Proclamation 5549 --
National Children's Television Awareness Week, 1986
By
the President of the
A
Proclamation
Television
is a medium of enormous potential capable of bringing a myriad of sights and
sounds into our homes, schools, and places of work. Parental involvement and
guidance can ensure that this miracle of modern technology can be used as an
innovative tool of learning to enhance and enrich the education of our
children.
The
advent of cable television and video cassette recorders has created a
technological revolution in the television industry that affords producers and
broadcasters virtually limitless possibilities to improve and enrich TV
programming. Quality television programming can open wide the windows of
curiosity for children and enable them to share in the wonder of man's
experience -- whether in history, politics, religion, culture, or sports.
Television
can also be a powerful tool in convincing children to say ``no'' to illegal drugs
and ``yes'' to life. Parents now have a wonderful opportunity to work closely
with schools, churches, libraries, and community groups to encourage and foster
programming that will nurture the intellect and imagination of our children
while at the same time promoting and reinforcing parental values that
strengthen the family unit. Although television can never replace the adventure
of good books, the two can serve to stimulate and reinforce each other while
preparing our children to take up the exciting challenges that lie before them.
In
order to increase the awareness of how television can be used to enhance the
education of our children, the Congress, by Public Law 99 - 444, has designated
the week beginning October 12, 1986, as ``National Children's Television
Awareness Week'' and authorized and requested the President to issue a
proclamation in observance of this week.
Now,
Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the
In
Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the
Ronald
Reagan
[Filed
with the Office of the Federal Register,
Note:
The proclamation was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on October
14.