TV fit for Kids

[SOURCE: St. Petersburg Times, AUTHOR: Sharon Kennedy Wynne]
The television industry is eager for parents to see it as being part of the solution for childhood obesity instead of just the problem. But skeptics say it has about as much merit as the antismoking ads run by tobacco companies. "I think PBS may be the only network that actually thinks it's a good thing when the child turns off the television and picks up a book or goes out to play," said John Wilson, PBS programming director. Not so fast, say Nickelodeon executives. Though they do have the bottom-line concerns of ratings that public television can ignore, Nick has pledged 10 percent of its air time and $30-million this year to healthy messages and grants for playground equipment. Two years in a row, the network has gone dark for three hours for a national day of play to encourage kids to go outside. "When the most-watched kids' network sends a message that it is important to go outside and play, and turn off the TV for three hours, we expect that to have a significant impact," said Cyma Zarghami, president of Nickelodeon Television. "If all goes well, as it did with the Big Help (Nick's campaign that encourages kids to volunteer in their communities), then we can expect kids to feel informed and empowered to lead healthy balanced lifestyles."
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/24/Floridian/TV_fit_for_kids.shtml