ABSTRACT

This chapter describes the role of academic consultants in a selfregulatory process at the NBC television network that was designed to improve children’s programming, primarily Saturday morning cartoons. The process relied largely on academic and other consultants with expertise in relevant fields who formed NBC’s so-called “Social Science Advisory Panel.” This analysis focuses on the role of the advisors during the 1980-1990 period when the panel was most active and the author was directly involved in the Panel’s activities as NBC’s Director, Social and Development Research.