Deadline for Comments on Children's Television Programming Extended to September 4
As a result of the unavailability of the most recent Form 398 Children's Television Programming Reports, and perhaps in recognition that it had set an overly aggressive pace for submitting comments, the Commission yesterday extended the time for interested parties to file comments regarding the status of children's television programming until September 4, 2007. Similarly, the time for reply comments has been extended until October 1st. A copy of yesterday's Public Notice granting the extension is available here.
As we reported earlier, in April the FCC issued a Public Notice asking for information as to the compliance of television broadcasters with their obligations to provide programming that addresses the educational and informational needs of children. The Notice stated that it was a follow-up to the Commission's 2004 Order addressing the children's broadcasting obligations of digital television broadcasters, however, the notice also referred to the recent $24 million settlement with Univision, which resolved allegations that Univision had misclassified entertainment programming as being educational programming addressed to children. The Commission's Notice seeks input regarding whether television broadcasters are complying with the rules, and whether the rules provide sufficient guidance to broadcasters as to what kind of programming satisfies the rules for educational broadcasting. Thus, in order to give parties time to access and review the Form 398 Reports from the First Quarter of 2007 (which are not due until June 10th), the Commission has granted an additional two months for comments.