Give us just a little more time

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The Joint Task Force on Media and Childhood Obesity has decided to keep its report in the oven throughout the remainder of the summer and into September. The group, which includes Sam Brownback (R-KS), Tom Harkin (D-IA), FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R) and Commissioners Michael Copps (D) and Deborah Taylor Tate (R), and members of the directly-involved business community, is trying to come up with ways to reduce what has been called an epidemic of overweight children.


The FCC said, "The extension will enable the Task Force to continue to identify ways in which the media industry, along with advertising, and food and beverage industries, tackles food marketing to children in order to reduce the rates of childhood obesity."

SmartMedia observation: We have read reports already of some decrying this delay, but in reality, two months in Washington for something like this is an eye blink. Cereal manufacture Kellogg has just announced its own voluntary actions to avoid putting a hard-sell on the pre-teen set, and an additional two months means time to see if any other manufacturers can be enticed on board. We suspect the motives for this delay are noble, to simply do as good a job addressing the topic as possible. There is absolutely no reason to suspect foul play.