Big Media, Little Kids: Media Consolidation & Children’s Television Programming

The child research and action organisation Children Now studied the impact of media consolidation among major television stations in Los Angeles, California, USA both before (1998) and after (2003) the purchase of independent stations by media giants. The study counted the number of children's series each of 7 stations broadcast, the number of hours devoted to children's programming, and how often the same shows were repeated across different stations. The findings reveal a dramatic decrease in children's TV programming following media consolidation.

For instance:

• The overall number of children's shows decreased by almost half (47%) over 5 years, dropping from a total of 88 programmes per week across all stations in 1998 to 47 shows in 2003.
• From 1998 to 2003, the number of hours each week devoted to children's programming in Los Angeles decreased by more than 50%. The largest decreases in programming hours were on stations that are part of media duopolies (one company owns two broadcast stations in the same media market). For example, in 1998, KCOP (an independently-owned UPN affiliate) and KTTV (Fox owned and operated) aired 14 and 21 shows geared toward children, respectively. By 2003, after Fox's parent company, News Corporation, had purchased KCOP, it was airing just 4 children's series and KTTV was airing just 7, representing a 71% decrease in such programming on KCOP and a 67% decrease at KTTV. In contrast, stations not part of a duopoly made far fewer changes in their children's TV lineup, averaging a 12% reduction in programme hours.
• Since 1998, the number of hours each week that children's programmes can be found on the air has decreased by almost one-third. For example, after KCBS' parent corporation, Viacom, purchased the independent KCAL, children's programming fell from 26 hours per week (18 shows) in 1998 to 3 hours (4 shows) in 2003, a decrease of 89%. KCBS maintained a programme lineup of 3 hours (6 shows) weekly in both years, the minimum amount required under Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines. Overall, the study found that young viewers lost 3 hours of kids' TV on Saturdays, 4 hours on Sundays, and 90 minutes each weekday.
• Despite claims by proponents of deregulation that cable and satellite television provide alternatives to the major broadcast networks and therefore enhance the diversity of programming available, the study found the number of the same shows repeated between cable and broadcast channels increased almost fourfold between 1998 and 2003. Most "repurposing" occurred between outlets that were owned by the same media companies.