Senator is author of Children’s Television Act

Washington (June 19, 2019) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and author of the Children’s Television Act, released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced proposed changes to the “Kid Vid” rules, which ensure access to children’s education programming on over-the-air broadcast television, in accordance with the Children’s Television Act. In December 2018, Senator Markey called on the FCC to maintain essential elements of the Kid Vid rules. 

“I am pleased that the FCC is not moving forward with its initial proposal to dismantle the children’s television rules that keep enriching television on the air for kids,” said Senator Markey. “But I am concerned that the Commission appears poised to decrease the amount of regularly scheduled, quality programming on primary broadcast stations. Allowing one out of the three hours of kids programming to be moved to sparsely viewed multicast streams is a mistake and is undoubtedly bad for children, particularly those in low-income and minority communities who cannot afford expensive pay-TV options including cable or over-the-top offerings. We need to ensure that all children have access to the educational programming that will help them thrive and grow, and I am committed to working with my colleagues to see all children have robust access to an important resource.”

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