Gigi B. Sohn

In July 1996, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and television broadcasters agreed to a policy that requires broadcasters to air three hours of children’s educational programs per week. In the following viewpoint, which was written before the agreement was finalized, Gigi B. Sohn supports the plan. She maintains that because broadcasters have free use of the airwaves, they are required to serve the needs of the public—including children’s need for quality programming. Children should not be required to depend on public broadcasting for their educational needs, she insists, nor should they be forced to depend only on programming aired before 7 A.M. Without such a required safety net, she believes, broadcasters will have little incentive to look after the educational needs of children. Sohn is...