• Sesame Street (shown on PBS)
• Beakman’s World (shown on commercial TV)
• Between the Lions (shown on PBS)
• 3-2-1 Penguins (shown on commercial TV)
• Cyberchase (shown on PBS)
• The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (shown on commercial TV)
• Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman (shown on PBS)
• Teen Kids News (shown on commercial TV)

Researchers from the University of Illinois and the University of Arizona reviewed the 30 most widely aired children’s educational programs shown on commercial broadcast stations, along with 10 children’s TV shows aired on PBS.

Richard Kahlenberg is an educational media expert and here are a few of his weekly viewing suggestions for the week.  Program listings are aligned with the state and national K-12 academic standards.  See www.tvsmarts.com for complete program listings.

Monday, November 17th
9-11pm E/P
History Channel

Einstein 

Albert Einstein’s revolutionary theory that turned the world upside down might have been dismissed altogether had there not been  a math mistake, a cloudy sky, and the start of World War I. This Documentary tells the story of Einstein’s little-known, 15-year struggle to prove one of his most radical theories.

Wednesday, November 19th
8-9pm E/P
History Channel

Modern Marvels: The Horse

Fifty million years after the first horses walked the Earth, this documentary celebrates the animal that helped man change the world.  The program goes behind-the-scenes of the 16 million dollar per year thoroughbred racing industry in Lexington , Kentucky , where investors bid more than 7 million dollars for a single yearling.

Friday, November 21st
10-11pm E/P

“IN SEARCH OF MYTHS AND HEROES: Shangri-La”

The tale of the magical valley hidden behind the Himalayas was popularized in the 1930s movie Lost Horizon, but the myth of a secret earthly paradise is much older.

A new study by Childern Now reveals substantial deficienceis in children’s educational television programming and raises serious doubts about broadcasters’ commitments to the nation’s childern.  The study evaluated the quality of programs claimed as educational/informational (E/I) and found that only one of every eight E/I shows (13%) is rated “highly educational.” In contrast, almost twice as many, nearly one of every four (23%) were classified in the lowest category of “minimally educational.”

This study confirms once again that broadcasters provide little quality educational and informational televison for kids.  Parents are called on again to make up the difference and seek out the good stuff that’s on TV.   Use the tools we provide on our website, highlight the good shows, and Take Control of your TV!

Richard Kahlenberg is an educational media expert and here are a few of his weekly viewing suggestions for the week.  Program listings are aligned with the state and national K-12 academic standards.  See www.tvsmarts.com for complete program listings.

Sunday, November 9th                                                                                                                          10/11pm E/P                                  ”Crash: The Next Great Depression?”   History Channel

This one-hour special looks at the current economic meltdown in the US and compares and contrasts it with what led up to the 1929 Crash, the Great Depression its immediate aftermath and what helped to bring us out of the Depression.

Tuesday, November 11th                                                                                                                                  9-9:30pm  E/P                                 ”Big Ideas For A Small Planet: Grow” - Sundance Channel

The episode looks at new green spaces in cities and suburbs.  As urban populations swell, creative environmentalists are scouting surprising spots for vegetation amidst the cement.         

Thursday, November 13                                                                                                                                                 9-10pm E/P                              ”Science of Winter” - National Geographic Channel

This documentary explores the planet’s most extreme season to explain the mysteries, dispel the misconceptions and reveal the fascinating facts that makes this season unlike any of the others.

Steve Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wrote a great article on the value of quality of children’s television. “Well, not good for you like, say, broccoli. But if you choose wisely, television can make you smarter—and some research finds no harm to kids.”

Instead of being simply society’s whipping boy and the root of all cultural evil, the so-called “idiot box” might actually boost test scores, especially in disadvantaged homes, a recently published study out of the University of Chicago says.

“If used correctly, television can be a wonderful medium for kids. It can be a way of exposing them to the world. It can be a resource for kids to get to places and times they wouldn’t get to,” says a researcher who worked on the recent study.

But there’s a caviat, no two dimentional image is ever going to replace three dimentional care giving. It’s about what you watch, how much you watch, and who you watch it with. 

Use the resources here at STA to find the quailty programing and take control of your televisions at home.

Teenagers who watch a lot of television featuring flirting, necking, discussion of sex and sex scenes are much more likely than their peers to get pregnant or get a partner pregnant, according to the first study to directly link steamy programming to teen pregnancy.

“Watching this kind of sexual content on television is a powerful factor in increasing the likelihood of a teen pregnancy,” said lead researcher Anita Chandra. “We found a strong association.” The study is being published today in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Studies continually prove what parents have known. Indecent and violent television programs are NOT ok for younger audiences.  Here at the Smart Television Alliance we provide parents a resource on how to find and control the television content coming into your homes.  The “solutions” section of our website is packed with the tools parents need to make television watching enjoyable and educational.

While it is not likely to happen anytime soon here in the US.  Major Australian food and drink manufacturers agreed not to advertise junk food during children’s television programs, as they face growing public pressure about childhood obesity.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council’s voluntary code commits companies to directly targeting children under 12 only when it promotes healthy dietary choices and lifestyles.

But the code, which is supported by some 150 companies accounting for 80 percent of Australian sales in highly processed food and drink sectors, will not include hamburger giant McDonald’s and competitor KFC.

The council said the new rules will apply to all television, radio, print, cinema and Internet advertising as well as the use of licensed cartoon and other characters aimed at children.

“The aim of the initiative is to ensure that only healthy foods and beverages are advertised during television shows predominantly watched by primary school-aged children,” the council’s chief executive Kate Carnell said.

What do you think?  Is there too much unhealthy advertising to childern?

Over 200 Teachers and educators have taken the National Educator Survey on Children’s Television Viewing and the Classroom.

Here at the Smart Television Alliance we consistently receive anecdotal evidence from teachers about how inappropriate, indecent, and violent programming or too much television viewing by children plays out negatively in the classroom. We called on educators across the nation to share their views on this critical issue and they have.

We’ve had many insightful responses here are just few:

“Children are great observers but poor interpreters.  Television shows them things about the world that directly impacts their worldview.  They are unable to discern right from wrong, appropriate from inappropriate ways of being.”
“I can tell who watches the wrestling shows within a day of getting a new class.  I can tell what type of shows they are watching by their language.”

The National Educator Survey on Children’s Television Viewing and the Classroom is designed to evaluate the impact that children’s television viewing has on the classroom from an educator’s perspective.

If you are a teacher or educator we ask you to take the survey.  If you’re not a teacher please forward it to one you know!  In a few weeks the Smart Television Alliance will publish a report that will highlight the fantastic feedback we received from teacher all over the country.

http://www.smarttelevisionalliance.org/site/PageNavigator/Alliance%20Site%20Get%20Involved/teacher_survey

Here at the Smart Television Alliance we believe that parents should be able to express their support and concern about children’s television.  Now you can!
The Smart Television Alliance is launching our Television Recommendations Website. Parents can rate and leave comments on hundreds of children’s television shows for thousands of others to see. Rank the television programs your family enjoys and tell us why you think they’re important, entertaining, and most of all educational.
 
http://recs.smarttelevisionalliance.org/recs/