The Fox network closed down its Saturday morning block of cartoons the other week, and became the first major broadcast network to agree to sell a part of its schedule to producers of infomercials.

Just what we all wanted - more infomercials!

There are great alternatives though.  Check out Discovery Kids,  many of their programs are recommended by other parents on the Recommendations portion of our website.  For a lineup of Discovery Kids shows check out: http://kids.discovery.com/tv-schedules/daily.html

Today’s Internet isn’t like you’re parent’s Internet and it’s always good to stay up to date on what’s latest and greatest online.   Social networking websites (Facebook and MySpace) have hundreds of millions of users and a growing number of them are younger kids.  It’s never too late to find out about these growing technologies and Common Sense Media has a great overview for parents:  http://www.commonsensemedia.org/tech-tip-facebook-dummies

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.

Thursday, December 5th
10-11pm E/P
The History Channel

“Shadow Force: Black Gold”

This is a documentary about a group of park rangers who are trying to stop the destruction of the Congo’s most critical national forest. Rebel crime units are cutting down the forest to manufacture charcoal and killing anyone who gets in their way.

Saturday, December 6th
8-8:30pm E/P
The Science Channel

“Weird Connections Great Balls of Fire”"

In this episode in a documentary series which explains how bizarre experiments can lead to new technologies. An amateur scientist creates ball lightning using submarine batteries and a tub full of water. From this test to groundbreaking experiments with Plasma, could this strange substance hold the answer to a future of fusion power? 

From USA Today

“Parents and policymakers need to take action to protect children from being harmed by TV, the Internet and other types of media, a report says.

Researchers have done individual studies for years to learn how media affect children. A review released today, which analyzed 173 of the strongest papers over 28 years, finds that 80% agree that heavy media exposure increases the risk of harm, including obesity, smoking, sex, drug and alcohol use, attention problems and poor grades.”

But there’s good news! There is quality educational and entertaining TV content out there, find it, get it, show it.  Check out our TV recommendations page to find the shows other parents enjoy and leave feedback ratings for the shows you and your family like.  http://recs.smarttelevisionalliance.org/recs/

A big thanks to Common Sense Media for the study  http://www.commonsensemedia.org/

There is now an array of inexpensive technologies that allow you to be the television programmer in your household: watching what you want to watch, when you want to watch it.  This applies equally to parents and their kids.  We aren’t at the mercy of network programmers anymore.  DVDs for the kids.  Or use Video on Demand.  Or use the most flexible: a digital video recorder, from your cable or satellite company, or TiVo.

Choosing to do nothing, is not an option and it isn’t fair to the kids. 

INSTEAD GET TECHNOLOGY - TAKE CONTROL

A stand-alone digital video recorder like TiVo lets you watch the TV shows you choose on your own schedule, not the times they’re programmed. TiVo’s KidZone feature ensures kids only see the live and recorded shows you’ve okayed, and protects your “grown-up” recorded shows with a password.

CNET is a trusted name in consumer electronics reviews and opinions.  They have great ideas on how to decide what technology is right for you:  http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6474_7-5682100-1.html

• 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.