Remember the days when kids' political opinions parroted those of their
parents? Today, kids have developed strong civic beliefs of their own--they
are educated; they get involved and they try to make a difference.
Certainly, Nickelodeon's award-winning pro-social campaign called "Kids
Pick the President" has made a huge impact on our youth. It's so big, in
fact, that in the 1992 race between George Bush and Bill Clinton, more than
12 million kids responded to the nine-month-long campaign by calling the
cable network's 800 number, and more than 950,000 ballots were cast. (Clinton
won the Nickelodeon election.)
This year, the impact will be even greater. For the first time, "Kids Pick
the President" spokesman David Sidoni (host of the channel's "Roundhouse"),
24, attended the Republican and Democratic conventions as Nickelodeon's
roving reporter, offering kids an inside look at two pivotal events in the
electoral process.
Since February, the "Kids Pick the President" campaign has increased young
viewers' awareness of the election process through on-air promotions.
Melissa Joan Hart, star of the popular Nick series "Clarissa Explains It
All," explains the electoral process, the qualifications for president, hot
button issues and the formation and purpose of each political party.
Additional on-air updates also present key political issues as they break
and vignettes of kids nationwide sharing their thoughts and concerns about
the election.
Through Nickelodeon On-line in America Online's Kids Only Channel,
telephone calls and letters, kids voiced their concerns about issues they
felt would affect their future. According to a Nickelodeon spokesperson, the
most dominant topics were the global environment, America's homeless, crime,
drug abuse and education. Some also addressed local issues such as one boy
from Fargo, N.D., who is disturbed about a local law that prohibits
skateboarding.
While at the conventions, it was Sidoni's job to interview key political
figures and present issues that kids regard as important to their future.
"Kids Pick The President" clips from the Republican convention began
airing Aug. 21 and footage from the Democratic convention will air starting
Wednesday.
"It was great. It was pandemonium, frantic and kooky. It was a blast,"
says Sidoni about attending the conventions. "Nickelodeon actually got better
response than anybody. All I had to do was hold up the signal and everybody
went crazy.
"They came over (at the GOP convention) because they realized when they
talked to me they were talking to kids, and the things I asked them probably
were a little less difficult than the pounding they got from the press all
day.
"Billy Baldwin came over when he saw we were from Nickelodeon, and Judd
Bush, son of the former president, was very responsive when he saw us. Paul
Manafort, the Dole convention manager, gave us our own behind-the-scenes
private tour. I've really learned a lot."
On Oct. 22, kids get to show the country whom they would select as
president with their own election day by calling a-still-to-be-determined 800
number or by voting on-line (Keyword: Nickelodeon). And before the official
national election Nov. 5, Nickelodeon will reveal the results of the "Kids
Pick the President" campaign. The final phase also will reflect the actual
Election Day process and results.
- A more sophisticated offering during the political conventions is "CNN
Newsroom" (3:30 a.m. weekdays, CNN), a news show geared toward older
students. In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education's initiative,
"America Goes Back to School Week" (Sept. 9-13), CNN will air a special
presentation of "CNN Newsroom" ( at 10 a.m. weekdays). The show will feature
some Election '96 coverage as well as two series: "Storm Chasers," which
concerns tornadoes; and "Down the Dark River," a trip for students down the
Congo River. In addition, "At Issue: Curfews" (3:30 a.m. Friday) looks at the
recent implementation of teen curfew in cities all over the United States and
addresses questions such as: Do they work? Are they constitutional?
The program talks to kids, parents, police, shop owners and the ACLU about
what they think.
Best picks:
"Adventures From the Book of Virtues" (three-part series at 8 p.m. Monday
through Wednesday, WTTW-Ch. 11).
"The Composers' Specials: Rossini's Ghost" (6 p.m. Tuesday, HBO).
PHOTO: Melissa Joan Hart and David Sidoni talk politics on Nickelodeon's
``Kids Pick the President.''