WASHINGTON, D.C. – Kyle McSlarrow, President & CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), today called on the federal government to dedicate significant broadband stimulus funding to create and maintain a national digital media literacy program.
McSlarrow’s comments came today during keynote remarks to the 2009 Annual Conference of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium.
Improving digital literacy is an important step toward helping all Americans become full-fledged “digital citizens,” McSlarrow said. He noted that NCTA had joined with online safety advocates early this year in advocating federal funding for digital media literacy.
“Congress should direct that the agencies managing distribution of broadband stimulus funding allocate $500 million during the next two years for the development of digital media education tools,” McSlarrow said today. “With a substantial portion of stimulus funding yet to be allocated, and with the broadband adoption rate continuing to increase from coast to coast, we must vigorously renew this call to acknowledge as a national priority digital literacy for children and families.”
McSlarrow added, “This issue is about helping our children and families become digitally literate. It’s about creating an environment with appropriate tools and resources so that all Internet users can have a truly productive online experience. These tools should be based primarily on the Internet, and should be designed for use by teachers, students and parents.”
McSlarrow commended two Members of Congress – U. S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D – N.J) and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D – FL) – for legislation they’ve sponsored that would support federal grants for online safety and digital literacy training programs.
The complete text of McSlarrow’s remarks can be found linked below.
The cable industry, the leading provider of broadband Internet service, provides a wide range of tools, information and resources to help better shape and manage children’s online use. This summer, NCTA joined a diverse coalition of technology companies, child advocacy and parents’ groups, educators, and health researchers in the release of the PointSmart.ClickSafe. Task Force Recommendations for Best Practices for Child Online Safety, a comprehensive set of recommendations that companies in the Internet industry can adopt as best practices to help keep children safe and smart when online. The report can be found online at www.PointSmartReport.org.
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