The State of Children's Television (U.S.)

• Children whose families have access to both broadcast television and cable can choose from 25 different stations programming 1190 shows specifically designed for children.
  
  
• While children have many programming choices available throughout the week during daytime hours, very little children's programming (less than 10 per cent of the overall schedule) airs during prime time hours.
  
  
• The 1997/98 season witnessed a growing trend toward more programming for the teen audience.  Last year, 3.4 per cent of all programming was designed for teens, compared to this year's 8.3 per cent.
  
  
• Nearly two-thirds of all children's programming address audiences between the ages of five to eleven.
  
  
• Programs targeted to the five-to-eleven-year-old set were more likely to contain violence and harsh language and less likely to contain any enriching content than programs for the preschool or teen audience.
  
  
• Only 25 per cent of programs containing "a lot of violence" (intentional and malicious acts of violence in three or more scenes) carried the "FV" (fantasy violence) warning.
  
  
• Of the parents surveyed, 16.5 per cent  said they have mainly positive opinions about the quality of television for children.
  
  
• Of parents surveyed, 86.4 per cent said they supported the V-chip and 51.8 per cent said they would use it "often".  About 10.7 per cent of parents surveyed said they would never use it.
  
  
• About one in ten parents felt there was "a lot" of good programming for young people.
  
  
• According to the parents surveyed, Barney and Sesame Street top the list of best shows available for children.
  

Source: 1998 State of Children's Television Report, Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania.

1995

Attitudes Towards Children's TV Programming in the U.S.

• Eighty-two per cent of American adults believe there is not enough educational children's programming on commercial broadcast television.
  
  
• Sixty per cent support a specific requirement that broadcasters air one hour of educational programming - or more - for children each day. Thirty-five per cent would require two hours daily.
  
  
• Eighty per cent believe there are good reasons to regulate children's TV more strictly than programming intended for general adult audiences.
  
  
• The two most frequently cited reasons for the lack of quality in children's broadcast programming are violence (43 per cent ) and insufficient educational programming (25 per cent).
  

Source: 1995 Poll on Children's Television, Center for Media Education, October 1995

U.S. Children's Comments in TV Programming

• Sixty-six per cent of American children say they think their peers are influenced by what they see on TV, and 65 per cent say shows like The Simpsons and Married With Children encourage kids to disrespect their parents.
  
  
• Although 73 per cent of kids think television is mostly entertainment, 82 per cent say television shows should help teach kids right from wrong.
  
  
• About 28 per cent say entertainment television shows "often" address the issues that affect kids their age; 39 per cent say those issues are "sometimes" addressed, 24 per cent say they are "rarely" addressed, and 8 per cent say they are "never" addressed.
  
  
• Sixty-nine per cent of children say kids on television don't deal with the same problems they do.
  
  
• What young people see on television makes them think people: are mostly dishonest (49 per cent); care more about money than about people (54 per cent); are selfish (46 per cent); and talk back to their parents (51 per cent).
  
  
• Kids also report that what they see on television makes them think people take responsibility for their actions (54 per cent) and have generally good morals (61 per cent).

Source: Sending Signals: Kids Speak Out about Values in the Media,
A Children Now Poll, conducted by Fairbank, Maslin Maullin & Associates, 1995