When Advertisers Took a Stand: The Untold Story Behind the White House Forum on Children's Television

amp160amp160In July 1996 a historic moment unfolded at the White House when advertisers were invited to the national table not as disruptors or mere revenue engines but as stakeholders in the moral and educational development of America39s children This moment was not incidental it was catalyzed in no small part by the work of Jack Myers founder of The Myers Report whose advocacy and foresight led to the inclusion of marketers at the White House Forum on Childrenamp8217s Television Hosted by President Clinton First Lady Hillary Clinton Vice President Gore and Tipper Gore the threehour event hosted 50 senior industry leaders and continues to be available for view at CSpan which covered it liveWhat made this event unique and still resonates nearly three decades later was the unusual alignment of policymakers media executives educators nonprofit leaders and brand marketers around a shared goal to redefine and elevate the role of childrenamp8217s programming in a commercial broadcast system It was a conversation that as Jack Myers noted in his remarks recognized the power of advertisers not as the problem but as potential coauthors of a solutionAmong the participating leaders was Peter Eio President of LEGO Systems who added a vital perspective Eioamp8217s pragmatic view that educational content must also entertain echoes forward into todayamp8217s content environment where attention is fractured and competition for young viewers39 time is relentless Eio urged content creators to develop programming that addresses real gaps in knowledge particularly in science educationVice President Al Goreamp8217s Prompt Jack Myersamp8217 ResponseAs Vice President Gore asked Jack Myers during the Forum amp8220What can advertisers do to make more educational programming availableamp8221 The moment captured served as both an invitation and a challenge Myers responded with clarity and vision proposing a amp8220Gold Medalamp8221 system to recognize advertisers who supported quality childrenamp8217s television advocating for the formation of a programming laboratory and offering a marketplace model in which advertisers producers and broadcasters could collaborate rather than competeHis presence signaled a paradigm shift No longer would the business of childrenamp8217s content be dominated solely by ratingschasing and fastfood tieins The industryamp8217s very definition of quality then measured almost exclusively by audience size was being contested in real timeA Seat at the Table and a Call to ActionIn addition to Eio Myers was joined by Anne MacDonald Vice President of Consumer Marketing at Pizza Hut Bob Meers President of Reebok and top executives from Nickelodeon CBS and ABC The inclusion of advertisers at the White House forum was not accidental it was the result of Jack Myersamp8217 persistent advocacy In the pages of The Myers Report published at the time Myers asked in a headline amp8220Should Advertisers Stay Out of the Frayamp8221 His answer was unequivocalamp8220We can only hope that the issue of children39s television will bring out the best instincts of industry leaders It is unreasonable to suggest that advertising executives should stay uninvolved when they are being asked to contribute to one of the most important issues in the history of televisionamp8221That same year Newton Minow former FCC Chairman and author of the landmark critique amp8220Abandoned in the Wastelandamp8221 reminded us that no democratic nation had so thoroughly commodified its children for commercial gain Minow like Myers saw children39s television not as an isolated media niche but as a reflection of national values He wrote that amp8220the public interest requires broadcasters actually to do goodamp8221 His critique remains prescient the television industryamp8217s responsibility to children is not a regulatory burden it is a moral imperativeFast forward to 2025 and the stakes are higher than ever Public broadcasting especially PBS and flagship programs like Sesame Street once again finds itself politicized and financially imperiled While technology has created unprecedented access to content it has also deepened divides with algorithmdriven platforms often serving up the most attentiongrabbing rather than the most enriching content Myers reflecting today observesamp8220Thereamp8217s a tendency to reduce public broadcasting and childrenamp8217s content to political footballs or budget line items But these platforms are pillars of our cultural infrastructure They educate not just children but a citizenry Thatamp8217s not charity thatamp8217s nationbuildingamp8221Then and Now What Has and Hasnamp8217t ChangedToday Myers reflects on the 1996 White House Forum with pride and a sense of unfinished business amp8220We created a blueprint that balanced economic realities with social responsibilityamp8221 he notes amp8220We proved it was possible to convene diverse stakeholders to advance media that serves kids families and societyamp8221Yet the progress envisioned has only partially materialized PBS remains under political threat its funding perennially contested Advertisers while more conscious of brand purpose and equity prioritize shortterm ROI over longterm educational value The explosion of digital platforms has further fragmented attention spans while regulation struggles to keep pace with algorithmic influence on young mindsAnd still the issues echo loudly today The commodification of childhood remains a core tension in commercial media The question of who funds and controls educational content in a fragmented media landscape remains unresolved In many ways the urgency that underpinned the 1996 Forum has only intensifiedJack Myersamp8217 Contemporary ViewIn 2025 Myers continues to advocate for a media ecosystem that values empathy responsibility and longterm investment in future generations His recent books The Tao of Leadership in the AI Era and Creativity Unleashed carry forward these ideals framing them for a world reshaped by AI and media intelligence His work reminds us that leadership is not merely about influence but impact and that responsibility particularly to children must be rooted in action not just aspirationamp8220Thereamp8217s a tendency todayamp8221 says Myers amp8220to reduce public broadcasting and childrenamp8217s content to political footballs or budget line items But these platforms are pillars of our cultural infrastructure They educate not just children but a citizenry Thatamp8217s not charity thatamp8217s nationbuildingamp8221A Legacy That Still Guides UsAs The Myers Report revisits this pivotal 1996 event in its amp8220Back to the Futureamp8221 series we salute the uncommon courage of those who stepped forward when the easier path was silence We honor the vision of leaders who invited the advertising community not just to sell but to serve And we invite todayamp8217s media and marketing professionals to revisit these foundational values as we once again redefine the role of media in shaping the minds and ethics of the next generationBecause as Jack reminded us then and reminds us now the standard of quality media should not be measured solely by audience size but by the values we teach along the way

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When Advertisers Took a Stand: The Untold Story Behind the White House Forum on Children's Television

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When Advertisers Took a Stand: The Untold Story Behind the White House Forum on Children's Television

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