My daughters are what you might call "easy marks" when it comes to television advertising. The preschooler, when watching the Disney channel, is enthralled by anything "princess" related. The teenager, when she was just about the age of the preschooler, saw a commercial for Aquafresh and insisted we buy it because it was "the best" toothpaste. (In fact, that is still the brand she prefers.)
In addition to some shows on the Disney channel, I let the younger one watch the shows on PBS Kids, a cable network that runs shows like Curious George, Clifford, and of course Sesame Street (Ernie and Bert, you gotta love 'em even after all these years!).
Last night, I was dismayed to see that there were commercials on PBS Kids for Amazon.com and Sunmaid Raisins. I say "dismayed" because I have always thought of PBS as a haven away from advertising, especially when it came to programming for children.
I realize that it comes down to money. PBS needs the advertising revenue to survive. I get that, but it doesn't lessen my disappointment.
