FCC Ruling against Univision is a result of United Church of Christ’s Public Advocacy for Children.

According to a front page story in The New York Times (Feb. 24), the FCC ruling is expected to cost Univision about $24 million and will be the largest fine ever imposed by the FCC against any company. The decision was made public during a NYT interview with FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin.

“This is a tremendous victory for all of our children,” said the Rev. Robert Chase, the United Church of Christ’s communications director. “Too often broadcasters have failed in their obligation to provide quality educational children’s programming. This action by the FCC sends a clear signal that media conglomerates must act in the public interest.” The case originated in August 2005, when the United Church of Christ’s Office of Communication Inc. (OC, Inc.) – the UCC’s media advocacy agency-asked the FCC to deny the license renewal application of Univision Cleveland, Inc. (WQHS-TV) in Ohio for failure to comply with children’s educational programming standards.

The UCC’s action represented the first time that a Spanish-speaking station’s license renewal had been challenged for failure to comply with the Children’s Television Act of 1990 and the children’s educational guidelines, adopted by the FCC in 1996, that require local stations to air at least three hours per week of specifically educational programming. The case revolved around a telenovela, “Complices al Rescate” (“Friends to the Rescue”), about the adventures of 11-year-old identical twin girls who swap identities after discovering they had been separated at birth. Univision maintained the program was educational and fulfilled its FCC obligations; however, the UCC – and the FCC – did not agree.

After investigating the UCC’s complaint, the FCC decreed that 24 Univision stations had violated programming guidelines over a two-year period, according to The New York Times story.

Chase said further proof of the show’s adult nature was the type of adult advertisers it attracted.

“We felt that concerns of Hispanic children and their parents were particularly susceptible to being ignored by big media and by federal regulators,” Chase said.