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Markey Eyes New Kid Ad Rules

If one congressman gets his way, some educational children's programming would not count toward a station's weekly minimum, while fast food and snack ads would be barred from kids shows. Those ideas come from House Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey and were directed to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and commissioners Deborah Tate and Michael Copps.

While he praises some voluntary steps, the Massachusetts Democrat says he doesn't believe a few PSAs promoting exercise and nutrition are enough. Markey says the FCC has the authority and an "affirmative obligation" to "examine whether placing limitations on certain food advertising to children would further the public interest." He wants a dramatic and swift elimination of advertisements for "junk food" during kids shows and said the FCC should reduce the number of commercial minutes allowed. He also wants to discount educational shows from counting toward a station's FCC-friendly kids quotas.

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