From:      Dr. Linda H. Alexander, ETSU <lalexand@tenet.edu>
To:        A16.A16(kidstv)
Date:      10/9/95 2:42pm
Subject:   Children*s Television-MM Docket #93-48

Dear Mr/Ms. Secretary of the Federal Communications Commission
     1919 M Street, NW
     Washington, D.C. 20554

I understand that the FCC has called for comments in regards to 
children*s television in the U.S. This email is in regards to: MM
Docket  #93-48.

My name is Linda H. Alexander.I am an assistant professor at East
Texas  State University in Elementary Education. My doctorate is
from the  University of North Texas with a minor in technology
for K-12 education.  My Master*s degree is from the University of
Hawaii in Educational  Communications and Technology with a
specialization in television and  film. My dissertation was a
study of Internet listservs as follow-up to  satellite
teleconferences for faculty development. I have been an 
instructional design consultant for Dallas County Community
College  District helping professors prepare their classes for
interactive television.

I have been a K-12 classroom teacher both in the U.S. and abroad, 
mostly in English as a Second Language classrooms. I am a parent
of two  young men. I have lived abroad for 11 years of my adult
life in Japan,  Canada and England. Therefore, I have seen
children*s television in other  countries, while our children
were growing up. I am a certified  Librarian/Media Specialist who
has worked as an elementary school  librarian. I now am a
professor teaching graduate and under graduate  students who are
either teachers or are preparing to become teachers. I  teach
courses in reading, language arts and technology (computers) at
the  Mesquite Center for Professional Development and Technology
in  field-based program (cooperation between the East Texas State
University,  the Mesquite Independent School District and the
Texas Center for  Educational Technology located at the
University of North Texas).

I believe, that there were no teeth in the Children's Television
Act  enacted in 1990.  Broadcasters are not required to meet any
standards for quality or quantity of children's programming.  I
understand that the Federal
Communications Commission is now calling for public comment on
the quality of educational programming for children.

The history of children's educational programming in the U.S.
shows that broadcasters will not voluntarily meet children's
educational programming needs.  In thirty-five years, increases
in educational programming have come after massive pressure from
the public and organizations who monitor children*s  programing.

* Please consider the following:
     -The Processing Guideline should consist of one hour of
   "core" educational programming daily per broadcaster.

    --Quality "core" programs should be:
         * specifically designed to educate and inform children
         * at least thirty minutes in length per program
         * regularly scheduled
         * aired between 7am and 9pm
      * producable outside of the U.S. if deemed appropriate (e.g 
particularly, Great Britain, Canada and Australia who produce
quality  children*s programming).
      * designed to promote good children*s literature,  science
and math, the arts, good citizenship, cooperation and high moral 
standards that emphasize responsibility and accountability.
      * low levels of violence
      * high production quality.
      * gender and ethnic sensitive

Congress is poised to give broadcasters $37 billion worth of free
access to the airwaves.  If the FCC and Congress are giving away
this lucrative spectrum space, I think that  our nation*s
children  deserve high quality children's programming in  return. 
This is only a minimal acknowledgment of broadcasters'
responsibilities to serve the "public interest".

Sincerely, 

Linda H. Alexander
----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Linda H. Alexander
Assistant Professor in Elementary Education  East Texas State
University in the  Mesquite Center for Professional Development &
Technology
Email: lalexand@tenet.edu, Tel. 214-618-3487 (H).