Section 8October 28, 1997, Sec./Art. 8

Submission of comprehensive media program for children. – Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, the Council in consultation with the Advisory Committee shall submit to Congress a comprehensive development and protection program with the end in view of formulating policies on children's media programs, and recommending plans and priorities for government towards the promotion, development, production and broadcasting of developmentally -appropriate media programs for children. Likewise, it shall prescribe an appropriate set of criteria for evaluating programs with the end in view of establishing a Television Violence Rating Code.

Towards this end, the Council may consider internationally-accepted programs of action for children's television. More particularly, the Council shall be guided by the following standards herein to be known as "The Charter of Children's Television":

a) Children should have programs of high quality which are made specifically for them, and which do not exploit them. These programs, in addition to being entertaining should allow children to develop physically, mentally and socially to their fullest potential;

b) Children should hear, see and express themselves, their culture, languages and life experiences through television programs which affirm their sense of self, community and place;

c) Children's programs should promote an awareness and appreciation of other cultures in parallel with the child's own cultural background;

d) Children's program should be wide-ranging in genre and content, but should not include gratuitous scenes of violence and sex;

e) Children's program should be aired in regular time slots when children are available to view and/or distributed through widely accessible media or technologies;

f) Sufficient funds must be made available to make these programs conform to the highest possible standards; and

g) Government, production, distribution and funding organizations should recognize both the importance and vulnerability of indigenous children's television and the steps to support and protect it.