WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is demanding more children's shows with Wednesday's expansion of digital spectrum, USA Today reports.
Several hundred of the nation's 1,700 broadcast stations began multicasting Wednesday, broadcasting local news and weather, civic events and area sports to subscribers with digital tuners or digital cable service.
With the increased spectrum, a TV station can transmit a high-definition channel and one or two standard-definition channels in prime time, or four to six standard-definition channels during the day.
Under current rules, broadcasters must show three hours of educational shows each week on their main analog channel, and a recommendation being prepared by FCC staff would require a similar amount of children's programming on each new multicast channel. In cases such as all-news formats, the children's quota could be shifted to one of the other multicast channels.
The proposal is supported by most of the five FCC commissioners, including Chairman Michael Powell, and could be approved as early as next week, officials told the newspaper.
