by G. Jack Urso
"Silverman Defense Children's TV:" New York Times
Article, Jan. 18, 1980
In this article by NY Times television report Les Brown,
NBC President Fred Silverman defends the network’s record of children’s informational
programs. Speaking at the International Radio and Television Society at the Waldorf-Astoria,
Silverman noted such programs as CBS’s 30
Minutes, ABC’s Afterschool Specials
and NBC’s Special Treat and Hot Hero Sandwich, as evidence of the
networks collective commitment. The larger point of Silverman’s speech was to
protest an F.C.C. proposal for television station to air a certain number of hours
of children’s informational programming. This would later be made into law by
the passage of the 1990 Children’s Television Act.
Silverman says this on Jan. 18, Hot Hero Sandwich aired its last episode
on Jan. 26, 1980. Without any evidence to the contrary, I normally would be
inclined to grant Silverman the benefit of the doubt that he did not know he
was going to cancel the show on Jan. 18; however, it is clear from the final episode (episode 11) that the entire cast and crew knew it was over. Since it took several
weeks, at least, to produce this episode before airing, Silverman, no doubt, knew
the series was already cancelled while he was claiming it as evidence of NBC's commitment to quality children's programming.
We should also keep in mind Vicky Dawson’s account how Silverman’s office contacted her about moving to the
West Coast for a second season of Hot
Hero Sandwich — and having her character on Another World killed off that December to free her up — only to find
out in January there would be no second season.
Click on the image above to read the article.
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