BILL MOYERS' JOURNAL: KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN? (TV)
Summary
Continued from T81:0391. One in this series of programs on people and issues in the political and cultural forefront. In part two of this two-part program on the influence of television, Bill Moyers focuses on the issue of commercials aimed at children, noting that children may watch as many as 20,000 commercials per year and that $600 million is spent annually on commercials for children's products. Moyers outlines new rules proposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for commercials aimed at children, including a ban on all television commercials aimed at children under eight; a ban on all television commercials for sugared food products aimed at children under twelve; and a requirement that sponsors pay for "counter-advertising" of a nutritional nature in order to air television commercials for sugared food products aimed at older children. Among the experts on both sides of the battle over the FTC's new rules are the following: Peggy Charren of Action for Children's Television; Fletcher Waller, Jr., of General Mills; Oglivy and Mather's Elaine Reiss, who says as long as ads are truthful, they are protected by the First Amendment; former FCC member Nicholas Johnson; Moyers on whether commercials with Ronald McDonald are forms of entertainment or sales pitches; Dr. Robert Liebert of the State University of New York, who notes the cognitive differences between children and adults; film producer Chuck Olin, who demonstrates a commercial's ability to manipulate by showing a Nerf basketball commercial at FTC hearings; child psychiatrist Dr. Amy Dorr, who talks about her observations on children's perceptions of the difference between a commercial and a program; and child psychiatrist Dr. Michael Rothenberg, who says there is "nothing constructive about television commercials or the parent-child conflict generated by them." Moyers concludes by saying children should be "handled with care" and not seen as "members of a vast collective to be hustled." This program includes examples of TV commercials aimed at children.
Preservation of the Post–World War II American Television Documentary Collection is supported in part by a Federal Save America’s Treasures grant administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: April 30, 1979 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:28:42
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T81:0525
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Peggy Charren); TV advertising; TV and children; U S Federal Trade Commission
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1972-1976, 1979-1981
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Joan Konner … Executive Producer
- Jonnet Steinbaum … Producer
- Randy Bean … Associate Producer
- E.J. Vaughn … Field Producer
- Mick Colgan … Director
- Bill Moyers … Host
- Peggy Charren
- Amy Dorr
- Nicholas Johnson
- Robert Liebert
- Chuck Olin
- Elaine Reiss
- Michael Rothenberg
- Fletcher Waller