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
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
