SINESKWE…WALA NA?: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY ON THE DECLINE OF CHILDRENS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ON FREE TELEVISION

SINE’SKWE…WALA NA?: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY ON THE DECLINE OF CHILDREN’S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ON FREE TELEVISION

ABSTRACT

This thesis is a study on the current condition of children’s programming on free television, focusing on the genre of children’s educational programs. This study involved evaluating the process of government regulation on children’s educational programs and its impact on free television’s children’s programming. Likewise, this thesis analyzed how free television conducts self-regulation in their children’s programming.

The researcher employed the interview method in gathering data. She conducted interviews among program managers and writers of current and past children’s programs aired on GMA 7 and ABS-CBN 2. Representatives from government regulatory boards were also interviewed. The interviewees were from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board and the National Council for Children’s Television. The third set of interviewees came from the non-government organizations involved in monitoring and supporting quality children’s programs. These are the Anak TV Foundation and Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.

The study revealed that although the television industry has regulatory boards mandated by the government to monitor and support children’s programming, free TV networks still depend on their self-regulation to produce quality children’s programs.

Government regulation involves monitoring and sanctioning TV programs. This process also includes conducting dialogues with the networks’ writers to suggest the inclusion of substantial information for children viewers. On the other hand, self-regulation of free TV networks involve rigorous editing of scripts, having less discussions on sex and violence- related concepts and hiring of education consultants and child experts to guide them with the programs’ content.

Media critics argued that children’s programming is not being maximized by any of the two institutions - government and free TV networks. Lastly, this study revealed that all sectors agreed that there is indeed a decline in children’s educational programming, and this is primarily due to the lack of interest and funding from the advertisers.

This study conferred that the industry has not reached the full potential of TV as a powerful tool for educating children because of economic reasons and lack of sufficient communication between the government and the TV networks. The regulatory board mandated to address children’s programming does not yet have the formal rules to be implemented on free TV’s children’s programming. The government agency also does not have the appropriate budget to support children’s programming. Free TV, on the other hand, is still a business. The life of their programs still depend on advertisers. This is a reality despite the TV networks’ social responsibility to deliver quality children’s programs to its viewers.

Finally this study recommends that studies be made regarding the feasibility of joint projects among TV networks, the government, and non-government organizations for the industry of children’s programming. This research also suggests that other studies focus on analyzing the issue through the perspective of the advertisers. Lastly, this study proposes that a research be made on the views of other important sectors of society, such as teachers, child experts, NGOs, the academe, and parents who are likewise concerned with the benefits of educational programming on children viewers.

Andrade, L.C. (2010). ‘Sine’skwe…wala na?:A descriptive study on the decline of children’s educational programs on free television, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.

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