Children’s Television Programming

A television program intended by its network or producers to be watched by viewers between the ages of 2 and 11 is generally considered children’s television. The specific programs broadcast for children are determined by age, demographic, time of day, network, nation, historical period, and other factors. Many different kinds of programs can be considered part of the genre of children’s programming, one determined by its viewers more than its content. Controversies persist about what television programming is appropriate for children, but since sets began entering family homes in developed nations around the world in the 1950s, television has become central to contemporary childhood.

This entry surveys how the relationship between children and television has evolved from the broadcast era to the digital era, primarily in ...