Peggy Charren
Encyclopedia
Peggy Charren founded Action for Children's Television
(ACT), a national child advocacy organization, in 1968, in an effort to encourage program diversity and eliminate commercial abuses in children's television programming.
In 1989, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
awarded her its Trustees' Award. Her work with ACT culminated in the passage of the Children's Television Act
of 1990, and she received a Peabody Award
in 1991. In 1992, she disbanded ACT, announcing that it had met the objectives she had set out to accomplish. In 1995, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
.
Although denounced as an advocate for censorship
by her critics, including animation writers Steve Gerber
and Mark Evanier
, Charren has insisted she is an outspoken critic of censorship
, and has cited her stance against the American Family Association
's campaigns to ban various programs. She sits on the Board of Trustees of public broadcaster WGBH
in Boston, Massachusetts.
Peggy lives in Massachusetts with her husband Stanley, a wind power entrepreneur who serves on Harvard's Kennedy School of Government Environment Council.
Action for Children's Television
Action for Children's Television was founded by Peggy Charren and Judy Chalfen in Newton, Massachusetts in 1968 as a grassroots organization dedicated to improving the quality of television programming offered to children...
(ACT), a national child advocacy organization, in 1968, in an effort to encourage program diversity and eliminate commercial abuses in children's television programming.
In 1989, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences or NATAS was created in 1955 to advance the arts and sciences of television. Headquartered in New York, NATAS's membership is national and the organization has local chapters around the country....
awarded her its Trustees' Award. Her work with ACT culminated in the passage of the Children's Television Act
Children's Television Act
The Children's Television Act was enacted in 1990 in the United States to enhance television's potential to teach the nation's children valuable information and skills. The Act requires each full-service television station that offers children's television programming in the U.S...
of 1990, and she received a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
in 1991. In 1992, she disbanded ACT, announcing that it had met the objectives she had set out to accomplish. In 1995, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...
.
Although denounced as an advocate for censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
by her critics, including animation writers Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
and Mark Evanier
Mark Evanier
Mark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
, Charren has insisted she is an outspoken critic of censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, and has cited her stance against the American Family Association
American Family Association
The American Family Association is a 501 non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values, such as opposition to same-sex marriage, pornography, and abortion, as well as other public policy goals such as deregulation of the oil industry and lobbying against the Employee Free...
's campaigns to ban various programs. She sits on the Board of Trustees of public broadcaster WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
in Boston, Massachusetts.
Peggy lives in Massachusetts with her husband Stanley, a wind power entrepreneur who serves on Harvard's Kennedy School of Government Environment Council.
Quotations
- "Violent television teaches children that violence is the solution to problems, that violent behavior can be fun and funny, that criminals and police make up a larger percentage of the population than they really do, and that violent behavior is practiced by heroes as well as by villains. But you can't say that there shouldn't be any violence on television. It is the context that is really important. Too often, children are the excuse for banning speech: words and pictures in comic books, movies, classic stories, textbooks and television. But government censorship is not the way to protect children from inappropriate content."