When You Know It's Time To Update Your E/I Programming

[DToTheJ]

This morning at the local fitness establishment (i.e. "the gym"), one of the televisions was tuned to the local Fox station. At this particular time, they were running their E/I programming. The program they were airing at the time (to which I was a "hostage viewer") was "Teen Kids News." The episode that was shown included a segment which was called "Countdown To Vancouver 2010". Yes, this program was most likely produced sometime in 2009, if not 2010. I'm not sure exactly when in 2009 it was put together, but maybe this next item might narrow it down: A PSA during one of the show's breaks promoting World Autism Awareness Day - April 2, 2009. That's right, not even the last Autism Awareness Day that most recently passed us in 2010, but the previous one.

Things like this show just how careless some stations may be when it comes to carrying E/I programming. If the government regulates stations carry this programming, they should obligate a "freshness date" on the content that is being carried to satisfy this fulfillment. Otherwise, the most common thing many children will take away from this programming that is "educational" and "instructional" is what kind of buffoons run the station.

 

[Wbzfm2010]

well they are just fulfilling there e/I tie anyhow and they know kids forget things easily why does pbs seem to run the same episodes over and over of sesame place??

 

[cd637299]

Well at least here in Miami, nobody is lazily airing "New Zoo Revue" lately!

cd

 

[travisl5678]

Its kind of funny how cheap many of the E/I shows on local channels look. Now nobody tries to get kids to watch on Saturday Mornings. They just don't care about the shows anymore because the kids are all watching Nick or Disney anyway

 

[Markxxx]

Well at least here in Miami, nobody is lazily airing "New Zoo Revue" lately!

cd

That's because the only people that watch that are drunk college boys who are watching Emmy Jo dancing around in her go-go boots and airplane skirt

 

[azumanga]

The program they were airing at the time was "Teen Kids News." The episode that was shown included a segment which was called "Countdown To Vancouver 2010". Yes, this program was most likely produced sometime in 2009, if not 2010. I'm not sure exactly when in 2009 it was put together, but maybe this next item might narrow it down: A PSA during one of the show's breaks promoting World Autism Awareness Day - April 2, 2009. That's right, not even the last Autism Awareness Day that most recently passed us in 2010, but the previous one.

Things like this show just how careless some stations may be when it comes to carrying E/I programming.

Was "Teen Kids News" normally produced in conjunction with a local school district? Maybe they're showing "best of" episodes during the Summer. That being said, the station could have found something that is more timely and less dated (better yet, with no date). If the station was showing nothing but repeats since LAST summer -- that is definite laziness.

 

[flytrap]

the E/I programming is horrible. they keep running the same shows over and over. ABC has a handfull of hannah Montanna and Suite Life shows, but they never add any newer ones. Even as an adult, I would sleep late on saturday and drink my morning coffee and watch Bugs Bunny or some other FUNNY cartoon. Now there is just nothing on saturday worth watching. When I was a kid, before E/I they had a disclaimer that said "recomended by the National Education Association" which was ususally our cue to grab the plyers and change the channel, because we knew it was going to be some low budget preachy educational crap that looked like a PBS reject. it was sort of like being made to eat your vegetables. Kids are not as dumb as you think they are, at least I wasn't, I know crap when I see it. If we had wanted to watch educational we would have flipped over to PBS and watched Sesame Street. And the only reason we watched kid shows on PBS was because during the weekdays the networks had on soap operas. PBS was the only kid stuff we had. If something good was on the other channel, hardly anyone watched PBS. Not only is the E/I programming these days just a major snooze fest, but the quality is horrible. too much second rate computer animation. Plus all the cartoons these day, including the ones on Cartoon network look like they were done on shockwave or flash media. They look flat and jerky. Plus, why can't the artists draw anymore, the charactors just look plain weird. Everyones body is shaped funny, heads are way too big, ugly looking color, poor backgrounds. The Archies, and Hannah Barbera had some crappy animation, but at least you could tell what you were looking at.

 

[cd637299]

Jay Ward's animation from Gamma in Mexico, especially early on, was ugggg-leeee! But they sure had great writers! They should show "Rocky & Bullwinkle" as E/I, as a lesson to would-be writers.

cd

 

[azumanga]

When I was a kid, before E/I they had a disclaimer that said "recomended by the National Education Association" which was ususally our cue to grab the plyers and change the channel, because we knew it was going to be some low budget preachy educational crap that looked like a PBS reject.

I recall the "New Zoo Revue", fondly remembered by anyone who grew up during the 1970s, being a show recommended by the NEA. Another such show, PBS's "Villa Alegre", also received the NEA's seal of approval.

 

[travisl5678]

A little bit on Teen Kids News, its a national show that I too am forced to watch at my local health club. I think its a part of America One's E/I package.

 

[EricStein]

Its kind of funny how cheap many of the E/I shows on local channels look. Now nobody tries to get kids to watch on Saturday Mornings. They just don't care about the shows anymore because the kids are all watching Nick or Disney anyway

It's a sad state when the best produced E/I programming available to TV stations are the Jack Hanna programs. 15 years ago, Disney was willing to fund the production of Bill Nye, The Science Guy for local stations . But, since the children's audience has fragmented among different cable outlets (including Disney's), no one makes an effort to make engaging, entertaining, and educational E/I programs for syndication. Not to mention, the E/I rules have made it hard to attract blue-chip sponsors for these shows, which helps to fund the production costs since most shows are licensed to stations on a barter basis.

