent  in  our  digital  migration.  Today,  we  ensure  that  children  will  benefit  from  an  increase  in  educational  and  information  (E/  I)  programming,  that  such  programming  will  be  easier 
 for  parents  to  find,  and  that  the  regulations  we  have  in  place  to  protect  children  from  over-commercialization  cannot  be  circumvented  by  new  technologies. 


 Perhaps  most  importantly,  we  require  that  the  amount  of  programming  available  for  children  will  increase  exponentially  with  the  amount  of  programming  a  broadcaster  airs.  As  broadcasters  begin  to 
 provide  additional  streams  of  digital  programming,  children  will  receive  a  part  of  those  benefits.  For  example,  on  an  all-  news  channel,  a  broadcaster  can  provide  a  weekly  segment  that  explains  the  top  stories 
 to  children  of  varying  ages,  much  like  the  Kids  Page  that  is  part  of  the  Washington  Post.  At  the  same  time,  we  are  giving  broadcasters  the  flexibility  to  provide  this  programming  in  a  manner  that  responds  to 
 the  needs  of  families.  For  example,  we  allow  broadcasters  to  place  most  of  their  E/  I  programming  on  one  channel,  making  it  easier  for  parents  to  direct  their  children  to  appropriate  content.  We  also  allow 
 broadcasters  to  use  some  repeat  programming  per  week  since  studies  show  young  children  learn  better  through  repetitive  messages.  At  the  same  time,  we  are  ensuring  that  a  sufficient  amount  of  new 
 programming  is  provided  on  a  weekly  basis. 
 We  also  recognize  that  advances  in  technology  bring  not  only  benefits,  but  unexpected  harms.  As  technology  develops  and  internet  access  and  interactivity  are  offered  through  programs  directed 
 toward  children,  parents  must  be  involved.  Although  I  recognize  we  need  to  explore  this  issue  further,  I  am  pleased  that  we  tentatively  concluded  that  interactive  features  that  bring  a  child  to  commercial 
 material  should  not  be  permitted  absent  parental  approval.  And,  as  we  continue  to  explore  these  issues,  we  also  clearly  state  that  broadcasters  and  cable  companies  cannot  circumvent  our  rules  on  commercial 
 limits  in  children’s  programming  through  the  use  of  interactivity  and  other  technological  developments. 
 Finally,  we  all  need  to  increase  our  efforts  to  help  parents  make  informed  choices  about  their  children’s  viewing.  This  has  been  one  of  my  main  goals  during  my  tenure  at  the  FCC,  and  why  I  worked 
 on  the  development  of  The  Parents  Place  web  page.  (www.  fcc.  gov/  parents).  While  it  is  important  to  focus  on  what  children  should  not  be  watching,  it  is  equally  important  to  provide  parents  the  tools  to 
 navigate  the  programming  options  that  are  available  to  them  so  they  can  tap  into  the  numerous,  creative  and  educational  programs  currently  available. 


 Today,  we  take  several  steps  in  this  direction  by  requiring  broadcasters  to  provide  E/  I  information  throughout  the  duration  of  the  program,  rather  than  for  a  few  brief  seconds  at  the  beginning  of  the 
 program.  We  also  require  that  the  symbol  identifying  educational  programming  be  uniform  across  all  platforms.  I  believe  this  will  empower  parents  and  enable  broadcasters  to  better  serve  the  interests  of 
 their  communities.  Yet,  the  progress  we  make  today  should  not  be  confined  to  the  four  corners  of  this  document.  I  continue  to  encourage  broadcasters  and  cable  programmers  to  build  on  the  success  of  many 
 of  today’s  children’s  programs  and  work  with  us  to  make  it  easier  for  parents  to  learn  more  about  the  educational  value  of  the  programming  that  is  offered. 


 We  have  a  unique  opportunity  to  tap  into  new  technologies  to  educate  and  inform  children  and  parents.  We  must  not  squander  this  opportunity  by  inactivity  or  lack  of  creativity. 
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