Nickelodeon Goes Off The Air on Sept 30th For 3 Hours to Encourage Kids To Get Active (New York Times)

[Craig]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 5:27pm

Interesting article in today's NY Times (free online registration required to read)

Reality TV for Children, With Better Health as the Prize

By FELICIA R. LEE
Published: April 27, 2006

Chris, an 11-year-old from San Francisco, is a fitness buff and athlete whose perspective on the galloping rates of childhood obesity mostly comes from what he sees and knows.

"A lot of kids who are younger are obese," said Chris, a sixth grader who plays basketball, skateboards and lobbies his middle school for better food choices. "They feel uncomfortable with themselves. They don't really talk to anyone. They just sit down and eat their lunch."

He's in great shape himself, Chris said. And anyone who wants to see how he stays that way, as well as helping his community stay fit, can turn on the television on Sunday. Chris is one of two boys and two girls taking part in a reality show for the tweener set called "Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge," to have its premiere at 8:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon. The mini-series concludes with the network's third annual Worldwide Day of Play on Sept. 30, when Nickelodeon goes off the air for three hours to encourage viewers to switch off the television and get active.

(continues via link)
Reality TV for Children, With Better Health as the Prize

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 5:32pm

didnt they do this for a whole day last year?

[Craig]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 5:33pm

I don't know. I typically don't watch Nickelodeon. I believe the reality show is new. So perhaps they've given it a new spin this year...

[Popular]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 5:37pm

Don't get any bright ideas, Craig... we like our BWW pals nice and plump. Just kidding!

AWESOME IDEA, LOVE IT!!!!!

[Parks]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 5:43pm

Craig doesn't watch Nickelodeon. SUUUURE.

I happen to know that you're a HUGE Dora The Explorer fan.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 5:44pm

I think this is a really neat idea. I still love Nickelodeon at 24 and I really respect them for doing this.

[Jyn326]

Posted: 4/27/06 at 6:12pm

wow, I hadn't heard of Nickelodeon doing this before. What a great way to put kids' health in front of making money.

Good for them!

[staticradar]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 6:57am

yeah they do the 3hr thing every year

[gustof777]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 11:48am

thats awesome i love nick...so many people are disney channel freaks but i'm proud to say that i have always been a nick kid lol. They just seemed slightly more hip...anyone remember classic nick? pete and pete, are you afraid of the dark? clarissa explains it all? ...good times

[Craig]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 12:04pm

I watched "You Can't Do That On Television" when I was younger. Now I watch/tivo Nick for episodes of Roseanne and Murphy Brown..

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/28/06 at 12:06pm

I liked Nick at Nite much better when it was shows like Donna Reed and such. I flipped by the other day, and they were showing Mad About You. Not only did I never care for that show -- but aren't they already showing it on Lifetime?