News Broadcasting
FCC updates children’s programming rules in US
MUMBAI: A move is afoot to strengthen kids programming in the US. Federal regulators have unanimously approved rules that require television stations that air more than one digital channel to show additional children’s programming in some cases up to 18 hours of kids’ shows a week.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a Report and Order addressing matters related to two areas. The first one is the obligation of broadcasters to provide educational and informational programming for children.
The second is that broadcasters protect children from excessive and inappropriate advertising. Although some of the rules and policies adopted apply to both analog and digital broadcasters, the Order focusses on the application of children’s television obligations to digital television broadcasting.
Under the new rules, a broadcaster that multicasts a digital signal to air two or more channels will be obligated to show three extra hours of kids’ TV a week for each 24-hour multicast channel. With digital signals, a broadcaster could have as many as six channels.
On the ad front, the FCC ruling has addressed a practice currently in use by some broadcasters. This involves the display of Internet website addresses during children’s programmes, for example, in a crawl at the bottom of the screen.
The Order states that for programmes targeted at children below 12, the display of Internet website addresses during programme material is permitted only if the website offers a substantial amount of bona fide programme-related or other non-commercial content. This should not be primarily intended for commercial purposes.
The FCC has also warned that US broadcasters may not use interactivity or other technological developments in children’s programming to circumvent the commercial limits and policies.
Some children’s groups had pressed for a ban on interactive ads. This would allow kids watching a TV show to touch the screen or click on a character and be taken directly to an Internet site for the programme. However, the FCC concluded that such a move would be premature since this technology is not yet in use in children’s programming.
News Broadcasting
India Today Group sweeps top honours at Ramnath Goenka Awards
Journalists recognised for fearless investigative and civic reporting.
MUMBAI: India Today Group just turned the Ramnath Goenka Awards into its own trophy cabinet because when your reporters dig this deep, even the judges have to award a clean sweep. India Today Group journalists have secured multiple top honours at the latest edition of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards, reinforcing the network’s legacy as the gold standard of Indian journalism. The awards were conferred by vice president C. P. Radhakrishnan at a ceremony held on 27 March 2026.
Sreya Chatterjee won in the ‘Investigative Reporting – Broadcast’ category for her powerful India Today TV report ‘Operation Illegals: The Alarming Rise in Bangladeshi Infiltration Across India’s Fragile Eastern Frontier’. The investigation stood out for its depth, on-ground rigour and national relevance.
In the ‘Civic Journalism – Print/Digital’ category, Sreya Chatterjee along with Arvind Ojha were honoured for their indiatoday.in report on unregulated water extraction and the ‘Tanker Mafia’ in Delhi’s Bawana Industrial Area. The story exposed critical systemic gaps and environmental challenges affecting daily life.
Additionally, aajtak.in was recognised in the ‘Investigative Reporting – Print/Digital’ category for its hard-hitting exposé ‘The Surrogate Mother Market’, which highlighted the human, legal and ethical dimensions of the surrogacy ecosystem.
India Today Group emerged as the only network honoured in Investigative Journalism across both Print/Digital and Broadcast categories. The wins reflect the strength of its multi-platform newsroom and its unwavering commitment to credible, high-impact reporting that informs public discourse and drives accountability.
In an era when speed often trumps substance, these awards remind us that the most powerful stories are still the ones dug out with courage, told with clarity, and delivered with conscience, one fearless byline at a time.
