Two major groups concerned with radio and television programs for children--the 1.7 million-member National Education Association (NEA), and the Boston-based advocacy group, Action for Children’s Television (ACT)--recently presented 1981-82 awards for outstanding work in the realm of educational programming for children.
The nea awards, the first such awards given by the organization since 1967, went to 11 television productions and one radio series for “the advancement of learning through broadcasting.”
Among the winners was Robert Keeshan, who since 1955 has appeared on CBS-TV as Captain Kangaroo.
In a brief acceptance speech, Mr. Keeshan, whose program was cut back from an hour to a half-hour this year, called on the commercial networks to “stop taking children, and bringing them to the bottom line, and turning them upside down to see how many quarters and dimes we can shake out of their pockets.”
Awards also went to:
Bill Moyers, for “People Like Us,” a CBS documentary about the effect of the Reagan Administration’s budget cuts on social programs.
The Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Company for “Nickelodeon,” a cable network providing 13 hours of children’s programming daily.
Gannett Broadcasting Group for a documentary by seven Gannett-owned television stations called, “Epidemic: Why Your Kid Is on Drugs.”
The Tomorrow Entertainment/Medcom Company in New York for two programs in its “The Body Human” series, broadcast on CBS-tv: “Becoming a Man” and “Becoming a Woman.”
WFBC-tv in Greenville, S.C. for “Tuesday’s Child,” a series about the problems of abandoned children.
T.A.T. Communications in Los Angeles for “The Wave,” an ABC-tv drama about an American high school in which students are encouraged to create a fascistic youth movement.
WHIO-tv in Dayton, Ohio, for “Courthouse Square,” a weekly half-hour series for 6- to 11-year-olds.
WZZM-tv in Grand Rapids, Mich., for “When I Grow Up,” a career-guidance series for elementary-school children.
Rainbow TV Works in Los Angeles for “Righteous Apples,” a series for young people, aired on PBS, about the “pressures of growing up.”
KQED-tv in San Francisco for “Up and Coming,” a PBS series featuring a black family.
Children’s Radio Theatre in Washington for “Children’s Radio Theatre,” a series of original radio dramas for children broadcast on National Public Radio.
Last week, act presented its Achievement in Children’s Television Awards to 11 children’s series.
This year, for the first time in the 10 years since the awards were established, there was no winner in act’s commercial-network category, reflecting the group’s contention that the networks have been less responsive to children than in past years.
Among the other winners were:
KRON-tv in San Francisco for “Buster and Me,” a humorous series for young children.
WRAL-tv in Raleigh, N.C., for “Frog Hollow,” a daily series for preschoolers.
Major League Baseball Productions for the syndicated program, “The Baseball Bunch.”
The Southwest Center for Educational Television in Austin, Tex., for “Checking It Out,” a news and features series primarily for Hispanic youths, broadcast on PBS.
KCET-tv and Twelfth Night Repertory Company Production in Los Angeles for “tnrc Presents,” a theater series for teen-agers.
WNYE-tv in Brooklyn, N.Y., for “You and Your World,” an instructional series dealing with world issues.
TVOntario in Toronto, for “Read All About It,” a reading series.
