The New York Post reports that a consortium of family-friendly companies – including Paxson Communications, NBC, and Scholastic Publishing – "is creating a 24-hour TV channel for kids that will be free of junk-food ads and other marketing that has raised the ire of parents." According to the report, "the digital network will mostly air cartoons and other animated shows, relying on the thousands of hours of content already owned by its partners and new programming they create."
It was just yesterday that MNB reported on a Los Angeles Times story saying that Walt Disney Co., which has had a promotional relationship with McDonald's for a decade, is ending the deal because of obesity concerns. Over the past 10 years, McDonald's has included Disney-themed toys in Happy Meals to help hype Disney movies. But now, the Times writes, Disney "wants to distance itself from fast food and its links to childhood obesity."
It was just yesterday that MNB reported on a Los Angeles Times story saying that Walt Disney Co., which has had a promotional relationship with McDonald's for a decade, is ending the deal because of obesity concerns. Over the past 10 years, McDonald's has included Disney-themed toys in Happy Meals to help hype Disney movies. But now, the Times writes, Disney "wants to distance itself from fast food and its links to childhood obesity."
- KC's View:
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Once again, evidence that certain kinds of food are being made politically incorrect – some might say, labeled with a nutritional scarlet letter.
Our biggest problem with this isn’t the lack of junk food being advertised. It is that, at least based on the Post description, the kids may not be fed junk food ads, but they may well be subjected to hours and hours of junk television.
It is hard to accept the high-minded notions advanced by some companies about nutrition and obesity when they aren't quite so high-minded about the stuff they put into kids' brains.
This is where parents need to step in. Turn off the TV. Get the kids to read a book. Or go out and play catch.
