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Children take over the airwaves

Broadcasters all over the world 'Tuned in to Kids' for the fifth annual International Children's Day of Broadcasting (ICDB), held on Sunday, 15 December, 1996.

Thousands of television and radio stations on every continent marked the day by scheduling programming by, for or about children. In an estimated 170 countries, children made their voices heard when the media gave them broad access to television and radio airwaves.

ICDB is a joint initiative of UNICEF and the International Council of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences that encourages broadcasters to dedicate a day every year to children's issues and children's participation.

Over the past five years the number of broadcasters involved has multiplied from 200 to more than 2,000 in 1995. "Our goal this year is to attract more than 2,200 broadcasters from every country in the world to `Tune in to Kids'," says William Hetzer, Chief of the UNICEF Broadcasting and Electronic Communication Section.

The Day is an opportunity to highlight children's issues that are often lost from public view among current events and adult interests. It is a once-a-year occasion for the media to call on the young people of their country to bring their concerns to the forefront of the news.

The productions offered are as varied as the kids themselves. Broadcasters aired animation, documentaries, television and radio spots and dramatic short stories on subjects like child labour, sexual exploitation and a girl's right to education.

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