Proclamation 5549

By the President of the United States of America 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 United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning October 12, 1986, as National Children's Television Awareness Week. I invite all of our citizens to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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 Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eleventh.

RONALD REAGAN

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:43 a.m., October 14, 1986]