May 1, 2006 –
CCFC files a Complaint and Request for Investigation against
Brainy Baby and Baby Einstein for falsely and deceptively
marketing their videos as educational for babies.
http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/pressreleases/babyvideoftccomplaint.htm.
May 11, 2006 –
BabyFirstTV, the first twenty-four television network for babies is
launched in the U.S.
http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/pressreleases/babyfirsttv.htm.
June 13, 2006 – CCFC
adds BabyFirstTV to its Complaint against Brainy Baby and Baby
Einstein.
http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/pressreleases/babyfirsttvcomplaint.htm.
May 15, 2007 – CCFC, in
connection with its FTC Complaint against BabyFirstTV, sends a letter to
ten U.S. cable companies urging them not to carry BabyFirstTV because
the channel “seduces potential subscribers with false claims that its
programming is educational for infants.”
http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/pressreleases/babyfirstcable.htm.
May 17, 2007 –
BabyFirstTV sends a cease and desist letter to CCFC and demands a
retraction of CCFC’s May 15 letter to the cable companies.
BabyFirstTV’s letter claims there is “overwhelming substantiation” that
BabyFirstTV is educational for babies. As evidence, the letter refers
to eight studies. Seven of the studies were conducted on children older
than BabyFirstTV’s targeted audience and the findings of the eighth –
which was conducted on a small sample size with no control group – have
been contradicted by more recent studies. Given that it is clearer
than ever that BabyFirstTV cannot support its educational claims, CCFC
refuses to retract the letter.
http://commercialfreechildhood.org/pdf/bftvtoccfc.pdf
December 5, 2007 – The
FTC responds to CCFC’s Complaint against Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby.
The FTC says it is not recommending enforcement action, but notes that
both companies have made significant changes to their website and that
both companies “agreed to take steps to ensure that any claims of
educational and/or developmental benefit for children under the age of
two are adequately substantiated.” The FTC notes that research
conducted on older children will not be considered adequate
substantiation and that its ruling “would apply to representations made
by any marketer of products claimed to provide educational or
developmental benefits to children under two.”
http://commercialfreechildhood.org/actions/lettertoccfc.pdf.
July 15, 2008 – Noting
that BabyFirstTV continues to claim – without substantiation – that its
programming is educational for babies, CCFC urges the FTC to take
explicit action against BabyFirstTV.
http://commercialfreechildhood.org/pdf/bftlettertoftc.pdf.
On June 13, 2006, CCFC
filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against BabyFirstTV, the first television station for babies and
toddlers. The complaint is an amendment
CCFC's FTC complaint against Baby
Einstein and Brainy Baby.