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FCC fines stations $80,000 for airing too many ads during children's programs

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FCC fines stations $80,000 for airing too many ads during children's programs 11/02/1993 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Federal Communications Commission…

FCC fines stations $80,000 for airing too many ads during children’s programs

11/02/1993

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Communications Commission issued more than $80,000 in fines in late October against four television stations for violating the Children’s Television Act of 1990. The provision at issue limits the number of commercials that can be shown during children’s programming to 10.5 minutes per hour on weekends and 12 minutes per hour on weekdays.

According to the Washington Post, all of the alleged violations occurred in 1992 and were detected in the stations’ license renewal applications. These latest fines are the largest ever for this particular violation.

The FCC fined KPLR in St. Louis $30,000; KTTM in Huron, S.D., and KTTW in Sioux Falls, S.D., $27,500 each; and KXRM in Colorado Springs $25,000, according to Larry Miller, assistant division chief of the Video Services Division of the FCC.

The FCC determined the amount of the fines by taking into account not only the number of violations but also the extent of each occurrence, according to the Washington Post.

According to Electronic Media, the FCC fined three other stations $15,000 each last summer for similar violations.

Miller said the stations have 30 days to respond.

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