 

[cd637299]

The classic TV cartoons "Tennessee Tuxedo" & "The Funny Company" would certainly qualify as E/I; too bad they are so dated (as so many technological improvements & other discoveries have come on board since 1963).

TBN's subchannel "Smile of a Child" ran "Funny Company" about a year ago.....interesting things like how a vinyl record is made, and a visit to Coney Island. Too bad that the kids of 2010 cannot relate to it!

cd

 

[vchimpanzee]

the E/I programming is horrible. they keep running the same shows over and over. ABC has a handfull of hannah Montanna and Suite Life shows, but they never add any newer ones. Even as an adult, I would sleep late on saturday and drink my morning coffee and watch Bugs Bunny or some other FUNNY cartoon. Now there is just nothing on saturday worth watching. When I was a kid, before E/I they had a disclaimer that said "recomended by the National Education Association" which was ususally our cue to grab the plyers and change the channel, because we knew it was going to be some low budget preachy educational crap that looked like a PBS reject. it was sort of like being made to eat your vegetables. Kids are not as dumb as you think they are, at least I wasn't, I know crap when I see it. If we had wanted to watch educational we would have flipped over to PBS and watched Sesame Street. And the only reason we watched kid shows on PBS was because during the weekdays the networks had on soap operas. PBS was the only kid stuff we had. If something good was on the other channel, hardly anyone watched PBS. Not only is the E/I programming these days just a major snooze fest, but the quality is horrible. too much second rate computer animation. Plus all the cartoons these day, including the ones on Cartoon network look like they were done on shockwave or flash media. They look flat and jerky. Plus, why can't the artists draw anymore, the charactors just look plain weird. Everyones body is shaped funny, heads are way too big, ugly looking color, poor backgrounds. The Archies, and Hannah Barbera had some crappy animation, but at least you could tell what you were looking at.

I'm enjoying "Hannah Montana" and I have THIS site to thank. After they dropped "Lizzie McGuire" and "Winnie the Pooh" I had no reason to pay attention to what ABC was doing on Saturday morning.

 

[DToTheJ]

Well at least here in Miami, nobody is lazily airing "New Zoo Revue" lately!

That's because the only people that watch that are drunk college boys who are watching Emmy Jo dancing around in her go-go boots and airplane skirt...

Don't forget that "outtake" that's been viral on YouTube for years... :

 

[mjlarochelle]

Regarding "Teen Kids News" - The station probably figured no one would be watching and therefore no one would notice anyways.

The E/I requirements need to be dropped. PBS and its stations air plenty of childrens' programming, and that should be part of their mandate. But other stations shouldn't have to air such programs. Take away the E/I programs, and I highly doubt America's children will be any less well off.

As a sidenote, internationally, there are no such requirements in Canada, and publicly-funded CBC/Radio-Canada, TVO, and Tele-Quebec air childrens' programming. None of the commercial stations do anymore (at least in English), except maybe at 6 AM on weekends to help fulfill Canadian content requirements.

 

[powergate92]

"Smile of a Child" ran "Funny Company" about a year ago

Smile of a Child still airs The Funny Company on Friday late nights.

 

[TheRob]

We air Saved By the Bell reruns at 5am on Sundays, and brand it as E/I.

 

[azumanga]

The E/I requirements need to be dropped. PBS and its stations air plenty of childrens' programming, and that should be part of their mandate. But other stations shouldn't have to air such programs. Take away the E/I programs, and I highly doubt America's children will be any less well off.

As PBS already has nationwide coverage and is accessible in practically every television market, and since they already do children's programming well, America's public TV stations should be the only ones required to carry E/I programming, with commercial stations permitted to do their own thing.

Requiring commercial stations to carry E/I is so seventies -- with PBS more available now and other choices available on cable, the FCC's way of thinking is all but outmoded, and it seems more like the commercial stations are mailing it in -- with a form letter with postage due -- instead of actually contributing to the spirit of the law.

 

[DToTheJ]

We air Saved By the Bell reruns at 5am on Sundays, and brand it as E/I.

I thought the programming had to be aired no earlier than 7 AM to meet FCC requirements.

 

[ixnay]

[The 'toons] on Cartoon network look like they were done on shockwave or flash media. They look flat and jerky. Plus, why can't the artists draw anymore, the charactors just look plain weird. Everyones body is shaped funny, heads are way too big, ugly looking color, poor backgrounds.

Totally Spies! looks like a pleasing exception , with minimal anime effects.

The Archies, and Hannah Barbera had some crappy animation, but at least you could tell what you were looking at.

Re H-B, I assume you mean crap like Speed Buggy, Goober and the Ghost Chasers, Super Friends, and yes, Scooby-Doo. OTOH Archie and The Brady Kids were excrement from Filmation, while the J5 and Osmonds' shows were produced by Rankin/Bass.

ixnay