As part of the Children's Television Act of 1990, broadcasters are also required to inform the public about programs which they feel are educational or informational. These codes, which use the icon "E/I" (and are often followed by a target age in parentheses), designate programs which the syndicator or network believes will further the positive development of the child 16 years of age and under, including the child's intellectual/cognitive or social/emotional needs.
In the Spring of 1997, the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, as part of the Evaluation of Educational Programs/Children and Television Project, created the following five components of "educational strength" in children's television programming. Their recommendations include:
- Lesson Value: Is the lesson a valuable one - one that is important and beneficial - for the target audience?
- Lesson Clarity: Is the lesson clearly laid out so that it can be easily comprehended by the target Lesson Salience: Is the lesson consistently conveyed and/or an integral element of the program as a whole?
- Lesson Involvement: Is the lesson presented in such a way that it is engaging and challenging for the target audience?
- Lesson Applicability: Is the lesson conveyed in such a way that the target audience can see its usefulness in his/her own life?
Beginning July 1, 1999, many new TVs will be equipped with the V-Chip technology that reads these codes. The V-Chip is a device that helps parents prevent their children from watching programming with inappropriate content. It reads the ratings that networks send in a special signal, shutting off the TV when a certain rating or content label appears in a program.
The KIDSNET Media Guide lists programs appropriate for children from preschool through high school, including quality programs identified as E/I. The age-based V-Chip ratings are given when available. Programs on the website are searchable by many variables, including subject, grade, name and rating.