Get 'em while they're young: Baby TV

[DBear]

Yahoo News, from AP wire

excerpts:

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer
Thu May 11, 1:18 AM ET

NEW YORK - Escalating an already heated national debate, a first-of-its-kind TV channel premieres Thursday designed specifically for babies — an age group that the American Academy of Pediatrics says should be kept away from television altogether.

The new, round-the-clock channel is called BabyFirstTV. For $9.99 a month, it will be available initially by satellite through DirecTV and later through cable TV providers as well.

TV offerings already abound for older toddlers, and a lucrative — though controversial — market has developed for baby-oriented videos, attracting the Walt Disney Co. and the makers of Sesame Street, among others. But until now there had been no ongoing TV programming aimed at infants.

"This is the first channel dedicated to babies and their parents — transforming TV from its original purpose into a way for them to interact," said Sharon Rechter, BabyFirstTV's executive vice president for business development and marketing.

"The fact of life is that babies are already watching TV," she said. "That's why having BabyFirstTV is so important — what we want to offer is completely safe, commercial-free and appropriate content."

A 2003 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 68 percent of children under 2 watch TV or videos daily and 26 percent have a TV in their bedroom. Nonetheless, the pediatrics academy recommends that children of that age not be exposed to TV or videos, saying that learning to talk and play with others is much more important.

The academy's guidelines were cited last week in a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission, challenging claims by leading makers of videos for babies that their products were educational.

Critics of TV for infants also are skeptical of assertions by BabyFirstTV and other companies that their products are designed to be watched by babies and parents together in an interactive manner.

"Experience tells anyone that it's not going to be used that way," said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston. "Parents use it to park their kids in front of the TV so they can get things done."

The three companies behind BabyFirstTV are Regency Enterprises, a film and TV production company that is a partner of Fox Entertainment; Kardan N.V, an investment group based in the Netherlands and Israel; and Bellco Capital, a private Los Angeles-based investment fund.

This is so wrong.... babies do not need to be watching TV. :thumbdown:

 

[Brian_B]

People will subscribe and it's rather sad. My sister-in-law's idea of raising her kids is to pop them down on the couch and put in a Baby Einstein video. Unfortunately I suspect more and more new parents are turning to this style. As for myself, I really don't plan on having children because I don't see myself putting aside the time and effort required to raise them properly. A lot of people, however, just have kids because it's the "thing to do" even though they aren't prepared for the task.

 

[Fetus4188]

Holy crap, GET A BOOK PARENTS! For the sake of future generations, read to your children and get them to read themselves.

 

[Tycoon101]

-That action sums up my thoughts about this. Don't watch TV, have CARING parents, not negligent ones.

 

[Technocactus]

My NTL has had a Baby TV channel for ages? I live in the UK though.

 

[The 777 Hoax]

This is stupid. Maybe when this generation grows up to be a bunch of stupid idiots who have never taken a look at a book, people will learn their lesson. But I doubt it.

 

[Xanikk999]

Actually certain education programs for babies are actually very helpful in the early learning process.

Of course it shouldnt be the main method of raising your kid but it helps a bit.

 

[Narz]

Babies need love, touch and affection not to be dropped in a cell with bars around it (crib) and forgotten about.

Babies need real human attention not some 2D image of a grown man dancing around in a purple dinosaur outfit.

http://www.continuum-concept.org/

 

[Kozmos]

Children ought to be running around and playing.Christ a simple ball could keep me amused for like the whole day.

 

[Narz]

Actually certain education programs for babies are actually very helpful in the early learning process.

Of course it shouldnt be the main method of raising your kid but it helps a bit.

I can agree with that. Provided the parent and child watch the show together.

 

[Abaddon]

parents who purchase this channel should be shortlisted for nuetralisation.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

You mean neutering?

Agreed. The boob tube is being given way too much responsibility these days.

 

[Truronian]

Toddler TV is nauseating enough. I wonder what inane garbage they'll find for this station.

I think regular TV at such a young age could have serious negative physical and pshycological consequences on a baby, and the creators of this channel amoral fools (I predict lawsuits).

 

[Dreadnought]

this is just sad. Really.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Brought to you by your friendly neighborhood megacorporation.

Baby TV? I mean, WTH?

 

[Masquerouge]

Why be a responsible parent when you can sue later on and/or blame the government/video game industry/MTV ?

 

[The Last Conformist]

Aren't infants heavily myopic? Can they even watch TV?

 

[vbraun]

Spoon feeding information to little kids will only make them depend on it in the future..

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

That's the point. Get them addicted to TV and advertising while they're under 5.

Blame slacker parents for not reading their kids books, incompetent government for not banning this ****, and evil business/marketing types for having such a twisted idea.

 

[Bluemofia]

TV is what caused me to become a science freak, and how I actually want to be smart.

I support this, assuming that they have educational TV, not something like Baby version of the Simpsons.