ABSTRACT
In the late 1960s, the founders of "Sesame Street" made a conscious commitment to serve the educational and social needs of children in poverty. They did not exclude the needs of other children, but specifically included the needs of children in low-income homes. Nevertheless, numerous content analyses show that for children's programming, "Sesame Street" and other children's shows on public TV portray a much greater diversity of characters, and in more positive roles, than a child will see on commercial broadcasting. Perhaps the most universally recognizable of children's TV programs, "Sesame Street" now has a quarter-century's experience behind its founding rationale and innovative management strategy. Household income level is linked to level of educational opportunities for the preschool child. But there is also a growing concern about what the changing media environment might mean for the long-standing commitment to serving the needs of low-income children.
