Former FCC Chairs Help Form Digital Kids Task Force

 

Kid Ad Law
February 8, 2008

Three former Federal Communications Commission Chairmen have joined with industry members and others to form a task force to highlight children's issues as the public airwaves increasingly are opened to wireless media.

Founding members of the Digital Kids Task Force include former FCC Chairmen Michael Powell, William E. Kennard and Newton Minow. The task force, which was organized by the advocacy group, Common Sense Media, has pledged to organize "a national campaign to fund efforts aimed at helping parents and teachers better manage the growing impact of digital media on kids and teens."

The task force is being formed as the FCC prepares to auction off the public airwaves that will be vacated by analog broadcasters, who are required to convert to digital signals. Billions of dollars are expected to be raised by the action, which will enable companies to offer increased wireless Internet access. The task force vows to seek funding for children's digital media education from the FCC auction proceeds.

"We are in a new age of communications, and in order to help parents keep their kids safe and smart, we must introduce them to ‘digital hygiene' by teaching them the proper rules for communicating in the digital era," former FCC Chairman Michael Powell said.

Other members of the task force include the President and CEO of the Sesame Workshop, those who work in digital media, educators, and health care professionals.