There's going to be twice as much Big Bird, Barney and Mister Rogers for kids in Maryland and Northern Virginia starting next week.
On Tuesday, Maryland Public Television will double its children's programming to 40 hours a week -- packaging itself as "The Children's Channel," MPT announced yesterday. This will include a 5 1/2 -hour block of children's programming with a show host each weekday, starting at 7:30 a.m.
MPT, which is affiliated with PBS, broadcasts in the Baltimore metropolitan area on Channels 67 and 22.
Its move comes at a time when networks and commercial broadcast stations are under fire from Congress and the Federal Communications Commission for failing to comply with the 1990 Children's Television Act, which mandates that stations carry educational programming for kids. They have circumvented the law by describing shows such as "The Jetsons" and "Leave It to Beaver" as educational.
Taking a new, harder line, the FCC in recent months has delayed renewing the licenses of seven Ohio and Michigan stations, demanding better evidence that they are meeting their educational responsibilities in children's programming.
The network affiliates in Baltimore -- WMAR-Channel 2, WJZ-Channel 13 and WBAL-Channel 11 -- each carry fewer than four hours a week of children's programming that would qualify as educational under even the most liberal interpretations of the law.
In 1980, the three major networks were showing 11 hours of educational shows, according to a study by Squire Rushnell, a former vice president for children's television at ABC.
MPT's programming move is a savvy one that addresses the growing concern of many parents over the effects of TV viewing on their children -- especially those of preschool age.
"I think it's wonderful that MPT is making this kind of commitment to providing choices for children on TV," said Charlene Hughins Uhl, chairwoman of the Maryland Campaign for Kids' TV, a statewide organization of child advocates, educators and parents that is monitoring Maryland TV stations for compliance with the 1990 law.
"It's fantastic that MPT is responding to the kids' TV act, and [because MPT is not a commercial station] it doesn't even have to," said Ms. Uhl.
MPT President Raymond K. K. Ho keyed his remarks to the growing public concern about children's TV in making the MPT announcement yesterday at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore.
